Shawnee County KS Archives History - Books .....Chapter VIII 1905
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 25, 2006, 4:59 am

Book Title: History Of Shawnee County, Kansas

CHAPTER VIII.

Shawnee County and the War with Spain—The Famous 20th Kansas Regiment—Its
Battles and Glory—List of Dead and Wounded—Enlistments and Service in Other
Regiments—Their Record in Cuba and Elsewhere —Praise from President McKinley and
Secretary of War—The Colored Troops.

    During the progress of the Spanish-American War, in 1897-98, two full
companies and parts of other companies were organized in Shawnee County for
service in Cuba and the Philippine Islands. Company A of the 20th Kansas
Volunteer Infantry was almost wholly recruited in Topeka. Its officers were:
John E. Towers, captain; succeeded by Capt. Clad Hamilton, who enlisted as a
private and was promoted first to corporal, then sergeant, 2nd lieutenant, 1st
lieutenant and captain in succession; Everett E. Huddlerton and John J. Deeming,
lieutenants; Joseph W. Morris and Charles A. Woolworth 1st sergeants; Orville S.
Taylor and Emory A. Bailey, quartermaster sergeants; J. W. Kershner, Butler J.
Haskins, Harry Jones, Fred A. Recob, Samuel J. White, Robert D. Maxwell,
Irenaeus Wisner, Joseph H. Seagraves and Francis M. Pribble, sergeants; Joseph
C. Spendlove, Frank A. Smith, Charles D. Rouner, Charles Ramsey, Clarence
Sharon, John J. Haisch, Milo L. Lamont, Terence Montgomery, John J. Johnston,
Charles A. Waters, Steve S. Kirby, Walter E. French, Edwin Barrett, Ellis G.
Davis, George W. Lewis, J. H. Redinger, Edwin W. Sheard, Percy McCoole, Albert
Cotton, Walter C. Swartz and Edward L. Pinkerton, corporals; Seth A. Hemmel,
Coryell Faulkner, William E. Hungerford and John A. Buchanan, hospital stewards;
H. E. Wagner and Mitchell Bundy, wagoners. Privates—Harry J. Adams, William F.
Ayers, Edward E. Banks, Frank J. Beaghen, Edward H. Brennan, Harry H. Banks,
Etcyl P. Blair, John R. Boyd, Harvey Chandler, Walter J. Coleman, James C.
Coleman, Walter C. Campbell, Chase Cole, Fred Fox, Fred Graft, W. L. Garretson,
John J. Humbert, Fred Humphries, George H. Helwig, D. S. Hewitt, Charles
Hetrick, Lester C. Jennings, Earnest E. Kirk, Lewis G. Laws, James D. Leahey,
Arthur W. Long. Thomas E. Lawrence, George W. Lemley, Guy Ludington, Clarence R.
McDowell, Frank M. McFadden, Isaac K. McKinney, Herbert T. Miller, Henry D.
McKinney, Edwin A. Myers, Clark W. Marsh, Reseil Manahan, Charles Peters, Ira M.
Payne, Charles H. Reasoner, E. A. Rethemeyer, John A. Stevens, Margus J. P.
Smith, William R. Smith, Walter L. Sherburne, Raymond Slater, Arthur W. Snapp,
Theo. H. Sutton, Fred Shaufele, Frank Steward, Jerry C. Springstead, William L.
Sullivan, Roy Timmons, Herbert W. Turner, George W. Turner, Losson B. Whitaker,
Elmo L. Wilkinson, Henry N. Wingfield, Eugene Willett, Theodore Q. Whitted,
Wilbur Wilson and John D. Young.

    The Shawnee County men in other companies of the 20th Kansas were: Company
B—Jacob Guffey, Elmer E. Urie, George Rethemeyer, Edward Barrett, William F.
Duensing, Edward W. Ellis and Claud S. Phillips; Company C—Clare A. Coe; Company
E—James J. Corkill, Norman F. Ramsey and Walter D. Vance; Company F—George F.
Hedenberg and William E True; Company H—Charles F. Rice; Company I—George W.
Mills, Harry Pepper and George H. Billings; Company K—Milton W. Hogaboom, Arthur
E. Ellison, Frank A. Huling and Arthur C. Snow; Company L—Charles A. Hurd, Carl
Myers and Noble B. Urie; Company M—Charles Kleinhans and Albert Dooley;
Regimental Band—Charles E. Gormly, Erve C. Strickland, Carl H. Dreyer, George E.
Ellison, James L. Wilcox, Edward A. Rethemeyer and Owen McIntosh.

A NOTED REGIMENT.

