St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-02-15
AGUINALDO'S REGALIA.
How It's Present Owner Came Into
Possession of the Famous Fill
pinO's Sash.

The regalia of Aguinaldo which he
wore in full uniform is now in posses
sion of private soldier of our army,
who is fully aware of it's value as a
relic, states the San Francisco Exam
liner.
Once it shone in all its splendor of
silver stars and lace upon the white
dress uniform of the island leader
now, by the fortunes of war and flight,
it is the property of Private Richard
II. Cooper, Santa Paula young man of
troop F, Eleventh United States vol
unteer cavalry, who returned to Los
Angeles on June % from the Philip
pines.
The Eleventh was the only United
States volunteer cavalry in service
since the civil war, and troop NJ of the
Eleventh distinguished itself by it's
famous charge at the battle of San
Mateo, where Gen. LawtOn lost his
life.
Cooper tells an interesting story:
Company G of the Thirty-seventh
United States infantry started out in
pursuit of Aguinaldo in February,
1900, chasing him for ten days or more
up through the mountains of southern
Luzon. They finally lost track of him
and went over the swamps into CANA
rines province. But SO hot was the
pursuit and so near did it come at one
point to capture that some of the
ponies in Aguinaldo's band were shot
and the leader threw away bundles of
clothing and other stuff in bis mad de-
sire to escape his pursuers.
1t was in one of those critical mo-
ments that Corporal Bedding, a friend
of Cooper, picked up in the trail amid
the bamboo jungle small bag of mus
lin which contained this regalia, a
small flag of the province of Vigan,
and wrapped in it a curious dagger
with point of needle-like sharpness.
Bedding took out the sash first, and,
it being similar to decoration worn
by priest, thought it belonged to one
of them, but hid the bag hurriedly for
fear the Fourth cavalry, which was
passing, might get it. When he showed
it to his friend in the morning Cooper
asked him if he might take it and show
it to some one. Bedding thereupon
made him present of the bag and it's
contents.
Cooper showed it to Capt. Agnew, of
the Eleventh cavalry, who exclaimed
at once at sight of the red and silver
star: "Why, man, you've got prize
there! That regalia is Aguinaldo's
own, for have seen him wear it many
times during dress parade before the
outbreak. / know that star"
The regalia is heavily embroidered
in solid silver, for which Mr.. Cooper
was offered goodly sum by the native
silversmiths in Manila. The most in
teresting piece is the silver embroid-
cred shoulder sash, somewhat stained
by wear, of yellow satin richly incrust-
ed with silver, and where it crosses the
breast shines a six-pointed silver star
of openwork upon red satin, the badge
of Aguinaldo's highest rank. A broad
belt of yellow satin and silver, wide
cuffs of blue satin spangled with sill
yer, and four decorations in the form
of silver leaves, which were worn upon
the breast, are also parts of this gilt
tering insignia. Here are the great sill
yer star and hatband that decorated
the sombrero and completed the para
phernalia which rendered Aguinaldo
gorgeous figure when worn over his
white suit at dress parade-for he