August ( ? , IS'.K ' ) . OMAHA ILLTTSTHATKD 1VEU.
The Fighting First
Nebraska Regiment
The history of tlio First Nebraska , as or
ganized when called Into service hy thi
breaking out of tbe Spanish war , commences
I with the reorganization brought about by
the law which went Into effect July 6 , 1SS1.
With three exceptions there were no spe
cial features marking Its career. Its first
colonel wes Leonard \V. Colby of Beatrice ,
later a brigadier In the atnto service and
also during thu Spanish war. W. J. Kcllnr
was lieutenant colonel and George . Adamson -
son major. It originally comprised com
panies from York , Omaha , Wahoo , Beatrice ,
Dennett , Button , Columbus , Junlnta , Nelson
and Central City.
As mustered Into the service of the Unlte.l
States It was made up of Company A , York ;
Company I ) , Fullcrlon ; Company C , Beatrice ;
Company 1) , Lincoln ; Company E , Oavl.l
City ; Company F , Madison ; Company (1 , Ge
neva ; Company H. Nelson ; Company I , Ben
nett ; Company 1C , Columbus. Compan } L ,
Omaha ; Company M , Broken Bo\v ; band ,
Ktillerton.
In March , 1882 , the resum-nt was called
upon to assist In preserving order during a
strike , made memorable by what is com
monly termed the "Dump riots. " One per
son was killed , a man named Armstrong , an 1
on account of this feeling against the regi-
nuint was very bitter for a time.
In 1887 a second regiment \\as formed an 1
the First reorganized , O. H. Phillips being
made colonel. Three years later he was suc
ceeded by John P. Bratt , who remained at
April 27 anil 2S and was mustered Into the
United States service May 10 , ISStS , and left
for San Francisco on the IGih. It embarked
for the Philippines June 15 and arrived lr
Manila bay July 17 , disembarking on thu
21st. Fiom that time until It was recalled
from the firing line to be returned home the
regiment saw constant service In the most
Important positions. It participated In tin
assault on Manila , being in the vanguard
In these engagements It had ten wounded ,
one dying as a result.
After the surrender It was poshed out toward -
ward the waterworks , the most Importan
outmost of the army , and when the flna
iiipturc with the Filipinos came It wni
Prlva e Grajson of the First Nebraska win
fired thu Initial shot. The capture ami hold
ing of the waterworks , 1ho key to tin
posltlt n at Manila , was the first act whlcl
attracted ccnsplcucus attention to the regi
ment Ka a body of fighters for excellence. I
was our continual skirmish , day and nigh
until the advance on iMalolos , the Insurgen
capital , commenced. From hero on untl
the regiment , decimated by losses In kllle <
and wounded in ac ion and by disease , wn ;
recalled from the firing line to be sent home
It was nlni'st constantly under flro. II
richly earned the title of the "Fighting Flisi
Nebraska , " a regiment which has novel
dice niel with a chock when It started tc
advance , much lesa with defeat.
The First paid deaily for Its honors , hav-
FIRST NEBRASKA ENTERING MANILA , AUGUST IS , ISliS Courtesy Captain W. E.
Stockham.
its head until he resigned in the Philippines
In November of last year , the late Colonel
Stotsenberg being appolnte I in hl stead.
In 1890 the regiment was called out to
protect settlers along the border of the Sioux
Indian reservation during the trouble which
culminated in the battle of Wounded Knee.
The First Nebraska was one of the first
regiments to answer the call for volunteers
at the outbreak of the late war. It as
sembled at the governor's callat Lincoln
Ing sixty-islx dead fiom bullets and disease
and 212 wounded. That their sacrifices and
valor are appieclated was attested In a m st
demonstrative way when the regiment , with
Ita tattered battlellag , marched through the
streets ) of San Francisco , where the men
expect to be mustered out within thn-o
weeks.
Nebraska Is preparing an ovation ft r
thorn on their return to its borders which
COMPANY C , BEATRICE , IN CAMP \T LINCOLN i < mrtes > Pihate Clunk's C Jones.
will make them as proud of the state as the
state Is of Its soldier boys.
Mustering in at Lincoln
On April 2G , 1S 8 , nil the National Guard
companies of the slate were ordered to move
to Lincoln the next day , there to become a
portion of the volunteer army for the
Spanish-American war , and by evening of
the following day air companies of the First
regiment were at Camp Alvin Saunders.
