The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-11-16
FIRST FLAG UP HIS
Calvin Pearl Titus Given the
Victorious Old Glory.
He is TO RECEIVE A MEDAL
Writes and Says He Also Fired
First Shot Into Pekin.
HE is TO RECEIVE A MEDAL

Calvin Pearl Titus. the Wichita boy,
has the hrst nag of his country to wave
on the walls of Pe1ln. and he is to re-
ceive from the government a medal for
vaIor.
In the first letter young Titus wrote
hofne he did not seem to be aware that
he had done any thing out Of the ordinary.
but in his last epistIe he gives evidence
Of realization that the little thing he
accomplished has a big look to the world
He has been presented with the blood
stained flag and knows now that he is to
have a medal.
His letter IS written to Sam shriver,
who, together with Titus, was a member
Of the Wichita Salvation Army MI.
Shnyer now lives in KIngman. The letter
received reads as follows:
''Pelin China, Sept. q, 1900.
Dear Old Chum-Day before yesterday
I received two letters from you and I
was glad to get them. also got two
from my folks.
Il have forgotten whether or not have
written to you since I came to China, 50
I hardly know where to begin. We got
in Ten Tsin on the 9th of July and
started for Pekin on August f. There
was big battle at Pei Tsang. We were
in reserve for the Japs, so we had no
one hurt. The next day at Yang Using
we were q it hot and heavy, and our
battalions lost sixty-tnree men killed and
"a I'D ra7r,r-
wounded. We advanced about three miles
under fierce artillery fire, charging right
over the English line of Indians. The
fire was terrible and some of the big
shells were as thick as rife bullets. After
that until August Ii we made terrible
marches through the cane and brown
corn fields. We had TO keep right on
going through the heat OF the day.
have seen a company march into camp
at night with thirty men instead Of over
a hundred. I saw men go crazy from
heat and want Of water August Il we
took Pel1in.
MY company was IN the lead. 7 had
the honor to be the first man to scale the
wall and TO put the first shot down into
the city for which little thing I am to
receive a medal Of honor from Uncle
Sam. have the large silk nag I got on
the wall with its bearers blood yet on
IL. That afternoon we relieved the lega-
lions. How glad they were to see US,
ragged as we were. When we marched
in the women brought us water, and it
was about all they had. could not
speak to them If I had tried. I would
have cried like a baby. The next day we
attacked the Imperial City and captured
four gates one within the other. The last
gate was taken by my company with
two killed and two wounded going
through it.
"At the first gate a big piece Of shell
passed under my chin and gave me a
scratch about an inch long. Those were
great days. We were in where white
men had never been before On the mar
BILE side of the last gate Of the palace [
picked up the brass firing pin Of an ex-
ploded shell and scratched my name.
II suppose we will be here all winter.
It is cold today, and you ought to see
the fellows 60 around with their hands
in their pockets. You see. we are not
very well used to cold weather Ny com
pany is in charge Of police district No. /
in the American part of the town We
are Quartered in an old Chinese play
house of some kind.
"Well, win close for this time so
adios. Your old chum,
CALVIN P. TITUS.