Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-11-30
General Funston's Sharp Reply.

The members Of the goth Kansas
who have taken advantage Of the ab-
sence Of both General Funston and
Gen. Metcalf from the State 10 pub
lish letters and alleged afidavits
tending to injure them seem to have
reckoned without the doughty leader
Of the goth who has just sailed for
Manila to resume the fighting in the
Philippines at the request Of the war
department Of the United States.
His ability as > soldier and his cOur-.
age as fighter are needed in the war
and be has responded to duty. Just
before leaving be was shown the
statements Of the Kansas knockers
and paid bis respect to number OF
them as follows:
4 A few days ago Lieutenant W. A.
Callahan, in a letter declared that
Metcali took little II any part in the
battle Of Guiguinto where he won his
brevet and that Funston was hiding
much Of the time during the action.
FuSsroS's RESPECTS TO CALLAHAN.
callahan missed nearly all the
fighting in which the regiment took
part" said General Funston. "He
sustained a slight flesh wound
in the thigh from glancing bullet
while be lay behind shelter in the
trenches at Caloocan. He went back
to the hospital at Manila and stayed
there more than a month, then re-
turned to the regiment late in March,
ust before the advance upon Malolos.
We had six days Of continuous fight
ing there, but Callahan went back to
Manila after the second days fight
and said he had kidney trouble. He
stayed in Manila for three months.
callahan says be was in the battle
Of Guiguinto. He was thirty miles
from there. At no time at the battle
Of Guiguinto did l lie down except
once, and that for ten seconds under
especially furious fire from the enemy
Then / was careful to see that every
other officer and man ~ unasf ocysr.
betorc{ dropped.
"Hardy, Drysdale and Wiley did
swim the Marilao river and | never
claimed credit for it.
"Callahan's statement as to the Mo
Grande affair is absurd. White and
Trembly did swim the river and
hitched the rope by which the raft
was handled. | crossed with eight
men first, and in all forty-fve men
were taken over. We drove out
$500 insurgents, using 200 rounds Of
ammunition to man during the
half hours fighting. General Mac
Arthur and General Wheaton were
eve witnesses to that fight. They
were standing at a freight house 500
yards away on the south bank Of the
river. 1t was upon their report oil
that affair that l was made a briga-
dier general. Bass Of the New York
Herald and McCutcheon Of the Chicago
Record cabled the stories Of the en-
gagement.
"At Bagbag river Lieutenant Ball,
myself and four enlisted men swan
the river under a fierce fire and we
took the intrenchments. General
Wheaton saw that and every man
who took part was recommended for
q medal Of honor.
II defy any one to prove that
have ever used money or any other
means to influence any newspaper
man to advertise me. l have never
had one in my employ, either directly
or indirectly. The newspaper cor
respondents in the Philippines were
men OF honesty and great personal
courage. Bass, Creelman, McCutch-
con, Franklin Brooks, Jones, Keene
and many others took as many risks
as any soldier on the firing line.
General Macarthur had great trouble
in trying to keep them back.
"But | am not through with this
affair yet. ! know the charges
against Metcalf and Bishop are de-
spicable and malicious lies. And |
intend to prove them such.
II carry back with me to Manila a
COPY Of Donald Thorn's affidavit in |
which he accuses Captain Bishop Of
emptying his revolver into the bodies
Of two wounded Filipinos. He says
this occurred in the rear Of H com.
pany. Now H company occupied the
center Of the line on February 10 at