    The 20th Kansas was the most noted regiment that participated in the
Philippine campaign. Its first colonel was Frederick Funston, who led his men in
many venturesome engagements and was the captor of General Aguinaldo. Upon his
promotion to be brigadier-general, Major Wilder S. Metcalf was made colonel.
Edward C. Little served through the entire campaign as lieutenant-colonel and
was in command of the regiment at San Francisco. In a letter written September
30, 1899, President William McKinley paid this tribute to the Kansas soldiers:
"The American nation appreciates the devotion and valor of its soldiers and
sailors. Among its hosts of brave defenders/ the 20th Kansas was fortunate in
opportunity and heroic in action, and has won a permanent place in the hearts of
a grateful people."

    Casualties sustained by Topeka members of the regiment were the following:
Killed in action—Reseil Manahan and William Sullivan; died of disease—Etcyl P.
Blair, Harry Pepper, Frank M. McFadden, George W. Mills and Edward A.
Rethemeyer; Wounded—Charles A. Woolworth, Fred A. Recob, Charles A. Waters, J.
W. Kershner, Ira M. Payne, Frank Steward, Losson B. Whitaker, Elmer E. Urie,
Daniel S. Hewitt, Frank A. Huling, Arthur C. Snow and Albert Dooley. A bronze
tablet to the memory of Reseil Manahan has been placed in the Topeka High School
by his fellow pupils.

    The 20th Kansas Regiment was in camp at Topeka from May 1st to May 16th, and
was then ordered to San Francisco, where it remained for five months, before
embarking for the scene of war. Many of the soldiers were young men just out of
school, farmer boys, mechanics and laborers, and when mustered into the
government service all of them were able to sign their names without the use of
a crossmark. During the time of their enlistment there were only four
desertions. They participated in the following engagements: Advance on the
enemy, February 4, 1899; independent skirmish, February 7; Caloocan, February
10; Tulijan, March 25; Malinta, March 26; Poli, March 27; Marilao, March 28;
Bigoa, March 29; Guiginto, March 29; advance on Malolos, March 30 and 31;
defense of Malolos, three weeks; Bagbag River, April 25; Calumpit, April 26;
Grand River, April 27; Santo Tomas, May 4; San Fernando, May 6; Bacolor, May 13;
Santa Rita, May 15; defense of San Fernando, May 25

THE WELCOME HOME.

    Governor W. E. Stanley and representative citizens of Kansas met the
regiment at San Francisco when it returned on the transport "Tartar," October
10, 1899, and the home-coming at Topeka on November 2nd was in the nature of a
general reception by the people of the entire State. In response to an
invitation to attend this reception, Secretary of War Elihu Root sent the
following letter:

    "The records of the War Department show that the Twentieth Regiment of
Kansas Volunteers sailed from San Francisco on the steamship 'Indiana' on the
27th of October, 1898, and on the steamship 'Newport' on the 9th of November,
1898, .arriving at Manila on the 1st and the 6th days of December following;
that the regiment was engaged in actual battle sustaining losses by death or
wounds, on each of the following days, viz: The 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 12th,
17th, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 28th of February, 1899; the 11th, 12th, 13th, 23rd,
24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 29th and 31st of March; the 25th and 26th of April; the
4th and 24th of May, and the 16th and 22d of June. Their participation in
engagements is specially mentioned in cablegrams from General Otis on the 8th of
February, the 28th of April, and the 25th of May, 1899. The regiment left the
Philippines for home on the 3rd of September, 1899, just six months after it was
entitled to be discharged from service under the act of Congress.

    "The greater part of the engagements above mentioned were fought, and most
of the losses of life were incurred, at a time when there was no obligation for
further service resting upon the members of the regiment, except that which was
self-imposed upon them by their own love of country and their determination to
maintain the rightful sovereignty of the United States and the honor of its
flag. The character of the regiment's services in the field is well indicated by
the following recommendations for brevet promotions made by Major-General Arthur
MacArthur, commanding the second division of the Eighth Army Corps, and approved
by Major-General Elwell S. Otis, commanding the Corps. I quote from the official
document:

    " 'Frederick Funston, Brigadier-General, U. S. Vols., to be Major-General,
U. S. Vols., by brevet. (For) Gallant and meritorious services throughout the
campaign against Filipino insurgents from February 4th to July 1, 1899;
particularly for daring courage at .the passage of the Rio Grande de la
Pampanga, May 27, 1899, while Colonel 20th Kansas Vols.'

    "'Wilder S. Metcalf, Colonel, 20th Kansas Vols., to be Brigadier-General, by
brevet.   (For) Gallant and meritorious services-throughout the campaign against
Filipino insurgents, from February 4th to July 1, 1899, during which period he
was wounded on two separate occasions.'

