The record-union., 1899-10-12
FUNSTON DID NOT SWIM.
True Version of the Crossing of the
River.

n1VGTs
A Washington dispatch to the Cleve'
land Leader says: While it may be
nothing short of brutal iconoclasm lo
shatter the pedestal created by the
spontaneous outburSt of popular en-
thuSiasm and adulation for General
Fred Funston of the Kansas Volun-
teerS, still it is asserted on what APP
pears to be competent authority that
the remarkably daring feat which made
the brave warrior an object of lavish
hero worship, several months ago, is a
pure and harmless myth.
1t should be made clear at the start
however that this disillusioning state
ment is not made for the purpose OF
detracting in the slightest degree from
the laurels which Funston has won IL
the Philippine campaign, nor of confer
ring an undeserved honor upon another
man. But it seems that the American
public have been deluded in believing
the brave Kansan swan river under
a rain of bullets from the enemy
guns. OF course there should be nc
aspersions cast upon the newspaper
correspondent who sent the story &c
y,
lieved they were telling the truth, but
evidently they themselves were misln-
formed as to the absolute facts.
When the Tenth Pennsylvania Volun-
teers reached San Francisco on their
way home from Manila, reporters and
correspondents of Philadelphia and
Pittsburg newspapers were there tc
meet them Many an interesting story
was CLEANED from the returning troops
and one of the best was retold in the
Philadelphia Enquirer by Carlos w
Campbell, who represents that paper
in Washington This is what appears
in his breezy sketches upon the deed
which made General Funston famous
1T has frequently been asked what
was the bravest deed done by. any
Tenth man. The palm has been award
ed to Lieutenant Richard Coulter, Jr
of Company l. 1t is popularity supposed
that Coulter, accompanied by Privates
John Campbell and Israel Ruff, swan
the river at Guiguinto on March zitn
under heavy fire from insurgents in
trenched on an island, and there re-
ceived the surrender of about forty
Filipinos. Then it has been claimed
by the press dispatches that General
Funston of Kansas was in the same
enga agement and he swan the river
further down, and coming up, he took
the credit for the Tenth boys achieve
ment, inasmuch as he ranked Lieuten-
ant Coulter.
''The truth is, neither Funston nor
Coulter swan the river. They crossed
in boats but they undoubtedly showed
great bravery in doing SO, as they We're
constantly under fire. Here is Lieu
tenant Coulter's modest story of the
| river crossing incident, which he re-
lated after considerable persuasion In
/. his tent at the Presidio to the stan
correspondent of the Inquirer" who
went to San Francisco to receive the
regiment:
'''All this discussion about conflict
| between Colonel Funston and myself
was news to me when / landed here
There was not the slightest disagree.
ment between us. The Kansas regi
ment and Company I of the Tenth, un
der Major Bell, were on one side OF
| the Mariloa River and the insurgents
were intrenched on the opposite side
The Filipinos who had not escaped
were obliged to remain behind the
| trenches, as we kept up a fire in from
and the Utah Battery was planted sc