ed it into two wagons. With these he drove upon
the field, under fire. The enemy's shot struck down the mules of one
wagon, but with the other he reached his comrades on the firing-line,
who gave a great shout of welcome when they saw him. He walked along the
line, and fed every man with his own hand. There is no record that such
a thing ever was done before or since. For this service he was made a
second lieutenant, and in the following February he was promoted to
first lieutenant. The regiment was a part of the force that headed off
Morgan in his raid into Ohio, fought him at Buffington's Ford, and
finally captured him. After that it took part in a series of battles in
the mountains and in the Shenandoah Valley. At Cloyd's Mountain, after a
wonderful march through ravines and dense woods, they burst into the
enemy's camp, McKinley leading his company, which was the first to leap
over the fortifications and silence the guns.

At Winchester, in July, 1864, General Crook's army of 6,000 men was
attacked by Early's of 20,000 and compelled to retreat. A West Virginia
regiment failed to fall back with the rest, and Lieutenant McKinley was
ordered to bring it off. Major Hastings says: "None of us expected to
see him again as we watched him push his horse through the open fields.
Once he was completely enveloped in the smoke of an exploding shell." He
brought off the regiment and led it to its place in the marching column.
And a little later he found opportunity to perform another peculiar
service. As they continued their retreat down the valley, they came upon
four guns, with caissons, that had been abandoned. Lieutenant McKinley
asked for permission to bring them off, and received it, though his
superior officers would not order the tired men to undertake the task.
"I think the Twenty-third will do it," said the young lieutenant, and
when he called for volunteers every man in his company came forward and
the guns were saved. The next day he was promoted to captain.

He again distinguished himself in the battles of Berryville, Fisher's
Hill, and Opequan. He was now on General Crook's staff, and at the
bloody battle of the Opequan occurred an incident that showed the young
officer capable of becoming a successful commander. He was sent with an
order to General Duval to move his brigade to a position on the right of
the Sixth Corps. The General asked, "By what route?" and the Captain
suggested, "I would move up this creek." Th