The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-04-03
FunstOn's Reward.


Funston in degree and in the manner
most gratifying to brave soldier of his
country, by prompt and adequate pro-
motion in rank, while his latest service
was still fresh in the public mind and
his praises on the public tongue. Such
reward is gracious on the part of the
government and thrice grateful to the
recipient Moreover it stiles cavil and
smothers envy, jealousy or disgruntle-
ment before these ungracious exhibit
tions have time to take root, bud and
fructify. The only reflection the in
cident suggests is that the President
has not, in some other distinctive cases,
and in one very conspicuous instance
OF services rendered of the largest mag
nitude, been equally mindful OF JUS
tee, equally prompt to execute it,
aud that justice and the country's sense
of right and feelings of gratitude are
still blocked at Washington.
1t is a singular circumstance that the
distinctive military honors of the war
with Spain, and in the Philippines and
in China, have been very largely won
by officers who entered the army
through the West Point of the volun-
teer service. Lieut.. Gen. Miles drop
ped the yardstick when Fort Sumter
was assaied and enlisted in the ranks;
General Shafter, who commanded in
Cuba, was an officer from the volun-
teer army of the civil war; General
Chaffee, who displayed on the plains
and at Ell Caney the qualities that
marked him for the command Of the
American forces in China, also, was
volunteer Of the civil war; Col. Roose-
welt won his title to his spurs at San
Juan Hill, and clinched it in his sub
sequent career in Cuba. And to the
list might be added many names ia
miliar in the dispatches from the front
where the battle was hottest or the SER
vice most arduous, and chief among
them Frederick Funston.
The regular army officers, if reports
are to be credited, sneer at Funston's
receut achievement, the trapping of
Aguinaldo, but there is probably not one
of them who would not be proud to sub
stitute his name for that of the Kansas
volunteer in connection with this ex-
plot. The country is more impartial
Judge. The people see in Funston the
embodiment of restlessness to whose
daring and ingenuity in their service
they owe debt of clarifying. As
fighter, two years ago, his purpose was
to get at close quarters with the enemy.
If river interposed and he couldn't
ford it he swan it; if there were no
boats to cross his army be made RATS
Of the debris he could gather and fer
ried his men across by lines his SOL
diers, swimming, had carried to the far
Their shore and made fast to the very
intrenchments of the enemy. He was
fruitful in expedients and was baked by
no obstacles.
The exploit that has won him the
brigadier's stars in the regular army
was the good luck that comes to men
who make their opportunities. He had
captured letters that disclosed Aguin-
aldo's hiding place. The thing these
suggested to his restless spirit was a
plan to capture the head of the insur-
rection. The initiative was his, the
plan was his, he chose the tools for
putting it into execution, and its flaw
less success was his. His exploit at
Columpit, on the Rio Grande, two
years ago, was one of extreme hardi-
hood, but the quest and capture of
Aguinaldo, in comparison, makes the
crossing of the turbid stream and the
defeat of the forces on the other
shore rather a commonplace affair.
When he had reached the shore in the
province of Isabella, in the northeast
ofLuzon,h his perils and hardships began,
Besides march Of ninety miles over
high mountains, through dense trop-
ical jungles, in the country of the en-.
envy, living at last on the scanty sus.
tenance the streams afforded, treach-
cry was always possible and Funston
had no absolute knowledge of the size
or strength of the force Aguinaldo had
with him. The insurgent chief, it was
possible, would have enough men
around him to overwhelm the Ameri.
cans and their scanty force of native
allies. But he accepted the risk, he
made the desperate adventure, he re-
turned with the object of his quest
without the sacrifice of life in hii
party, the chief obstacle in the way Of
pacifying the Philippines is in confne'
ment, Funston is an officer Of high
rank in the regular army-his proper
place rather than in politics-all at the
age of thirty-five, and in line for the