The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-04

men were hungering for throughout the i length and breadth of Kansas It was
 of infinite value to him politically, this
 resignation of the militia, and it gave
 to Frederick Funston his chance in life. Born of an adventurous, rowing spirit,
 the love of fighting in Funston was in- i herent. Many men have 1t. and when, like Funston, they possess military gen.
 jus as well, they rise to fortune and to
 fame, as he has done. Sheer pluck, cou- pied with genius, has raised Funston in few years from a hardy but compar-
 atively unknown adventurer seeking ] fortune in the golden Klondike to a
 brigadier general in the regular army
 of the United States. with name known the civilized world throughout.
 But to return to the regular se-
 quence of my tale. Leedy commission
 ed his new officers, and among the ga-
 zettes was that of Frederick Funston
 as that of the Twentieth Kansas. But
 Funston had served with Gomez in Gu
 ba when he had risen to be his chief of | artillery, and from this service had be- | come possessed of a knowledge of Cuba of infinite value to the authorities at Washington. For this reason Funston was temporarily attached to the staff
 of General Miles, and for the same req son the Twentieth Kansas was tempo
 rarily deprived of the services of it's col-
 one Leedy had appointed as lleuten-
 ant colonel of the regiment Kansas
 country lawyer, shrewd and able, but
 without previous knowledge and train
 ing in military duties. As a result the
 Tt,-o,, h yo Ia ,tC r.,
 ritt, San Francisco, a Heterogeneous
 body of untrained men. largely officer
 ed by men as ignorant in military mat
 ters as themselves and commanded by
 a lieutenant colonel whose knowledge
 was that of Jaw and not how to com-' mand men. The early history of the
 Twentieth Kansas was exactly what
 might have been expected. With am- pie space to lay out their camp, so ann ateurish was the manner in which they
 planned their company and regimental streets that they were cramped for room. They ate up their five days ra-
 tions in three days, through lack of knowledge of how to husband their supplies, and as consequence were hungry for the last two and much giv- en to complaint. The camp and the press were full of their complaints, and talk ,i ell in all they wer,. as ll-groom- ed and as badly trained regiment as could well be imagined. At this period, in fact, it was pretty generally under stood that they were slated not for the Philippines, but for Arizona, as that dashing beau ideal of the army, Gen. eral Wesley Merritt. who commanded the army, did not feel justified in send ing them to meet an enemy in their | then condition.
 Such was the state of the Twenti- l eth Kansas when Funston was relieved | from his temporary duty on the staff of | General Miles. In fact. 50 il-dlscplined | a crew were they that even his bold | heart sank at the enormity of the work Of licking them into shape. He had a tremendous thing to go on however, and that was the stout and willing | hearts of his men. Funston set about it with the energy characteristic of him. He worked his men early and late, but | while he spared not them neither did he spare himself. He was peculiarly fort unate in his brigade commander, Gen. eral Charles King. All of Funston's efforts General King cordially and gen erously supported and to him General Funston owes a great deal. Gradually that undisciplined mob began to round into splendid. well set up and well dis ciplined regiment. It was long and arduous task, though, and Funston must have more than once been dis in it's doing However, 1t was finally done, and well done, and at length they sailed from the Golden Gate among the last if not the very last, regiments of the Eighth army corps. The rest is history, for because of what he and that all-started regiment so gall antly accomplished in Luzon Funston became a brigadier general of volun- Ieers. He was made one of the regular branch of the service for having cap .ured Aguinaldo. He is a man of cour- ige of the first water, as that daredevil achievement, the capture of Aguinaldo, imply proves. That he has executive ability and military genius of high or Ter the way he licked the Twentieth Kansas into shape and subsequently ought the regiment leaves not shade If doubt. ."--New York Tribune.