not likely that he ever thought to occupy the chair then filled by Abraham Lincoln, or that he, like Lincoln, would fall by the hand of a foul assassin. All he thought of was to do his duty fully and faithfully, and let the future take care of itself.
The victory at Bull Run had inspired the Confederates in Virginia with great confidence, and while General McClellan was in Washington, doing his utmost to bring order out of chaos and put our army on a proper footing, previous to a contemplated campaign on the peninsula, the soldiers of the South followed up their advantage by defeating General Pope. This brought them close to the Maryland line, and under the command of General Lee they crossed the Potomac, marched along the eastern slope of Catoctin Mountain, and directed their steps toward Frederick, the state capital.
The people of Maryland who were loyal to the old flag heard of the coming of the Confederates with great alarm, and instantly McClellan was appealed to, to save them from the invaders. As a result the Union forces moved out of Washington and the neighborhood, eighty-seven thousand strong, marching by five routes, so that the enemy would not have any chance to move around them and thus assault Washington or Baltimore.
With this vast array of soldiers went Company E of the Twenty-third Ohio Volunteers. William McKinley had never before seen such an army, and as he marched along, with musket on his shoulder, doubtless he dreamed of all the possibilities of a soldier's life and wondered if he would ever rise from the ranks to lead a company, a regiment, or a brigade.
A great battle was expected at Frederick, but it failed to materialize, and the Union troops occupied the city with comparatively little resistance.
"They are afraid to meet us," said some of the Union soldiers. "Before long you'll hear of General Lee retreating to the south."
Leaving Frederick, the Confederate army had found its way to South Mountain, and here it held a strong position on the hillside and behind the rocks and trees. To South Mountain marched McClellan's army, and with this went the Twenty-third Ohio, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Hayes.
"You will advance by yonder road and attack the enemy," was the order sent by the division commander; and along the muddy and broken road hurried the regiment, and was the first to get into the contest which led up to the bloody battle of Antietam. From behind rocks and trees the Confederates poured in a deadly fire of musketry, grape, and canister, filling the air with smoke and dirt and a din which is indescribable. Men began to drop here and there — Colonel Hayes had his arm broken, a captain was shot through the elbow, several lieutenants were wounded, and out of a force of three hundred and fifty that went into the action nearly a hundred were either killed or wounded. Colonel Hayes was taken from the field, but soon reappeared, with his wound half dressed, and insisted upon continuing the struggle.
"We are going to lose the day!" was the cry, when, with a cheer, the balance of the division hove into sight, on the double-quick, and with renewed courage what remained of the gallant Twenty-third Ohio Infantry pushed on, until the Confederates were forced to give up their position and take a new location in the woods beyond.
McKinley had had great trouble in bringing up his supplies for the regiment, but he was on hand with all that was necessary when the fighting ceased, and soon gave to the tired soldier boys the food and drink they craved. But to hurry supplies forward during the battle that followed was much harder work, and what this led to, through the pluck and persistence of the young commissary sergeant, will be told in the chapter to follow.
CHAPTER VI
McKinley at Antietam — Rations for Fighting Soldiers — Made a Second Lieutenant — Morgan's Raid — Capture of the Noted Raider
The battle of Antietam Creek, or Sharpsburg, followed immediately after that of South Mountain, and lasted two days. The Confederates had taken a strong position near the Potomac, with the creek in front of them, and with General Longstreet on the right wing, and General Hill on the left wing, while General Hood, with two brigades, covered a road running northward.
There was a small skirmish on the 16th of September, but on the 17th the battle opened in earnest. Hooker's force near Keedysville did some hard fighting and was supported by Mansfield's command, the gallant commander losing his life on the field. The divisions of Sedgwick, Richardson, and French were also to the front, and aided by the artillery, helped to make the Confederate position too hot to be held. Burnside was ordered across the creek, and went, although somewhat delayed. Then some two thousand fresh Confederate troops appeared, and Burnside was compelled to retire, when darkness put an end to the fighting, which had already lasted fourteen hours.
In this battle the Twenty-third Ohio Infantry fought with the Kanawha division. This division made a disastrous charge during the closing hours of the battle. As they were advancing, the enemy suddenly came forth from a neighboring cornfield and poured a deadly fire at them, shooting down their colors and several of the officers. For the instant there was a panic, but the soldiers rallied around Major Comly, who secured the fallen flag and raised it up, and then another rush was made. Soon a battery in the rear came to the aid of the Ohio troops, and the Confederates retired as quickly as they had come.
As commissary sergeant, William McKinley was not supposed to play a prominent part in the battle, yet the records show that he exhibited rare bravery in doing something which had never been done before, and which has seldom been done since.
The soldiers had had an early and scanty breakfast when called into action, and so rapid were their various movements that by noon many were faint and hungry. But the provision wagons were miles away, and it looked as if they must continue to fight on empty stomachs, no matter how much they craved food and drink.
With the provision wagons was Sergeant McKinley, and soon word reached him that the boys were hungry and thirsty, and dropping out right and left.
"If you could only give them a can of coffee, they'd be satisfied," said his informer.
"They shall have coffee and other rations too," cried the young commissary sergeant. "Here, help hitch up these mules!"
The provisions were in two wagons, and soon McKinley, aided by several army stragglers, had the mules hitched to these, and the journey to the front began. The way was uncertain, shot and shell flew in all directions, and while one wagon got stuck in a mud-hole, the mules of the other were disabled by the firing. But, undaunted, McKinley pushed on, driving the leading wagon himself and picking up a stray pair of mules as he went. At last he reached the field of battle, much to the amazement of many officers and to the intense delight of his command.
"Hurrah, here's Sergeant McKinley with rations!" was the cry. "Hurrah!" And somebody else added: "What have you got, Mac? Be sure and give us the best, for we may be dead men by next meal-time!"
And give them his best Sergeant McKinley did, boiling up coffee and handing it around by the cup, canteen, and kettle, along with the rest of the provisions. One poor fellow, who was shot and who was leaning against a tree, received his portion of coffee with a muttered "God bless the lad!" that went straight to McKinley's heart and repaid him, so he said, for all the trouble he had taken.
And what was the result of this unexpected devotion to duty? When the fighting was done, many laughed at the young sergeant, and some commissary men sneered at him for "going beyond his line of duty," as they put it. But Colonel Hayes did not sneer. Instead, when he heard of it, he was deeply impressed, and, later on, told Governor Todd the particulars.
"Such a fellow deserves promotion," said the governor, and at once wrote to headquarters, requesting that McKinley be made a lieutenant. The request was favorably considered, and on September 24, 1862, William McKinley became a second lieutenant. A loving attention to duty had won him his shoulder straps. Of this incident, Ex-President Hayes, in making an address years afterward, said: —
"From Sergeant McKinley's hand every man in the regiment was served with hot coffee and warm meats, a thing which had never occurred before under similar circumstances in any army in the world. He passed under fire