Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-03-29
FUNSTON NOT AT
MAR|LAo; USED RAFT
Sergeant Robinson Clears Up
the River Swimming
Episode.

Yankton, S. D., March 26.-"NVhen
General Funston crossed the Marilao
river with the Twentieth Kansas, he
cid so at his leisure and in no danger
This is the unequivocal statement or
O. r. Robinson, formerly a sergeant or
Company c, First South Dakota vol
unteers, in a lengthy discussion, in q
local paper, Of the conflicting claims of
Colonel A. S. Frost, now candidate for
mayor Of Evanston, Ill, and General
Frederick Funston, as to which swan
the Marilao river in the face Of the
enemy's fire. General Funston's jay
hawkers were not even at the famous
battle In which the First South Da-l
kota volunteers lost thirty-two men,
including Adiutant Jonas Lien and
Lieutenants Adams and Morrison, says
the former sergeant.
But give everyone his Dues says,
Sergeant Robinson, the river Whlcn,
General Funston has been accredited!
with swimming was the Rio Grande on
the north side of Calumpit, although
whether he swan 1t or not is known
III " IlllllSt1ls L "a vel ~
so while the South Dakotas were keep
ing the whole and undivided attention
of the Filipinos by firing VolleyS at
them across the river.
Thinks Funston Swan" on Raft.
Certain it is, hat after some time,
Colonel Funston brought his regiment
up on the other side of the river, hav-i
ing crossed it somewhere below. 1t
has always been my private opinion
that Colonel Funston crossed the river
on a raft, the same as the rest OF his
men and I saw the raft on which they
crossed"
Sergeant Robinson speaks Of the
Marilao battle enthusiastically. He
says the regiment emerging through a
light fringe of bamboo came onto an
open plain freed of every vestige Of
shrubbery for 500 yards to the Marilao
river beyond which the Filipinos were
strongly entrenched.
1T was an ambush, planned and car
ried out by the flower of Aguinaldo's
army numbering about 1000 men. They
had us at their mercy. 1t was here
Colonel Frost gained the admiration
and love of his men by springing TO
the front and asking his men to follow
him, and we did. We were soon tear
ing across that field Us if the devil
were behind US instead of in front. We
were in a storm of bullets.
River but Slight Obstacle.
After seeing one of my best friends
killed l felt as though l could run and
jump that river and lick a company of
Filipinos single handed. That was the
feeling of every man in the regiment
and when we reached the river we went
through it so fast that we hardly got
wet. Up the embankment we went on
the other side where the enemy met
us with bolo and Mauser. Here for a
few minutes vas a battle royal, hand
10 hand and sad to relate many of
the FilipinoS buried in the trench on
the north side Of the Marilao river have
broken skulls from contact with the
butts of American rifles.
1T was soon all over. / lay with the
rest of the boys firing a few parting
shots at the fleeing insurgents and then
took a look at the surroundings. The
first thing / noticed was Colonel Frost
hanging his pants in a tree to dry,
and so he stood in his shirt all to re-
ceive the congratulations Of General
Hale, who just then rode up on his
pony.
The First South Dakotas alone and
Gnaided put the Filipinos to rout at the
Marilao river"