Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-24
STORYOF THE BRAVE
Fifty-frst Iowa Broke the Records
in More Ways Than One.
He STORY OF ITS BATTLES.
Was Longer on Transport Than Any
Other Regiment and Continuously
at the Front Lonser-CasuaIi-
ties of the Regiment

The Fifty-frst Iowa regiment ar
rived at San Francisco yesterday after
continuous service for the United
States government since April 81,
1898. The history of the Fifty-frst is
notable in many respects. 1t is full of
exciting incidents and from time to
time has disproven prophecies made
by the wise ones in most remarkable
manner. 1t was the last regiment to
leave Camp Mckinley, and many pro-
claimed that it would never get in
sight of the enemy, but it was the only
regiment that received taste of real
war and it had a plenty. 1t was al
ments to leave San Francisco, and then
the wise ones said it would soon be in
the thick of the fighting. Instead, it
took transport voyage of SO days, go-
ing to Manila, and then to noilo and
back to Manila before being disem-
barked. After landing at Cavite the
regiment did garrison duty for time,
and the wise ones again got in their
work and declared the regiment would
never be sent to the front. But it was,
and remained at the front continuous
ly, longer than any other. volunteer
regiment. Different parts of the regi-
ment, including the men detailed with
Bell as scouts, and afterward those
who enlisted in Bells regiment and
those detailed as artillerymen particle
pated in as many skirmishes and en-
gagements as any other regiment. The
furthest outposts of the American
forces were occupied by Iowans for
weeks. Because of few swimming
exploits of members of the Twentieth
Kansas the regiment was denominated
aquatic, but the Iowans were on out
post duty during the rainy season and
had repeated engagements with the
Filipinos when they waded through
water above the waist and communica.
ton between the different companies
was for weeks more easily made in
boats than on foot.
1t is only fair to explain here that
when the history of the Philippine
campaign is fully written the work OF
the Iowans will occupy larger pro-
portionate space than has been given
it in the press dispatches. The rea-
son why the Iowans have been some
what neglected is not hard to under
stand when the situation is considered.
When hostilities first opened the
Iowans were on the ocean. The first
fighting was more deliberately report
ed that that which came later when
skirmishes became weekly and al
most daily occurrence. Later, when
the Iowans went to the front, the cor
respondents were located with the reg
iments already there, with the officers
OF which they were acquainted and
! with whom they We're on friendly
terms. 1t followed that the CORE
spondents wrote more fully of the
work of such regiments as the First
Nebraska and the Twentieth Kansas,
with which they were located, than Of
the work of the Iowans, perhaps two
or three miles away, and of which
they only learned at second hand.
Detailed Story of the IL esiment.
The official history of the doings of
Iowa troops during and since the Span
ish war may be said to begin with the
closing days of the Twenty-seventh
general assembly. On the last day of
the session Governor Shaw personally
informed the legislature that he an
ticipated call from the president for
the Iowa troops. An appropriation of
100000 was promptly made in aid of
the government in case of war. Fol-
lowing the declaration of war, the
president called for $4,000 volunteers
for three years. Secretary Alger tele-
graphed Governor Shaw that three req