Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-10-08

filthy. Other regiments had refused to
stay there. but the Kansans had to put up
with II until August 5, almost three
months, when they were removed to Camp
Merriam. Colonel Funston Joined his regi-
ment In Frisco, and worked like a Trojan
getting his regiment into shape.
ON October q the Second and Third bat
taiions, Held and staff, the non-commis-
STONED staff and the band embarked
the Indiana. They arrived at Honolulu
November 5. and departed four days later,
arriving at Manila on December ].
The First battalion embarked from San
Francisco on the Newport, November s.
it arrived at Honolulu November l6 and
left there on November 19, arriving at
Manila on December 6. There was very
little sickness among the troops. Ten vol
unieers on the Indiana and six on the
Newport made up the list of sick that
were left at Honolulu.
The Kansas regiment took up quarters
in a tobacco warehouse near Manila, where
IL remained until driven out by smallpox
On January s. II then took up quarters
formerly occupied by the Wyoming troops.
The conspicuous part taken by the gal
liant Twentieth Kansas regiment in the
Philippine campaign from the time the
insurgents made the first attack on the
American troops until the regiment left
the firing line on June =, Is eloquently
told by Douglas White. the famous news
paper correspondent, in his book, ION to
Manila" He says:
Douglas whites story.
THE campaigns in the Philippines have
been a perfect exemplltication of the value
Of Americas citizen soldieTy. Up to the
present time the war in these Islands has
been carried on almost entirely by volun-
teer forces. These forces. nade up of re-
cruits who fought for patriotism alone,
have with the exception Of two regiments,
been supplied by the states west of the
Mississippi. That country, which less than
a generation ago was looked upon by the
d people Of the Atlantic coast as Il bound
less wilderness, has in these last months
H.
an army of invasion which has traVerSed
the entire Pacific to reach its scene of
action. the various expeditions bearing Il
forming the greatest movement against
foreign territory that history records.
Among these regiments which have pro.
ceeded over 50 many thousand miles OF
land and sea, there is none which Will be
written down having done aught save
the full measure Of its duty. But when
even the briefest story of the campaign
against Aguinado and mis- horde Of treach-
erous followers is written the central flg-
ure of the tale must of necessity be the
L Fighting Twentieth which the state Of
Kansas supplied to Americas Philippine
army. From the very inception of the
advance against the natives, down to the
capture of the last Tagalo capital, not a
movement of the American forces has been
made in which these brave lads from Kan
have not figured upon the firing line.
1t evidently did not take the leaders OF
the Eighth army corps long to discover
that in the Kansas Twentieth they pos
sessed band of invincible fighters, who
knew no such word as fail, ana TO wnOm
the question of numbers in the opposing
force cut not the slightest figure.
"HelI Couldn't Stop Them
From Caloocan to San Fernando there
is hardly a mile of country in which
the gallant Kansans did not do some
degree of fighting. And what fighting
; 81 was, Not the kind where posi-
tions are carried by superhuman force
but series of those brilliant dashes which
have marked the war history of the world
England had her Six Hundred Napoleon
his Old Guard the Confederacy possessed
h 'PiCketts Brigade but to Macarthur d
J vision of the Philippine army was givcr
Funston and his Fighting Twentieth NJ
earthworks we're too formidable. no rivers
too wide, and no open country too broad
for these dashiug fighters from the West
ern prairies. A striking illustration of the
reputation which Kansas holds in tbs
Eighth army corps is the remark passed
by one OF our generals on the occasion o
charge against an exceptionally stronl
rebel position. As the order for the
advance WAS passed, a wild yell wa
| heard from the left of the line Al
English officer watching the action said
What is that2 Is your line already on tbs
move Yes replied the American com
4 rnander. that is the Kansas regimen
leading the attack And are you sending
but one regiment against that position?
queried the Englishman: In this case on
4 s. as good hundred replied the Amer
ican commander. for when those kansan
start hell couldn't stop them. and an In
regiment To prove the generals conf
dence, hardly had the conversation en1et
when an orderly gallopcd To the general
side and, salutinR. said: Sir. Colonel Fun
ston presents his compliments and wishe
n 10 report the rebel trenches capture,
n and the enemy in retreat You see.' sal,
the general. I am not guessing ON tn
u work OF those kansans, Tor ! really be
Il lieye that they would cut their way {,
III Malolos before nightfall If l should Civ
A the order.
al Never But One Result.
81 This was only one Of the -iany charge
~ which Kansas made In those days Of des
~ perate warfare against the intrenche'
III forces of Luzon's rebel army. Thes
charges Were alike rs 10 their termination
: no matter how uumerously the rebel earth
works were manned. The finish nj
WAYS the same. Kansas victorious color
were borne through. and in many case
far beyond. the Tasalo lines, and the enem
- forced into utter rOut. leaving a death
~ marked trail to tell of how TIE kansln
fought when they once started into action
The Fighting Twentieth did not leav
1M the Pacific coast in time Ia take any par
in the campaign against the lDons. 20
several weeks. General rhen Colonel Fun
ston's command was held in the rnobili
cation came at San Francisco. and whe
q, last orders came for the boarding q
the transport which carried the regimen
10 the Philippines the boys from the prai
e ries were glad enough to change their rou
tine Of camp life for quarters aboard III
~ troopship. The regiments arrival at Ma
Mia occurred at time when 81 pTaC
tically certain that the American force
would he compelled TO do battle with tn
skulking Aguinaldo. Therefore, from IN
day that its landing was made on Luzon