Editing William McKinley (section)

===Western Virginia and Antietam===
[[File:General Hayes.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Rutherford B. Hayes]] was McKinley's mentor during and after the Civil War.]]
When the Confederate states seceded and the American Civil War began in 1861, thousands of men in Ohio volunteered for service. Among them were McKinley and his cousin William McKinley Osbourne, who enlisted as privates in the newly formed Poland Guards in June 1861.{{sfnm|Armstrong||1pp=3–4|Phillips||2pp=20–21}} The men left for [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]] where they were consolidated with other small units to form the [[23rd Ohio Infantry]].{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=8–10}}

The men were unhappy to learn that, unlike Ohio's earlier volunteer regiments, they would not be permitted to elect their officers; these would be designated by Ohio's governor, [[William Dennison Jr.|William Dennison]].{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=8–10}} Dennison appointed Colonel [[William Rosecrans]] as the commander of the regiment, and the men began training on the outskirts of Columbus.{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=8–10}} McKinley quickly took to the soldier's life: he wrote a series of letters to his hometown newspaper extolling [[Union Army|the army]] and the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union cause]].{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=10–11}} Delays in issuance of uniforms and weapons again brought the men into conflict with their officers, but [[Major (United States)|Major]] [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] convinced them to accept what the government had issued them; his style in dealing with the men impressed McKinley, beginning an association and friendship that would last until Hayes's death in 1893.{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=12–14}}

After a month of training, McKinley and the 23rd Ohio, now led by Colonel [[Eliakim P. Scammon]], set out for western Virginia (today part of West Virginia) in July 1861 as a part of the [[Kanawha Division]].{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=120–21|Armstrong||2p=14}} McKinley initially thought Scammon was a [[martinet]], but when the regiment entered battle, he came to appreciate the value of their relentless drilling.{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=15–16}} Their first contact with the enemy came in September when they drove back Confederate troops at [[Battle of Carnifex Ferry|Carnifex Ferry]] in present-day West Virginia.{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=125–26|Armstrong||2pp=18–22}} Three days after the battle, McKinley was assigned to duty in the [[brigade]] [[Quartermaster Corps (United States Army)|quartermaster]] office, where he worked both to supply his regiment, and as a clerk.{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=22–23}} In November, the regiment established winter quarters near [[Fayetteville, West Virginia|Fayetteville]] (today in West Virginia).{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=128–30|Armstrong||2pp=24–25}} McKinley spent the winter substituting for a commissary [[sergeant]] who was ill, and in April 1862 he was promoted to that rank.{{sfnm|Armstrong||1pp=25–29|Phillips||2p=21}} The regiment resumed its advance that spring with Hayes in command (Scammon led the brigade) and fought several minor engagements against the rebel forces.{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=136–41|Armstrong||2pp=30–33}}

That September, McKinley's regiment was called east to reinforce General [[John Pope (general)|John Pope]]'s [[Army of Virginia]] at the [[Second Battle of Bull Run]].{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=141–43|Armstrong||2pp=33–36}} Delayed in passing through Washington, D.C., the 23rd Ohio did not arrive in time for the battle but joined the [[Army of the Potomac]] as it hurried north to cut off Robert E. Lee's [[Army of Northern Virginia]] as it advanced into Maryland.{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=141–43|Armstrong||2pp=33–36}} The 23rd was the first regiment to encounter the Confederates at the [[Battle of South Mountain]] on September 14.{{sfnm|Hoogenboom||1pp=146–48|Armstrong||2pp=36–38}} After severe losses, Union forces drove back the Confederates and continued to [[Sharpsburg, Maryland|Sharpsburg]], Maryland, where they engaged Lee's army at the [[Battle of Antietam]], one of the bloodiest battles of the war.{{sfnm|Armstrong||1pp=38–41|Phillips||2p=21}} The 23rd was in the thick of the fighting at Antietam, and McKinley came under heavy fire when bringing rations to the men on the line.{{sfnm|Armstrong||1pp=38–41|Phillips||2p=21}}{{efn|In 1896, some of McKinley's comrades lobbied for him to be belatedly awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his bravery that day; Lieutenant General [[Nelson A. Miles]] was inclined to grant McKinley the award, but when the then-President-elect heard about the effort, he declined it. See {{harvnb|Armstrong|pp=38–41}}; {{harvnb|Phillips|p=21}}.}} McKinley's regiment suffered many casualties, but the Army of the Potomac was victorious, and the Confederates retreated into Virginia.{{sfnm|Armstrong||1pp=38–41|Phillips||2p=21}} McKinley's regiment was detached from the Army of the Potomac and returned by train to western Virginia.{{sfn|Armstrong|pp=43–44}}