    "The officers and enlisted men of the regiment exhibited the same high
quality of bravery and efficiency which characterized their commanders. I beg to
join with the people of Kansas in welcoming to their homes these
citizen-soldiers, so worthy of the heroic origin and patriotic history of their
State."

TWENTY-FIRST REGIMENT.

    Topeka and Shawnee County enlistments in the 21st Kansas Regiment were:
Company A—Dolie M. Metcalf; Company G—Harry C. Davis, James G. Dick, Edward A.
Evans, Albert Goode, Frederick Lane, Walter M. Spear, Henry Supple, M. I. Wagner
and Edward Wilkinson; Company D—Clarence Bush, Charles Boyles and W. B.
Heinecke; Company F—Frank P. Babbett and John E. McBrian; Company G-Elmer
Bratton, Thomas Clark, W. W. Gaines, Isett D. Myers, R. S. Montgomery, Albert
Morrison, W. F. McLaughlin, Louis J. Reed and Henry Schaefer; Company I—George
E. Boardman; Company K—Clinton A. McFadden; Company L—Isaac R. Curtis, John F.
Doane, Joseph W. Godfrey, John W. Jenkins, William Nash, Henry Pyetzki and Bert
Powers.

    The 21st Regiment was mustered into service May 12, 1898, and on May 17th
started for Lyle, Georgia, where it went into training at Camp George H. Thomas,
remaining there until August 25th, when it was transferred to Camp Hamilton,
Kentucky. It remained there until September 25th, and was then ordered to Fort
Leavenworth. The regiment was furloughed for 60 days, and mustered out Dec. 10,
1898, its services being no longer required. While in camp at Lysle, Georgia,
the regiment lost 20 men by death from typhoid fever.

TWENTY-SECOND REGIMENT.

    In the 22nd Kansas Regiment were the following officers and soldiers from
Topeka: Col. Henry C. Lindsey, Majors Alexander M. Harvey and Chase Doster;
Assistant Surgeon Frank H. Martin, Quartermaster Sergeant Herbert C. Streeter
and Hospital Steward Fred J. Gordon; Company B—? Edward Boyer, Fred M. Stevenson
and Henry T. Shultz; Company C— Henry Anderson, Frederick Buechner, Clarence
Dudney, Paul Herman, William McKirahan, William H. Rouner and Frederick Smith;
Company D— Joseph Anderson, Laban Davis, F. H. Nuzman; Company E—Floyd
Mc-Pherson; Company G—Danford B. Thrapp, John F. Vandervoort, James W. Bennett,
Josiah B. Clarke, William B. Heller George F. Hill, Herbert L. Stratton and John
W. Thomas; Company H—Frank R. Ritchie, James M. Todd, Samuel Adams, Loren G.
Disney, Otto B. Ireland, Frederick T. Lyman, Ralph E. Skinner, Clarence W. Stahl
and Lloyd L. Stahl; Company I—John L. Benefiel, Charles F. Clark, Clarence
Evans, Adolph Gougal, Caleb M. C. Holt, William G. Kelly, George H. McGee, Jack
A. Mercer, J. C. Wat-terspn and William B. Wetherholt; Company L—Roland C.
Medlicott, George A. Elliott, Reuben M. Spivey, Jr., Horace G. Swayze and Louis
P. Wikidal; Company M—James Kimes, Stirling A. Kimes and Robert B. Stewart.

    This regiment saw no field service. It was mustered in at Topeka early in
May, 1898, and was ordered to Camp Alger, Virginia, where it arrived May 28th.
After two months' drill and instruction, the regiment marched from Camp Alger to
Thoroughfare, Virginia, a distance of 50 miles, camping en route at Burke's
Station, Bull Run, and Bristow, arriving at Thoroughfare August 9th. On August
27th it was transferred to Camp Meade, near Middletown, Pennsylvania, and on
September 9th from thence to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where it was mustered out
November 3, 1898.

TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT.