Within a few hours the half-pleasant excite
ment of preparing to leave for the seat of
war had quieted down and given place to
the routine of camp life and the long hours
of hard , regular drill. There weio many
new things for the guardsmen to leain and
they set about I heir task without delay , little
thinking that when they should again lay
asldo arms for peaceful pursuits they woinM
liavo tra\eled to the uttermost parts of thu
earth and helped to change the hiatus of the
whole world's politics"
The time between their urilvnl and May ! i
the men of the First regiment put in , In com.
mon with tlicso of the Second , in going
through drills , parades and battle c.\en Iws
On that date the process of musterlng-ln was
begun. Two days later Hie order appointing
the officers of the two leglments was Issued
and they were full } organl/ed regiments of
the volunteer army. On Sunday , May 1" ,
field order No , 1 , ordering the First regi
ment to San Francisco , was received , and
the fo/lowiiig day the regiment matched to
the depot to put It Into execution. The First
battalion went over the Burlington , the
Second over thu Union Pacific and the Third
COMPANY I , BENNETT , ON THE BATTLEFIELD Courtesy Captain AV. E , Stockham.
over the R < K Island Meeting at rhe > enne ,
the entile legliiient went to Ogdeii nw't ( he
Union Pacific , wheio It was tutm-d o\oi to
the Southern Pacific for the remainder of thu
journey to the coast.
In the afternoon of Thursday , Maj 111 , the
Second battalion reached San Fianrlsco and
occupied Camp Merrill. The First battalion ,
in which the Omaha company was Include ! ,
arrived in the e\ening of the wine day. The
Third Inttnlinn "was delayed a number of
hours by a wieck.
Here the boys oxpeilenced eu-i > v.uiely
of hard Knocks , both from the m.u hlnury of
army discipline and from circumstances ovur
which that machinery had no control. The
weather was alternately hot and wet and
foggy and the sandy ground was either deep
with dust or soft and sticky. The dally
program was eight hours' drill in a climate
they woie unaccuftoined to and on ground
LIEUT. RICH \KDrf ( 'APT. TAYLOH LIEUT TOMPSI5TT.
OFFICERS OF THE THUHSTON RIFLES , TAKUN IN MANILA.
which made even a abort walk a serious
undertaking. Ono day -was devoted to rlllu
practice and ono day the regiment was in
spected by Genural Greene , who praised Its
officers and men for the military nppcaianco
and the proficiency in drill the leglmunt had
alieady acquired.
Off for Manilla
Mnday , Juno 13 , the orders for thu ocean
trip came , and the next d.iy the First Ne
braska struck camp and marched to the
wharf. Doforo embarking they wore enter-
4nlned and fed by the ladles of the Red
CJOBH socluty. At G o'clock they went on
board the Senator , ono of the fleut of four
transports In thu harbor , and spent thn night
there. The next day thn loading of supplies
was finished and the transpoits turned their
prows westward.
Accompanying the Senator wore the China ,
bearing the commanding officer , General
Greene , and Ills staff , the First Colorado and
n part of the Utah artillery ; the Colon , with
a part of the Eighteenth regulars , and the
JSealandtu , having on bmrd the Tenth
Pennsylvania.
On Juno 21 , while the lle-et was Mill for
fiom Honolulu , the flrwt stopping-place , the
Senator stopped Its engines and the other
ships drew around It. After thu brief mili
tary burial service the body of Sergeant
( Jollies of Companj C was loweied over tbu
side Into the water.
Flowers at Honolulu
The Hawaiian islands weie sighted the
afternoon of June 21 ! and seven hours later
the Heel anchored In the bay outside the
Honolulu Imibor. A tug , carrying the Ha
waiian National 'band ' , put out to the ves
sels and sere-nailed the soldiers for several
boms. The next day the liansports entered
the hiubor anil tied up to the wharf. The
companies were allowed to go ashore In com
mand of commissioned officers. The day
was spout In sightseeing. Lunch was servnd
In the palace grounds by the ladles of the
Hawaiian Krvl Cioss society and both olllceis
am ! men woio freely de-coialed with flower
wreaths called loin. These- are a token of
filendshlp and It fares ill In the estimation
of an Islander with him who vontuies to
take ono off , for that minim the friendship
of the giver IK not desired. Lieutenant
Thomson of Campany L was so decorated
and , having xomo military duty to perform ,
hu laid It aside. He had lUlllcultv making
explanations that wuro acceptable.
All the soldiers of the llect were treated
with the utmost kindness by the residents
of the inland. The officers were entertained
at dlnnor by tinolllceis of the Hawaiian
National Guard at thu Olllcuis' club. Tim
experience of Sergeant Major White of thu
First Nebraska , now Mint lieutenant of Com
pany 13 , was probably typical of that of
many. As ho was strolling up the principal
ri'Slilonco Htreel ho Inquired of a passer-by
the name of the owner nf a certain hands 31113
huiiHO. Thu iiiestlon | was overheard Inside
thu tall hedgn about thu pliice and Immedl-
atel two women , both Americans , appju'id nt
thu gate and Invltuil White Inside. They
showed him about the house and the beauti
ful grounds and Insisted upon his staying t' >
lunchooi ) , Ono of thu women was Iho v Ifu
of thu American consul.
OH Juno 25 the voyage was resumed. As
the Moot was going west It bocanio neces
sary to pick up n day and July 1 waa wiped
off the calendar , a day for which the soldleii
reculved < pay , liut which did not exlnt for
thwn. July 4 was observed by General
Oieuim by planting the flag on WaUo Island ,
( Continued on Fourth Pago. )
