Born in Boston, Mass., May 12, 1850; graduated at Harvard, 1871; graduated from Harvard Law School, 1875; admitted to Suffolk bar, 1876, but preferred literary pursuits; served two terms in State Legislature; elected, as a Republican, to 50th, 51st, 52d and 53d Congresses, to represent Sixth Massachusetts District; elected to U. S. Senate, January 17, 1893, to succeed Hon. Henry L. Dawes; resigned his seat in House and took that in Senate, March 4, 1893; chairman of Committee on Immigration, and member of other important Committees.

supported by Custer's and Merritt's Cavalry, occupied a position between the rapidly advancing enemy and his other corps. His quick topographic eye selected this line as his line of battle, for he saw that battle must be joined at once in order to retrieve the disaster of the morning. He quietly closed his corps on that line, and not a moment too soon, for already the attack was on, upon the 19th corps. It was bravely resisted, and Early thought to fortify and merely hold his own lines. At three P. M. Sheridan took the offensive, and attacked with his entire line, by a left flank movement, his cavalry ably supported him. For a time the battle went stubborn and bloody. Early was trying Sheridan's manœuvre with his own left. It was charged upon by a force led by Sheridan in person, and partly detatched from the main column. The charge grew more persistent and bloody. The Confederate left wayered and gave way. ordering a retreat.

Early acklowledged the day lost by Then the confusion of the morning was transferred to the enemy's ranks. They were rolled backward to the position of the morning on Cedar Creek. At this point, Early lost control of his men, and retreat became a rout. Prisoners, guns, ammunition fell readily into the victor's hands. Roads were blocked with discarded booty and army paraphernalia. At Fisher's Hill, Early hoped to make a stand, but he found nothing there except the Union prisoners of the morning. saved his fleeing remnants from annihilation, and darkness found Early at New Market twenty miles away from Cedar Creek. Sheridan had not only brilliantly re-won the battle of Cedar Creek, but had recaptured all the guns taken in the morning and had added to them twenty-four of the enemy's pieces, 1,600 prisoners and three hundred wagons.

Night alone

The momentous battle of Cedar Creek ended the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. Early was recalled to Richmond. The President honored Sheridan with a Major-General's commission, "For the personal gallantry, military skill and just confidence in the courage and gallantry of your troops." The Congress complimented him and his soldiers for their "series of victories in the Shenandoah Valley, and especially for their services at Cedar Creek".

In Sheridan's disposition of the forces left in the Valley, on his return to Richmond, the command to which the Twenty-third Ohio was attacked was ordered to Martinsburg. Their march thither was enlivened by casting the army vote for President in 1864. The McKinley "boy soldier" had earned his manhood in the field along with other honors, and cast his first vote in that election, along with the older veterans.

The battle of Cedar Creek therefore virtually ended the active military career of Captain McKinley, though he found much future service on staffs of both Generals Crook and Carroll. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted major. In the spring of 1865 the Twenty-third Ohio was ordered to Camp Cumberland, where it was mustered out of service, July 26, 1865, closing a four year career of war with honor, leaving a host of brave comrades beneath the turf of the battlefields, returning home to receive the congratulations of loyal friends and to enter once more the occupations of peace. The soldier boy of eighteen years was now a man of twenty-two. The private of 1861.was now a major. The education and aspirations of youth, had been supplemented by such an experience in the cause of country as few could claim at his age, and such as would meet the most exalted purposes of after life.

IN. PRIVATE LIFE.

On his return from the army in July, 1865, and at the age of twenty-two years, Major McKinley settled at Poland. The problem before him was the choice of a civic career. Both qualification and inclination pointed to a course of law. He accordingly entered the law office. of Judge Glidden of Mahoning County, Ohio, where he grounded himself in the principles of law, and afterwards completed his course at the Albany Law School, in New York.

He proved to be an apt and diligent student. Though hampered at times by paucity of means, he courageously fought his way toward the bar, and was admitted to that of Canton County in the early part of 1867. At this date he left his Poland home, and entered on his professional career at Canton, the county seat, then a town of some 6,000 inhabitants, mostly sturdy migrants from Pennsylvania, or their descendants.

He began his career auspiciously, in that his industry and energy happily seconded an excellent preparation and a naturally forceful and persuasive style of speech. He was painstaking in preparing a cause and eloquent in presenting it. To these necessary attributes of the successful practitioner, he added a charming personal address. With this equipment and these qualities his success at the bar was marked. He not only won speedy recognition among his fellow members but among the people. Before two years had transpired he was honored with the Republican nomination for District Attorney of his county. Though the county was largely Democratic, he at once took the stump and conducted so vigorous a campaign that, to the surprise of friend and foe, he was elected.

He was renominated for the same office, but his political enemies were on the alert, and he was defeated, not, however, without putting up a battle that proved him to be one of the ablest and most indefatigable of campaigners. In these, his preliminary contests, he laid the ground work of that fame which has ever since been his portion as one of the most captivating and convincing public speakers in the land.

On January 25, 1871, he married Miss Ida Saxton, the accomplished daughter of James A. Saxton, a banker of Canton, and began housekeeping in the neat and comfortable home that has since become historic. They had two daughters, both of whom died young. The blow greatly affected Mr. McKinley's general health for a time, and they went to live with Mr. McKinley's mother, till the time came for him to move to Washington as a member of Congress.

IN CONGRESS.

In 1876, Major McKinley entered the race for Congress in the Eighteenth Ohio District. There were several distinguished competitors for the nomination in his party, some of whom were distinguished politicians and veteran campaigners. But the young man of thirty-three years carried off the honors of the nominating convention, and, after one of his characteristic campaigns, he was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress by a handsome majority. He continued to be reclected to each succeeding Congress up to 1890. Though the Democrats, in 1878, tried to defeat him by a gerrymander of his district, making it Democratic by 1,800 majority, he carried it by 1,300 majority. In 1884, a similar gerrymander was tried, but McKinley still held his district by some 1,500 majority. It was only after