Major McKinley : William McKinley and the Civil War
"Major McKinley is an account of the Civil War service of President William McKinley, the last of the Civil War veterans to reach the White House and the only one who served in the ranks. McKinley enlisted as a private in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (later commanded by another future president, Rutherford B. Hayes) and was the regiment's commissary sergeant when his bravery at the Battle of Antietam led to a commission and an assignment to Hayes's military staff. He later served with four other generals and ended his military career as adjutant of a division and as a brevet major. McKinley regarded the end of slavery as the significant outcome of the war and valued the contributions of the black soldiers in the Union army
Print Book, English, ©2000
Kent State University Press, Kent, Ohio, ©2000