The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-28
DAYS OF THE WAR
Thirteen Years Ago Kansas
Soldiers Were Assembling.
Gathering in Topeka to Fight
Spaniards.
CALLING OF FUNSTON.
Rise of Kansas Fighting General
Dates From This Time.
Gov. Leedy's Part in Organize
ton of the Volunteers.

with a loI of Kansas men and Wo-
men, mostly men. Thirteen years ago
this week Topeka had one of the lars-
est military camps in the country, at
the fair grounds. Thirteen years ago
Sunday, April IS, President Mckinley
issued his call for volunteers to take
part in the Spanish war and during
this week, the last in April. 1898, the
fair grounds was the scene of the or
ganization of the three regiments of
Kansas volunteers.
Thirteen years ago next Monday,
there was great excitement in the camp
because on the morning of May l,
Dewey steamed into Manila harbor and
stirred UP the animals.
Topeka was all excitement during
this week Is years ago.
Three volunteer regiments, conprls-
ing nearly $500 men, were enlisted IN
the state of Kansas for service in the
war with Spain.
These men, who came from all walks
of life, were the highest type of fight
ing material the world has ever known
citizen soldiers. These three reg ments
volunteered in response to the first caH
issued by President Mckinley. They
were numbered in the order of their
muster-in the twentieth, twenty first.
and twenty Kansas furnished
10 regiments for service in the civil war,
and the numbering of the regiments
recruited in the eacly part of 1898 was
taken up in order.
Funston Was called.
Colonel Fred Funston, then in Cuba,
was assigned to the command of the
first regiment to be mustered into the
service of the United States. The mus
term occurred in Topeka early in May,
1885, the regiment having been In camp
on the fair grounds for nearly month
This was the Twentieth. They left To-
peka on Friday, the 18th, for San Fran
cisco, in three sections, battalion 10
section. The shadow of the hoodoo,
Friday, the 13th,' was not the only
one under which the Twentieth began
its career.
The boys left their homes in haste,
taking no baggage, and with no raj
ment except such as they wore every
day. In the Topeka camp, equipment,
such as clothing, shoes. and especially
blankets, was doled out sparingly, and
during the heavy spring rains which
occurred at this time, most of them
were absolutely without anything but
straw and muddy ground for beds.
The other two regiments in camp in
Topeka at the time, the Twenty-first
and Twenty Jared in the same
way. The Twenty-frst was mustered
ga park on the 17th, where they were
the nineteenth regiment, among
$1,000 troops, to getsintoe camp.
When the Twenty-first was organ
1Z6Q III APRIL, 1885, IlOAAIoS VI L AlSh
was postmaster of Wichita. A tele-
gram from Lieutenant Colonel E. G.
Little, then in temporary command OF
the Twentieth regiment, took him to
governor of the state of Kansas, COM
missioned him as colonel of the TWEEN,
ty-first.
In the eastern camp Colone! Fitch's
command was brigaded with the
Twelfth New York. and the Eighth
MaSSaOhISPftS under. command of
Brigadier General J. r. Waities of
Houston, Texas. formerly colonel Of
the First Texas Rangers.
Later the Twenty-frst was sent to
Camp Breckenridge, at Lexington, KY.
where they established splendid disci-
pline, and became thoroughly drilled
in army tactics. Tt was while in camp
here that the Twenty first was chosen
from among more than sixty other
regiments to escort into camp Secre-
tary of War General Russell A. Alger
and Major General J. c. Breckenridge.
The 22nd Kansas regiment was
mustered into the United States serv-
ice in Topeka about the 18th of May,
1898, Col. H. c. Lindsay commanding.
They were also sent to an eastern
camp at Falls Church, Va, known as
Camp Alger.
Early in the following October they
were sent back to Leavenworth, where
they were mustered out. after an I'M
eventful career.
The Negro Troops.
In response to the second call for
volunteers, issued some time in June,
Kansas sent two battalions of negro
troops to Santiago de Cuba, under the
command of Lieutenant Colonel j. M.
Beck of Fort Scott. One of the COM
panies in these two battalions of COL
ored troops was made up in Wichita
After six months guard duty in
Santiago, these men were brought
back to the states and mustered out
of service in an eastern camp.
While the Twentieth Kansas regi-
ment, under Colonel Funston, was the
only regiment from this state to see
service, it was owing to no difference
in qualification or fitness for service,
but was almost wholly matter of
chance.
Governor Leedy's actions tended to
show that he regarded the three regi-
ments of Kansas soldiers under his care
as responsibility of which he wished
to be rid as speedily as possible. When
the Twenty-first in Lexington and the
Twenty-second in Falls Church were
going through the monetonous rounds
of daily drill and guard duty, the war
department wired Governor Leedy. ask
ing what disposition, in his judgment.
should be made of these troops. With
no way of knowing whether any diff
ference existed in any way between the
regiments, the governors reply to this
message was responsible for sending
the Twentieth, then at Camp Merritt,
San Francisco, to service in the Philip
pines. The men comprising the regi-
ments which were fated to remain dur
ing the campaign on duty in the eastern
camps, applied themselves with energy
and enthusiasm to the work assigned
to them, nor did they for one moment
allow themselves to relax in their eff
forts to perfect themselves in all things
pertaining to the military service.
At Chickamauga park, where the
Twentyfirst spent most of their time.
tire regiment lost about % men by dis
ease Measles broke out in camp, a
GOOD many cases of which. on. account
of exposure to the dampness, develop
ed into spinal meningitis, and the