Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-05-05

tACJ ud0 dCDdlh hCOs AC "ShsASiA
was busy writing letters home when
something happened. A Filipino officer
had attempted to break through the
Nebraska lines and had been shot
down. Firing began, the assembly was
sounded, ammunition was served and
the despised Twentieth regiment had
something to do.
The regiment was dragged along be-
hind the firing line in the fighting of
Feb. 4. S and 6, doing what it could to
show it was regiment of Americans,
and on the 9TH found itself facing
Caloocan. 1t had been planned to take
the town that day, and the Kansans
were up in front. in the center.
Reuter-, the British Associated Press
man, knows good thing when he sees
it. He cabled to London, and back
from London as follows:
Sat p. m. the American ships
ceased firing. Then the army fred
three guns, at an interval of ten Sec
onds, signaling the advance of the
whole line, the Kansas regiment lead
ing through the jungle. The rebels
left wing was diverted by Major Bell
and hundred men. 1t was like clock
work. There was no hitch anywhere. +"
Like devils those despised Kansans
fought. They jumped into that jungle
as many time they had done in their
great Kansas rows of 2-foot corn, and
they went through it with a mighty
shout. 1t was Kansas day. Someone
shouted:
"Rock Chalk! Jay Hawki K. S. u!
the football yell of the Kansas uni
versity, and the regiment went mad.
1t had any number of students IN it,
and Lieutenant Afford, himself stu
dent of the university, jumped further
III the jungle than any other man. He
took up the cry and on he went.
He never came back. They buried
the brave fellow where they found him.
"Hurrah for Kansasr' some other
fellow cried, and on the despised Kan
sans went. Nothing could hold them
back. They had got off the sand pile,
on to the firing line; they were there to
fight and Kansas was watching her
lads. So was the world, but Kansas
was the world to the Kausans. They
almost brought about check by their
ferocity."
. "Straighten out your line,' the divis-
ion commander commanded.
81 will. sir. as soon as 1 can get the
Kansans back" was the answer.
When he did get them back they had
invaded Caloocan, lost six men and had
22 wounded.
After that there was no longer des.
pissed Kansas regiment. The Twenti.
eth was put in Caloocan and ordered
to hold it. On the night of the 9Th it
was learned that the Filipinos had
planned a rush. The Twentieth was
ordered to repel it. Instead of stand
ing to receive the attack, the regiment
went out in the night, crawled up on
the enemy, alert as it was. and went
through like the hot winds of their own
state. Their battle cry was football
yell.
On the 9th, after this night rush,
they were sent to turn the left flank of
the enemy, in hopes of hemming him
and once more Reuter- singled out this
remarkable regiment to describe to bis
European readers.
Five days later Funston came to the
front. Last month in Macarthur
four days fighting Funston called fol-
volunteers, took 20, refused the rest o.
his regiment, and swan river under
fire, Twenty one of those despised fel
lows, so the Associated Press dispatch
es reported, were five minutes crossing
river ehat danced with bullets, anc
terminated the affair by capturing Sc
of the enemy.
Sixteen times was the regiment un-
der fire. 1t took part in two bayone
fights, its colonel was the only colone
to lead charge through the swamps
and one of its lieutenants the frs
American soldier to die in the Philip
pines, died in the jungle, fighting like {
hero, singing of Kansas. and shouting
his college yell.
Kipling would love such regimen
for its despised qualities and magnifi
cent fighting men.
| a LII WaiSS and Charlia Znkaua II