| M company of the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry was raised in Salina, Kansas between 27 April and 5 May, 1898, and was mustered into the service of the United States at Topeka, Kansas between May 9 and 13, with 46 officers and 964 enlisted men. Originally slated for service in Cuba, the regiment was diverted to the Philippine Islands after languishing in San Francisco, California for several weeks - with out uniforms or equipment - M Company with C, D, E, G, H, I, K Companies of the regiment departed for Asia on board the transport S.S. Indiana on 27 October arriving in Manila on 30 November. The Spanish-American War ended on 10 December, 1898. The Spanish- American War having come to an end in the Philippines the men were none the less involved in heavy fighting in what became known as the Philippine Insurrection - a conflict that resulted when the local guerrilla forces that had been fighting the Spanish for decades turned their attentions to their newly arrived American liberators. The 20th Kansas was relieved from active duty on 24 June, 1899 and returned to the United States on board the transport S.S. Tarter arriving at San Francisco on 10 October. The units was mustered out of service in San Francisco on 28 October, 1988. Clyde G. Wilson was born in 5 December 1876 in Iowa the son of William Oliver Wilson and Clara Burk. The family had moved to Salina, Kansas sometime before Clyde Wilson, along with his younger brother Samuel enlisted in M Company of the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry. At the time of his enlistment Clyde Wilson stood 6 feet tall and weighed 178 pounds. He was said to have blue eyes. During his service in the Philippines Wilson rose to the rank of sergeant although the exact dates of his promotions have not come to light as of yet. His younger brother Samuel was not so fortunate. He was killed in action on 29 March, 1899 at Guiguinto. Clyde Wilson returned home with his regiment and taken up the trade policeman in Salina and later that of cowboy, ranch hand and hired gun and became involved in what must have been the last of the so-called range wars that had become such a hallmark of the Old and oft times Wild West. By 1903 the afore mentioned Wild West was dying in fits at starts though a few of the old "habits" lingered - Butch Cassidy and his "Hole in the Wall Gang" had only recently still been active in Utah - when Clyde Wilson was hired by the Kansas rancher Chauncey Dewey who owned a spread called Oak Ranch. A long standing feud existed between Chauncey Dewey and Daniel Berry a farmer and patriarch of a large family. The bad blood had arisen from the fact that members of the Berry family had refused to vacate property now owned the Dewey Cattle Company. As is many such cases it was a small spark that set off the final firestorm. Daniel Berry had several bad debts against him and an auction of his property was held to help pay off his creditors. A five barrel stock tank was one of the items up for bid and it was purchased for five dollars by Sheriff Robert McCulloch of Cheyenne County on behalf of Chauncey Dewey. Two of Berry's sons let it be know that if Dewey wanted to take possession of his purchase he needed "...to be damned sure to send the right kind of man after that tank..." The following day Chauncey Dewey took the dare and headed over to the Berry spread with ten of his men to back up his claim. Amongst those ten was Clyde Wilson. Being an experienced former soldier had made Wilson one of Dewey's right hand men. Dewey also made sure that all of his men were well armed with Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles. Arriving at the Berry farm Clyde Wilson and another Dewey cowboy began to load the tank in a wagon they had brought for the purpose and Daniel Berry decided to go tell Chauncy Dewey and "thing or two" his eldest son Alpheaus joining him. At the same time three more of Berry's sons, Burch, Beech and Roy rode up and dismounted. As is so many such cases no one really knows what happened next or who fired the first shot. In moments Daniel, Alpheaus and Burch Berry where all dead and Beech Berry wounded. Dewey and his men - Clyde Wilson included - where charged with murder but only surrendered after a company of Kansas National Guard was called up to keep them from being lynched by members of the Berry faction, a group now swelled in numbers by outraged local ranchers and farmers. Brought to trial in March, 1904 the entire Dewey faction was freed after an verdict of not guilty was returned. Both Chauncy Dewey and Clyde Wilson were burning in effigy by an irate mob outside the courthouse. The surviving Berry's filed a wrongful death suit against Chauncey Dewey, Clyde Wilson and William McBride - another ex-soldier in Dewey's service. That case dragged on for years before finally being resolved for some $15,000 in the late 1920s in favor of the Berrys. In 1910 Clyde Wilson was ranch manager for one Albert Bretschye in Ashland Kansas. Working with him was a younger brother Trace Wilson. Wilson re-enlisted in the army during World War One joining "F" Company of the 353rd Infantry Regiment which was organized at Camp Funston, Kansas on 5 September, 1917. In spite of his previous military experience and rank he seems to have served his entire enlistment as a private. The 353rd served in France from 24 June, 1918 until 6 May, 1919. The regiment saw extensive action at including that at St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Barricourt Woods. Details of Wilson's part in those events have been elusive but I plan to request a copy of his service papers which if available should provide some interesting details. In December 1927 Wilson applied for military pension benefits based upon his service with the 20th Kansas Volunteers. Wilson turns up in the town of Laurel in Yellowstone, Montana in 1930 employed in construction. At this time he is listed as being single. I have been unable to find any record of Wilson every marrying or having children. Wilson was still around in August 1945 when he served as a pallbearer for William Dillener one of Wilson's old comrades in arms in the 20th Kansas Volunteers. Samuel Elmer Brick was born on 8 January, 1878 at Browns Creek, Kansas the son of George W. Brick, a painter by trade and Mary Ann Clanin. Brick enlisted in the 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry at the same time as Clyde Wilson in Saline, Kansas. Based upon the photograph it seems that Brick was the first of the two to receive a promotion - in this case to corporal. Brick was slightly wounded at Caloocan on 10 February. This wounding is mentioned in the regimental history but apparently never officially recorded. After returning home his life took quite a different turn than that of his gunslinging friend Clyde Wilson. He returned to the family home and like so many young men in those days took up his father's trade as a painter. Brick married his wife Lillian Belle Padgett sometime around 1906 and by 1910 had three children and now owned his own paint store - the Salina Paint & Paper Company. In 1920 his business is listed simply as a paint and paper store. He seems to have had a certain business acumen since in 1919 he registered a trade-mark with the U.S. Patent Office for Nurex Adhesive Paste which based upon the nature of his business must have been a type of wallpaper paste. He held a patent (1920) for a type of bookbinding gum to be used for the making of pads of paper. Reading through his patent (No. 1,341,782) Brick had more than a casual grasp of chemistry. Two additional patents where also held for waterproof and bookbinding gums. (Nos. 1,389,574 and 1,384,575). Brick also stayed active with his old military associates. While attending the 10th Annual Encampment of the United Spanish War Veterans in 1913 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief. During World War One Brick registered for the draft on 12 September, 1918. I have found no record of him serving during the war but with the war coming to an end the next month this is not surprising. Samuel Elmer Brick on 8 December, 1920 at the age of 42 due to complications arising from Lymphatic Leukemia in Dallas, Texas. He was buried in his home town of Salina, Kansas. One wonders if his death had resulted from exposure to the numerous chemicals related to his chosen profession. Carte de Visite Centro Atrisico/Fotografia Espanola - Photographer Manila, Philippine Islands c. 1899 |
| Private Clyde G. Wilson and Corporal Samuel Elmer Brick 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment Manila, Philippine Islands. c. 1899 |