The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-20
FUNSTON'S STORY.
Describes In Detail the Philippine
Campaign For the New York World.

Campaign For the New York World.
The New York World for Sunday,
June Is. devotes a page and half to
THE Military Hero of the Manila Cam
paign; General Fred Funston"
The story is by General Fred Funston
and was dictated by him while he was
recovering from the wound in his hand.
The following is from the story:
"On the night of Feb. 4-the night Of
the outbreak-two battalions went out
on the CaIoocan road to our outpost
and were under fire within an hour af-
ter they left the city. The next day
the other battalion went out, and from
that day to this the regiment has never
been back in Manila.
when daybreak came on the morn
ing of Feb. 5 the regiment was deplOyed
with it's left on the laguna, or lake, as
it put in from the sea, and it's right
resting on the acknowledgement rail-
way across which was the Third artil-
1ery acting as infantry. With us was
one gun of the Utah artillery, and dur
ing that day we fought our way very
slowly up this road through a country
covered with Chinese gardens and
bamboo fences and traversed by a
great number of bitches in which the
water was sometimes four feet deep.
THE final work of the regiment that
day was charging a barricade in the
middle of the road. The charge was
had been under fire the whole day, when
we came to foot up our losses they
amounted to only one enlisted man kill
ed and seven wounded. The enemys
fire was wild.
1.-The advance on Caloocan was made
after a preliminary bombardment by
the fleet and field batteries, and was
made through brush and bamboo so
dense that we could not see more than
one hundred feet ahead until the su-
burbs of the city were reached
The account of the advance on Malo-
los is follows:
I'VE advanced by alternate PUSHES
firing until we reached the bank. where
the men screened themselves as well as
they could behind rice dykes and had
hot fight with the enemy on the oppO-
site bank. Shortly afterward Major
Young came up with one piece of ar
tillery, and Ensign Davis, of the navy,
with a Colt automatic gun. Two more
companies of my regiment were also
brought up, and we opened a furious
fire, keeping it up for two hours.
In the meantime l called for volun-
teers to swim the river and obtain a
raft that was mOored within thirty
yards of the insurgent intrenchment.
From these four companies about fifty
men volunteered Out of these 1 Sc
lected one officer, the chief trumpeter, a
corporal and two privates. While the
attention of the artillery and infantry
was directed to keeping down the fire of
the enemy, the men sprang into the
water and swan to the other side under
heavy fire. These men have all been
recommended by Gen. Macarthur for
medals of honor.
ON the opposite side our men obtain
ed a heavy raft and while still under
fire managed to bring it over to our
side, protecting their heads under the
framework of the raft as we'll as they
could. When they got it over to our
side of the river it was necessary to
stretch a rope to the other side, and one
OF the men who had been over swan
again and tied the rope to tree.
4 took Lieut. Hopkins and twenty
three men of Company c, got on the
raft and crossed. Most of the enemy
fed as soon as we got across. Reaching
the opposite bank and deploying we saw
more than 300 men running across an
open field. We Immediately opened fire
on them and then turned our attention
to the intrenchments, where we OBJ
tanned twenty-six uninjured prisoners
and about forty Remington and Mauser
rifles Scattered around in the trenches
were twenty-four dead and wounded
Filipinos."
OF the Bagbag river Gen. Funston
tells of the daring of his men as fol-
We stationed men who were known
to be good shots along the south bank
of the river to protect the flank, and
Lieut.. Fleming brought up a Hotchkiss
revolving cannon. With this we opened
fire on the trenches of the enemy
sweeping the tops.
"A number of men volunteered to
swim the river, but only two were need
ed. These were Privates Trembly and
White. These men took a. rope in their
teeth and swan across the river togeth-
er, reaching the shore twenty-five feet
from one of the enemy's intrenchments
They were naked and had no arms
They kept under cover of the bank as
well as they could, our men from the
other side firing over them in voIIeys.
and the HOtchkiss also being used. AS
soon as the enemy heard our two men
talking they jumped up and began to
run out, fifteen leaving this trench.
Some of them were shot by our men
on the south bank as they ran.
Meanwhile the men could not find
anything to tie the end of the rope to
more convenient than one of the up
right posts of the insurgent trench so
over hand, and making a moose slipped
it over the post within six feet of three
armed insurgents on the other side of
the trench. After the rope had been
secured we began to cross.
First took eight armed men on one
raft; we worked our way along the rope
back with two men for another load.
two ropes. One of them was used to
bring the RATS over loaded. In this way
we got 100 men across.
"As soon as we had forty-five across
took this number. officers and men, and
started out to drive the insurgents from
their Entertainments at the end of the
railroad bridge"
IT ~ n