The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-01
FOOTBALL YELL.
Was the Battle Cry of the
Twentieth Kansas.
Crock Chalk! Jay Hawk! h. "
at Every Charge
SANG THE KANSANS.
The British Associated Press
Man Gives Praise.
In Contempt at First Now Salt
of the Earth.
SANG THE KANSANS.

ST. Louis, May 1.-The Republic says:
The Twentieth Kansas was called
LOB lot" when it became an organiza-
ton last year. The jayhawkers wanted
to fight, but the Twentieth Kansas,
under Colonel Funston, was not consld-
cred entirely creditable to the Sun
flower state. In fact, it was held in con-
tempt to such an extent that other
troops were sent to the great camping
rendezvous, and the Twentieth Kansas
went west.
Colonel Fred Funston had fought in
Cuba under Gomez, and had come nome
a seemingly broken and exhausted man.
yet here he was, at the head OF pouy
of men who were clamoring for glory
Politics interviewed, the friends OF the
Twentieth Kansas claimed. and the
high purposes of the colonel and OF the
men were defeated. To Cuba they
could not go. The Twentieth regiment
was the laughing stock OF the Natlonai
Guard of Kansas.
The men in the Twentieth Kansas
had very little money. When the regl-
ment left Kansas, assigned to the west;
it had no uniforms; it's men were clao
in ragged civilian attire. When lney
arrived on the coast they were laughed
at. for they presented anything put
military appearance. General Merriam
seemed disguised, and he put the IWeI5
tieth Kansas on a Sandplle. IL Snoulu
be remembered that there is plenty Oh
sand in California, but the Twentieth
Kansas had the full benefit of 1t.
I'VE have no uniforms, but we have
heas'' the men wrote home. Funston,
colonel, became entangled in a dispute
with Little, lieutenant colonel, ana, on
the axiom that big bugs have little
bugs on their backs to bite 'em, so little
bugs have lesser bugs and so, ad IN
finitum,' the petty officers and enlisted
men joined the throng and began quar-
reling among themselves.
All this was very discOurag1ng to
General Merriam, and if he could do
nothing else, being in command Of the
camp, at least he could see to it that
the Kansans did not go to the Philip
pines with Merritt, to carry dissension
with them. So neither Merritt nor ne
did anything to hasten the equipping OF
the despiSed regiment. Without uni
forms when they left home, they were
almost without clothes when at last the
military equipments came.
Five times did Washington order the
regiment to embark, and four times
did sober second thought countermand
the orders.
At last the regiment did get positive
orders to get off the sandpile and rid
itself of its California fleas.
When the Twentieth arrived at Ma
Mia, f1eas and all it was slowed away
somewhere on the right-nOt the very
right, because tanks are posts of honor
keep it from being a nuisance.
All this time there had been nothing
for the army in the Philippines to do.
Troops had been transported, Dewey
had arranged landings for them, and
they had debarked. The Twentieth was
busy writing letters home when some
thing happened. A Filipino officer had
attempted to break through the Ne
braska lines and had been shot down
Firing began, the assembly was sound
ed, ammunition was served, and the
despised Twentieth regiment had some
thing to do.
The regiment was dragged along be-
hind the firing line in the fighting of
Feb. a, and 6, doing what it could to
show it was a 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 a good thing when he sees
it. He cabled to London, and back from
London as follows:
AT p. m. the American ships ceased
firing. Then the army fired three guns.
at interval of ten seconds, signaling
the advance of the whole line. the Kan
sas regiment leading through the jungle
The rebels left wing was diverted by
Major Bell and a hundred men. 1t
was like clockwork. There was no hitch
anywhere"
Like devils those despised Kansans
fought They Jumped into that Jungle
as many a time they had done in their
great Kansas rows of 12-foot corn and
they went through it with a mighty
shout 1t was Kansas day. Someone
shouted:
Rock Chalk! Jay Hawk K s. w"
the football yell of the Kansas uni
versity, and the regiment went mad
It had any number of students in it,
and Lieutenant Afford, himself a stu
dent of the university, jumped further
in 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.