    Officers and soldiers of the 23d Kansas Regiment (colored) enlisting from
Topeka and Shawnee County were the following: John M. Brown, major; Charles S.
Sunday, assistant surgeon; Theophilus T. Jones, sergeant major; James F. White,
hospital steward; George W. Jackson, leader of regimental band; Charles A.
Brown, William A. Brooks, Benjamin Burton, Virgil Chatman, Thomas Jackson,
Simeon McCarroll, Leander Northington, Robert Parks, Hollie E. Searcie and
William Vaughn, members of band; Company A—Captain William Reynolds, 1st Lieuts.
Thomas McAdoo and Henry Taylor; 2nd Lieutenant Oscar Overr; Quartermaster
Sergeants Arthur C. Harris and Robert Maddox; Sergeants Charles Birdwhistle, M.
W. J. Brown, Paul L. Caldwell, Benjamin H. Bailey, Benjamin F. Perkins and James
Harper; Corporals James E. Turner, James Harris, Alfred Lewis, Charles W. Ford,
William Ellis, Robert H. Todd, Marcus J. Owens, Clarence Bradshaw, D. L.
Wadlington, Thomas Tyler, Henry C. Horton, Presley Reynolds, Fred Collins,
Robert J. Rector and John W. Johnson. Privates— Bert Bell, Isaiah Brown, James
Buford, Lewis Butts, James Carvey, Grant Crosswy, Abe Ellis, Albert Etherly,
Walter Ewing, Zeroha Ewing, Robert Garvin, Edward Gentry, Franc D. Glenn, George
W. Gayden, William Goff, Charles H. Hedge, John M. Hightower, Edgar Holloway,
Oscar W. Horton, Bedford B. Hunter, James Hooper, Edward I. Henderson, W. W.
Jackson, George Jones, Thomas Jackson, Charles A. Jackson, Bert King, John
Lawson, Virdell Link, Isaac A. Long, Robert Marshall, J. R. Martin, Lee A.
Martin, Lemuel Martin, John McCrow, Allen A. Miller, Sidney Miller, John Moore,
Robert C. Morgan, Sandy Mothell, Benjamin McCowan, William D. Nixon, William G.
Northington, John A. Overr, Ellison Owens, Colonel Parker, Thomas Parker, Samuel
Patten, Alfred J. Payne, Benjamin F. Payne, Mitchell Pennington, Edward Pillow,
Charles Pillow, Robert Ransom, John Rider, Walter Rosson, John B. Radford,
Charles Slaughter, John Small, Charles Sneed, William Solomon, H. M. Spradley,
H. S. Taborn, Frank Thomas, J. W. Thompson, Arthur Todd, George Trice, Henry
Walker, Robert Walters, William Wheatman, William Williams, Edward D. Wilson,
James C. Wilson, George W. Wheeler, George W. Weddington, Henry Young and
Manning Youngman. Company B—James King, lieutenant; John Banks and Charles
Gooden, sergeants; John A. Gregg, quartermaster sergeant; Pearl J. Porter and J.
W. Thomas, corporals; Fred D. Kuykendall, musician; Prdivates—Abraham Thomas,
Charles Alexander, Arthur Albriton, George Batty, J. G. Bowers, Luther Bryant,
William Buchanan, Spotwood Ellis, Noah E. Freeman, Bert Hester, Edward Parks, A.
W. Porter, Jr., Robert Reed and William Thornton. Company D—Van Boyd, William
Ewing, Ernest Jordan and William Shaw. Company E—John Medina, Joseph Mil-ford,
George Murphy and Frank West. Company F—Sergeant George E. Payne and Charles F.
Seals. Company G—Corporal Joseph Crump and Addison Parker. Company H—Sergeants
David E. Overr, Albert W. Link and Albert Martin; Corporals David Pierre and
William E. Thompson; George Anderson, James Brown, O. D. Dupree, William Finley,
James Grant, Andrew Jamison, George Jordan, Albert Jordan, Albert E. Hordan,
Thomas Jackson, Edward Moss, James Murdock, John North, John S. Stamp, H. M.
Spradley, Aaron R. Thompson and Willis White.

    This regiment was a model organization of colored men, and while not called
upon the firing line its whole duty was promptly and efficiently performed.
After being mustered in at Topeka in July, 1898, it went to New York and sailed
from there August 25th on the steamer "Vigilancia" for Santiago, Cuba, arriving
there August 31st. It was in camp at San Luis from September 1, 1898, to
February 28, 1899, and sailed from Santiago March 1st for Newport News,
Virginia, arriving there March 6th. On the 10th of March it proceeded by rail to
Fort Leavenworth and was mustered out on April 10, 1899. 

GENERAL HUDSON'S SERVICE.

    In connection with the subject of, the war with Spain, mention should be
made of the service of Joseph K. Hudson, of Topeka, who was commissioned May 29,
1898, to be brigadier-general of volunteers. General Hudson was assigned to the
Fourth Army Corps at Tampa, Florida, under Major General Coppinger. He was given
command of the Second Brigade of the Second Division. General Hudson was a
soldier and an officer in the Civil War and his experience was of vast service
in bringing his brigade into soldierly trim and military efficiency. After his
service at Tampa he was transferred to Huntsville, Alabama, and mustered out in
November, 1898, the shifting of the scene of war rendering it unnecessary to
call his command into active fighting service.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/shawnee/history/1905/historyo/chapterv10nms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ksfiles/

File size: 17.6 Kb