Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-09

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Fort Crook was attached to the Omaha line
every telephone in the oficers dwellings
rang. At each telephone was a emale ear
and when the city editor spoke he said:
The injuries to Colonel Wikof were
fatal, and"
That ended the report for a while as the
news Of the death, by an oversight on the
part Of the officer, had been communicated
In this brusque way to every woman at the
post. Then came cries and lamentations,
but soon the telephone was transmitting to
the afiicted persons the casualties Of that
day at San Juan.
Colonel Egbert's Death.
1t was another native OF PennsyI-
vania and another man from civil life who
came into command Of the regiment upon
the death Of Colonel wikon, Colonel Harry
@. Egbert, who was killed at Malinta, in
the Philippines on March 26, 1899, while
In m ofthe Twelfth infantry. Col
onel Egbert's military record began in
1861, when he was appointed first lieutenant
OF the Twelfth infantry. He was a captain
in 1866. For twenty-five years he held that
rank. He was promoted in 1890 to be
major Of the Seventeenth infantry; May,
1893, lieutenant colonel Of the Sixth infantry
and July, 1898, colonel Of the Twenty-sec-
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brigadier general of volunteers and did
active duty in that capacity.
Another from the Ranks.
Another man who had fought his way up
from the ranks came into command of the
Twenty-second upon the death of Colonel
Egbert, Colonel John w. French, who began
his military career as a private in COM
pany F of the Seventh New York volunteers
| In fha rfug1 mn H. haoana aarUaank vnafor
In 1861 and that year received his FIRST com
mission, which was OF second lieutenant,
he being assigned to the Eighth infantry.
Five years later he became first lieutenant,
and the same year was transferred to the
Fortieth infantry as captain. In 1869 he
was transferred to the Twenty-f fifth in
fantry. He was appointed major of the
I Fourteenth infantry In 1891, lieutenant coll
onel Of the Twenty-third infantry in 1895.
and colonel OF the Twenty-second in 1899.
Colonel French was with his regiment un-
til 1t made It imperative for him to return
home. He went to Atlanta. Ca, where he
died of illness contracted in the Philippines.
Colonel Miller in Command.
The present commander of the regiment
Is Colonel James Miller, a man we'll known
by the residents of Omaha who were ia
miliar with the officers Of the Second regi-
ment when 1t was stationed at Fort Omaha.
At that time Colonel Miller was captain in
that regiment and was one Of the men who
was responsible for the friendly feeling
In the hearts Of Omaha people for the Sec>
ond regiment, which is looked upon as
rather Of a home institution. from the fact
that 1t was stationed in the city for so long
a time.
other Changes I'm Regiment.
In the four years which has passed since
the Twenty-second left Fort Crook there
have been many changes in the personnel
OF the officers. OF the captains which left
at. that time John G. Balance is now a
brigadier general and has won laurels i'm
perishable in the campaign against the ma
tives OF the Philippine islands. John j.
Crittenden is the only one remaining with
the regiment and he returns with the rank
of major. or the first lieutenants who left
four return with their regiment as cap
tains-Edward o. c. Ord. Harry c. Hodges,
Jacob F. Kreps and william A. Campbell
all others have been transferred to other
regiments upon promotion except Walter @.
Taylor. who died in New York City in 1888.
Captaincies in their Old regiment have come
to hve of the men who left Fort Crook
in 1898 for Cuba as second lieutenants-
Robert L. Hamilton. Albert c. Dalton, Will
liam H. Wassell, Orrin p. Wolfe and Isaac
Newell. The other second lieutenants OF
that day have been promoted and assigned
to othor regiments.
Record IN the War.
The record Of the Twenty-second in Cuba
was brief but brilliant 1t was at the sur
render Of Santiago and the campaign lead
ing up to that event. After the close Of
that campaign It was reorganized and sent
to the Philippines, where 1t arrived March
4, 1899. Its history in the islands given
In a recent number Of the Manila American
is as follows:
After the policy of the United States had
in a measure been outlined and 1t was de-
movement to that end contemplated by
General Otis was to clear the Pasig river,
s eTsl TIE Mbs m4Uemeat T tSst e ame tSe g c,t Seo Of
being entirely surrounded by the insur-
marched out Of Msiate barracks against
the insurgents on March II and took part
| Wheaton against the insurgent line, which
extended from San Pedro Macatt to Pasay.
T inS Of sfnsNh aroR "a s s1%n TSstsS Win OR tf iete mDap-
lions until dark, having by that time adj
vanced up to Patsros. BY the 18th the
| try and down for some distance. when the
/ regiment returned to Manila
| Wncn IL was uCtcTniiucQ " dQNdlCc VI
| the railroad and take Malolos the Twenty
second infantry was ordered out under
| General Wheaton, and was engaged in the
| fight at Caloocan and Tuliahan bridge and
| river on March IS, and In the tight at
] Malinta on March %, in which five COM
| panies of the regiment were engaged a, /,
X and u and by a gallant charge drove
| the enemy out of their trenches. and
| church. For q small affair this was one OF
| the hottest engagements in the Philip
| pines, aud the battalion of the Twenty-sec-
| ond infantry lost three out of the hve first
sergeants that were In the fight. They
proceeded up the railroad, fighting their
way mile by mile TO Polo, Meycauyan and
Malolos. the capital of the insurgents. on
March 81.
In April they took part In the advance
on San Isidro under General Lawton and
were the hrst to enter that town. which
had been established as the new insurgent
capital. Enroute they took part IN the
6ght al Norzagaray and Novallches and In
the hght at Bustos, being the first to enter
Bustos and Balluag Returning down the
Rio Crande river they had a fight at San
fernando, a barrio of Cabiao, and in May
entered candaba and took station there.
Capture OF AguinaldO.
The Twenty-second Is further distin-
guished from the fact that II was . squad
from a company Of this regiment which
made possible the capture Of Aguinaldo
by General Funston. Company H captured
the correspondence which gave the exact
location of the insurgent chief and showed