The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-20
TRIBUTE TO KANSAS
Boys BY COL Pew of the
9th Massachusetts.
COLONEL FlTCH'S SPEECH
Sergeant John Mahaney
Writes Interestingly.

Sergeant John Mahaney writes the fol-
lowing very interesting letter Of the way
Kansas boys were talked OF at the start
in Camp Chicka manga, and the way they
are treated now. giving an account Of
the speeches of Colonel Tom Fitch, Major
Brown of Kingman, and Colonel Pew Of
the Eighth Massachusetts,:
Lutte, Ga, July Is. 1898.
My Dear Mother:-We have been having
good rains in the last few days and now
il is as cool and pleasant as can be. Talk
about the Twenty-First Kansas, why We
are just all right. We are leading every
other regiments in the park. If I can get
a Chickamauga Daily Times win send
it as it gives the full account of our work
and this mornings issue says the Twenty
First Kansas has reasons to be proud.
One article spoke in particular OF the
craftsmanship on the target range. We
lead all other regiments an that point
with the Second Missouri second.
Well. mother, I have seen and read Of
ratifcatons but when the news struck
camp about O'Clock yesterday after
noon that Santiago had surrendered, the
men went wild. The Twelfth New York
regiment headed by their band, the drum
corps and all the men in columns of fours,
started out to Serenade our brigade. Start
ing with the Twenty First Kansas, they
marched up the regimental street and
when they arrived in front of Colonel
Fitchs tent they halted, gave three
cheers for the colonel and the Twenty
First Kansas, and then the band played
the Star Sangled Banner" and after
that the New Workers yelled for speech
and Major Brown made g. short speech
which he showed himself very well. After
giving cheer after cheer they departed
with the band playing Yankee Doodle"
Alter we had supper we all fell in in like
manner with our band and trumphet
corps. We started out on the same pur-
pose-as I have said it has been raining,
the mud was ankle deep but we never
thought Of that. We started in with the
Twelfth New York and after serenading
regimental headquarters with the band,
COW bells. tin pans and some carrying
brooms, we went over to the Eighth Mas
sachusetts and after the same perfor-
nance we returned to camp and surroun-
ded Colonel Fitch's headquarters. After
the band ceased playing "a Hot Time"
we called for a speech and the colonel
responded promptly and made a short
talk in which ne said he was proud of
Kansas and her people and he also said
that if we ever got into active service
he knew we would come out victorious
and that Kansas would be proud Of her
sons and when he finished the band play
ed Marching Through Georgia." and
then we went to camp and had no more
than got settled down when we heard a
band playing the Star Spangled Banner
and a thousand voices cheering and upon
looking out of our tent we saw that It was
the Eighth Massachusetts regiment com
ing over to return our compliment and
they also made for Colonel Fitch's quar-
tiers and serenaded him, and the Kansas
boys called for Colonel Pew Of the Eighth
Massachusetts, and he mounted a box and
made the best talk of the evening. He
started in with saying that the day we
arrived in Chattanooga the Massachu-
sets boys called the Twenty First Kan
sas a set Of farmers.
KANSAS FARMERS GOT EVERY
THING.
When they found out we were to be
brigaded with them he nearly went crazy
to think they had 10 march by the side
of pack of farmers. He said he asked
his regimental quartermaster why he
couldn't get uniforms and clothing for
his men. The quartermaster told him
the Kansas farmers got everything there
was and tht if Massachusetts men wanted
any clothing they had better send home
for it and to have the mothers hnl, socks.
The Kansas men never wore socks until
they came here and hey needed Ill they
could get There ne changed his talk
and said it was no wonder Kansas did
not have soldiers nor the men never wore
socks. For it was al on account Of Mas
sachusetts men. He said that Kansas
sent out a body of men that three months
ago no one would have dreamt OF neiHg
soldiers and now he said the Twenty
FRS Kansas was the most soldiery look
ing men Uncle Sam has in the service,
and not only look like soldiers but are
soldiers clear 10 the back bone
The Eighth Massachusetts are now bos-
ON friends of Kansas and he knew that
If the capitalists OF Massachusetts saw
the Kansas men they would lend them
money at their own rate of interest. After /
ne finished the men OF both the Massa-
chusetts and Kansas nearly went wild /
with cheers over Colonel Pews talk and /
the troops who accomplished the surren- T.
der OF Santiago. and then the men de- (
parted for camp with the band playing /
Yankee Doodle" Well II you had seen (
or heard US celebrating know you would (,
say it beat any political ratification at /.
Wichita.
Well as I have written 50 oten and /
such long letter this morning I viii /.
close with love 10 al. Your son, JOHN. /
Good bye.
HIP FOR THF sol 0IFRS