Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-20
TELLS OF THE vALoR OF THE
TWENTIETH KANSAS.
FAMOUS FOR ITS BRAVERY
SAME REGIMENT HAD BEEN PUBLIC
LAUGHING STOCK.
General Funston Tells of Swimming O
Bagbag River-Conspicuous Dar-
ing of Privates Trembley
and White and Cor
pOrnl Fergus.

CHICAGO, June 19-The Tribune prints |
the following special correspondence from
General Funston, at Manila, under date
of May 10:
At the time the Twentieth Kansas was
mustered in, ]. w. Leedy was in the gov
ernor's chair Kansas had a fairly good
national guard organization in the state,
but when the call was made for volun-
teers the governor decided to ignore the
national guard entirely and call for volun-
teers. He determined to give men who
had served in the national guard the pref
erence, and. if they chose, permit them to
elect their own officers.
I was slightly acquainted with the gov
ernor; he belonged to different party
than myself. 1 had just come back from
Cuba. where 1 had served in the Cuban
army. For that reason the governor tele-
graphed for he to come to Topeka.
When saw him he said: I'VE have been
called on for three regiments of volunteers
and L want to appoint you colonel
told him that did not have the neces-
sary qualifications for colonel; that l knew
nothing about military drill; would have
all to learn. / told him the only regiments
that would go into the war would be
those that could be quickly beaten into
shape. He told me that he had not sent
wanted the appointment l could have it.
He wanted me because of my experience
in Cuba.
1 told him that under those circumstances
[ would accept a commission as colonel.
Regiment Laughing Stock.
I left the Twentieth Kansas in charge
of the lieutenant colonel, and three days
after 1 left for Tampa the regiment was
rcfc rfy-a1
there in such condition as to equipment
that 1t was the laughing stock of the whole
Pacific coast. .-- -. -
The men had mostly old Springfield
rifles, and the great majority wore civilian
clothing. They had left Kansas at the
heated season and reached Frisco when
it was cold, SO that they suffered from
pneumonia and bronchial troubles. Our
sick list was as high as $50.
The regiment was at once put through
course of instruction, but it soon became
evident that the men would not be avail
able for duty in the Philippines for many
months. Our men had to stay there and
see regiment after regiment arrive and
start on it's way to the far East be-
cause better qualified than the Kansans.
Nearly All Americans.
AS to the personnel of the regiment, near
ly all of the officers are young professional
men. Three-fourths of them are lawyers.
There are two college professors. one in
surance man, two newspaper men, and
few mechanics.
The great bulk of the. enlisted men are
the sons of fairly well-to-do farmers.
There are only eighteen men Of foreign
birth in the entire regiment. Most of
them are of Anglo-Saxon blood. AS rule,
they are out-and-out Americans.
There are few men from towns Of any
size, principally because there are few
towns of any size in Kansas. Shortly after
| we arrived in Frisco 1 began to get rid of
| the vicious element in the regiment.
I doubt if the Twentieth Kansas regi-
| ment differs much from the average volun-
| teer regiment. 1t has been fortunate regi-
ment in that it has had good opportunities.
The men have liked their officers as rule.
There are not more than one or two officers
| disliked by the men. l think that Is why
the men fight so we'll
| In the advance from Malolos conspic-
uous part was played by the armored train
and the infantry of Wheatons brigade had
| little to do, save when number OF Mon
| tana men and one company of kansans, un-
| der cover of fire from the armored car.
| advanced and occupied the bank OF the
| Bagbag river.
|
Twelve men of the Kansans charged
across the broken bridge while it was still
under fire from the enemy, jumped into the
| river and swan to the other side, when all
| that We're left of the enemy fled. The bridge
| was repaired by the engineers during the
| day and the next day the brigade advanced
to the Rio Grande de Pampanga, the sec
end largest river in Luzon island. 1t was
| found here that the large railroad bridge
of $50 feet span had been almost destroyed.
/ obtained permission from Generals ls
| carry this bridge by assault, but was told
| to attempt it only with men who would
| volunteer for that special duty. l sent Cor
| poral Fergus on to reconnoiter the bridge.
| an especially hazardous undertaking, with
the enemy intrenched in force at the other
| end.
He not only succeeded in reaching our
end of the bridge, but under cover of
darkness, crawled along the ironwork.
where the floor of the bridge had been
cleared away, to the other end. and under
the insurgent outpost. He had nothing but
| his revolver.
| other end of the bridge there was nothing
but one steel girder three inches wide on
| which to walk and this precluded the pos
| sibility of storming the bridge.
], The enemy was intrenched all along the
| opposite bank of the river in considerable
force. and had three pieces of artillery and
| one Maxim gun, WHICH uSeu /,
| but without hurting any of us.
| At noon of the 18th concluded to attempt
| to force the passage of the river 600 yards
| below the railroad bridge A raft had been
| left on our side of the river. This We cut
up into three small RATS. I again called
for volunteers to swim the river. This was
an extra hazardous undertaking. because
| the river was deep and wide, and the cur
rent strong, and where a man swan he
| would be exposed to the fire of the enemy
intrenched all along from the bridge down
| to the point of crossing.
| We stationed men who were known to be
| good shots along the south bank of the
! river to protect the flank, and Lieutenant
| cannon. With this we opened fire on the
| trenches of the enemy, sweeping the tops.
Bravery of Two Volunteers.
A number of men volunteered to swim the
river, but only two were needed. These
two were Privates Trembley and White
These men took a rope in their teeth and
| swan across the river together, reaching
| the shore twenty-five feet from one of the
| eneny's intrenchments.
| They were naked and had no arms They
kept under cover of the banks as well as
| they could, our men on the other side firing
| over them in volleys and the Hotchkiss also
being used. AS soon as the enemy heard
| our two men talking they jumped up and
began to run out, fifteen leaving this
| trench. Some of them were shot by our
men on the south bank as they ran.
| Meanwhile the men could not find any,
| thing to tie the end of the rope to more
| convenient than one Of the upright posts of
| the insurgent trench. so one of them work
liz, H.,