The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-17
TWenty-fOurth Annual Meeting
of Historical Society.
Much of Session Devoted to Kan
sas' Record In Late War.
MR.. HINTON'S LECTURE
The Pioneer Gives Some Inter
esting "reminiscences.
D. W. WiIder's Tribute to Late
F. G. Adams.

The twenty-fourth annual business
meeting of the State Historical society
was called to order at o'clock in Rep
resentative hall Tuesday afternoon by
President E. F. Ware
The hall was well filed with members
of the society and people interested IN
the work.
Col. Hamilton moved that a commit
tee be appointed to secure the passage
Of a bill by next legislature, recurring
that the statistics of the marriages.
deaths and births within the state be
carefully kept in each county. Col
Richard ]. Hinton, of Brooklyn, was
called upon to address the meeting In
speaking of the society and the work
done by the late Judge F. G. Adams,
he said: He did a noble work. Kansas
has one of the best historical libraries
in the country Such men as the mana
ger of the British museum say that
there is nothing so valuable as a day to
day history kept in the newspaper files.
This has Judge Adams done and more.
I loved and hOnored and esteemed
Judge Adams. 1 possess every letter and
editorial 1 wrote during my ten years
as a correspondent in Kansas and also
all the clippings I have gathered.
have some 500 letters and also many
of Richard Realf letters and poems and
] wish to present these to the society,""
Col. Wilder S. Metcalf was called upon
to speak about Twentieth Kansas.
Col. Metcalf said: kansas did we'll
to be proud of her Twentieth regiment,
simply and solely because it showed to
the country of what sort of stuff her
young men are made. But Kansas has
more and greater reasons to cOngratu-
late herself. for who doubts for an in
slant that if given the opportunity the
Twenty first or the Twenty second or
the Twenty-third, if you please, would
have done just as we'll, would have ac-
quilted itself just as nobly, would have
hOnOred the state just as much.
lar 7 know nd
know and our country knows that were
there need of them, there are thousands
more of the same kind of young men in
the state of Kansas today who would
quickly and gladly form many regi-
ments, each as good, as brave, and as
intelligent in it's composition as the
Twentieth. We are thankful that the
Twentieth had its opportunity. The
opportunity was all that was needed,
the young men of Kansas took care of
the rest.
I want to say also. that although
these remarks are made about the
Twentieth Kansas regiment, 1 believe
fully that in large measure the same
things might be said of almost any of
the volunteer organizations which en-
tered the cOuntry's service. The TWen-
tieth was fortunate in having many
opportunities; it was grand in prompt
~ and magnificently accepting every
one of them
And where are now those who once
composed the Twentieth Kansas? Be
Thirtv-three died Of disease, Thfrtv-four
officers and men We're killed in battle.
The others have returned to the public
schools or the state institutions of learn
ing. returned to their clerkships in the
10 their shops or their farms-reff1rned
quietly and unassumingly to the paths of
peace. The same intelligent application
TO duty. the same intelligent obedience to
courage which made those young men
good soldiers, will make is making, them
and better for their fearlessness, for their
energy, for their truth, for all their
Major A. NJ. Harvey read a concise his
tory of the Twenty-secOnd Kansas regi-
ment. He said:
THE Twenty-second regiment was the
Iirst OF the Kansas regiments to return
enWorth and the friends and relatives Of
Its members gave the regiment a hearty
welcome A furlough of one month was
cepting detachment of about 100 men
and two commissioned officers. who were
IeIt IN camp TO guard and protect the
government property. On the 18th day of
October. the furlOughs having expired,
the soldiers returned to camp and the
work of mastering out was again taken
up. This was completed in due time, and
on the Bird of November, 1898, the regi-
ment was mustered out and ceased to
exist. It had seen less than six months
of service, yet had become well drilled,
hardened and disciplined. It had been
Favored by being composed of strong, Wig
Orous and intelligent men. and bv spirit
of generosity. harmony and desire for co.
operation among the officers Without
having sighted an enemy and without
having fired a hostile gun, its record was
made and is finished"
Lieutenant Colonel James Beck. late of
the Twenty-thtrd Kansas regiment was
absent and his history OF the regiment
was read by Mr.. Martin. In the paper
Colonel Beck made the assertion that he
was surprised to read in the papers that
men of the regiment deserted when the
order to go to Cuba came He claimed
the regiment was the best ever organ
lied in the United States. He believed
sent to Cuba, that the Twentieth
would never have been sent to
the Philippines He stated that
the same means to be ordered to the
Philippines as did he and that he did
some political work that Funston never
heard Of and failed to resort to