The times., 1899-04-29
STARS FOR COLONEL FUNSTON.
The Remarkable Career of n Brave
Son of Kansas

A"e remarkable Career of a Brave
Son of Kansas.
IL was stated at the War Department
yesterday that Col Frederick Funston Of
the Twentieth Kansas Volunteers. would
surely be appointed a brigadier general Of
volunteers formal recommendation
tnat he be promoted must first, however.
be obtained from General Otis, who will
be asked to submit it IL he does not do
so OF his own volitfon. The usual course
is Tor the commanding general to submit
MS recommendations for promotion when
the campaign Is over, and II may be that
no action Will be taken in Funstons case
until the Fflipinos have surrendered or
have been effectively dispersed
of course the appointment Of Colonel
Funston cannot be made without the au-
thority OF the President. but Mr.. McKin-
ley believes in acting quickly In cases of
such meritorious conduct and the War De-
partment officials expect TO hear from him
on the subject before his return TO Wash
iDgton
The latest OF Funston's exploits which
drew admiration from the Filipinos and
was referred to by General Otis in an off,
cial dispatch, is only one OF the remark
able feats OF bravery in which the young
kansan has participated in the present
campaign. He led twenty OF his men
across river. swimming TO the opposite
shore In the face OF terrific fire from
the enemy: he crawled across a partly
destroyed railroad bridge with four OF his
men under heavy fusiliade. and he led
the charge of the Kansans against the bar
ricades at Malolos, the insurgent capital.
In one of his dispatches in the early part
OF the campaign, Funston was mentioned
by General Otis for leading gallant
charge against a superior force Of Fill
pinos. The President and the military
authorities have had their eyes on Funston
for some time. and they are glad Of an
opportunity to reward him.
Colonel Funston got chance to show
publicly the rare stuff that is in him in
1884, before he had finished his eighteenth
year. His father was running for Congress
in Southeastern Kansas on the Republican
ticket. The campaign was going against
him when young Funston took hand in
the fight. audaciously addressing a meeting
held for the Democratic candidate, and by
his exhibition OF pluck, logic, and wit con-
verting foes into friends. His father won
by the largest majority the district had
ever given.
Funston was the city editor of paper
in Fort Smith. Ark, three years later. 1t
was Democratic sheet and Funston was
a Republican. There was not enough In
the work to fill his yearning for excite
ment. The editor went away for couple
of days and left him in charge. Next day
the paper appeared as a Republican organ.
The editor. summoned by telegraph. ar
rived in time to save his property from
destruction at the hands of a mob.
II didn't like my Job and didn't like the
town." said Funston when explaining his
conduct to his friends, but l thought that
/ might as well let them know that / had
been there before quit
A trip on a Government botanical expedi-
tion which took him through Death Valley
and involved hardships that disabled more
than half the members Of the party next
furnished Funston with the spice of dan
ger which for him constitutes the chief
charm of life.
He was next sent to Alaska on a col
lecting expedition. There are a lot Of
people who know more about botany than
Fred Funston" said the head OF the bu-
reau who recommended him. but robody
will come nearer getting what he goes
after"
After going through Chilcoot Pass alone
in a blizzard. being capsized in a canoe in
rapids that had claimed scores of victims,
and enjoying many other hazardous ad
ventures, Funston came back from Alaska
with the finest collection of botanical
specimens that ever came out of it.
Finding difficulty in gratifying his thirst
for adventure at home he joined a filibus-
tering expedition and landed in Cuba in
August 1896. Gomez was quick to recog-
nize hero and gave the young kansan
a prominent command and abundant op-
portunities to display reckless courage.
Wherever fighting was to be done Fun
ston was in the thick of It, He handed
dynamite guns and bombs as coolly as
though they were fire extinguishers. In
one battle he led a charge OF five hundred
mounted Cubans against twenty-five hun
dred Spanish infantry and was wounded
three times. His horse was shot under
him, but needless OF the hail of bullets
around him he stripped the beast of saddle
and bridle-for such accoutrements were
very scarce in the Cuban army-and walk
ed with them off the field.
After engaging in twenty-five battles in
Cuba he returned to New York-the NINETY
pounds that was left of him-on January
10. 1898, physical wreck, and, as ne him
self thought crippled for life.
But when war with Spain was declared
he had so far recovered that he was ab e
to offer his sword to the President, and
was commissioned colonel of the Twen-
tieth Kansas. He is hardly thirty-three
years old, and is as modest and unassum-
ing in demeanor as he is chock full of
grit and pluck.