Memories of Two Wars

`

Memories of Two Wars

Cuban and Philippine Experiences

Frederick Funston
Introduction by Thomas Bruscino

472 pages

Paperback

June 2009

978-0-8032-2289-2

$24.95 Add to Cart

About the Book

Though America did not join rebellious Cuban forces against the Spanish empire until 1898, Frederick Funston (1865–1917) was so moved by a speech by Gen. Daniel Sickles in 1896 that he went to Cuba as a filibuster in the battle for Cuban independence. When the United States finally went to war against Spain, he took command of a regiment, was sent to the Philippine-American War, and received the Medal of Honor for his daring and skill in crossing a river to turn the flank of the Philippine army at the Battle of Calumpit. Two years later, in 1901, he became a national hero for capturing Philippine president and lead insurgent Emilio Aguinaldo. In such roles, Funston was integral to the successful implementation of U.S. policy.
 
Memories of Two Wars is Funston's firsthand account of his adventures in the Cuban Revolution and the Philippine-American war. Conversational yet informative, Funston’s memoir relates his experience with the vigor and joviality of a friend sharing war stories over a drink and a cigar. He describes the guerrilla-style combat necessitated by the lack of weapons, the exotic scenery and vegetation of the islands, and the myriad characters—Cuban, American, Spanish, and Philippine—with whom he worked and fought.

Author Bio

Thomas Bruscino is an assistant professor at the United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies. He is the author of Out of Bounds: Transnational Sanctuary in Irregular Warfare.

Praise

"This memoir is a window into America's early ventures in intervention and nation-building. The University of Nebraska Press deserves thanks for making it once more widely available."—Graham A. Cosmas, Journal of Military History

Table of Contents

CUBAN EXPERIENCES
I. To Cuba as a Filibuster
II. Cascorra, the First Cuban Siege
III. The Fall of Guaimaro
IV. A Defeat and a Victory
PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCES
I. The Making of a Regiment
II. Caloocan and Its Trenches
III. Up the Railroad to Malolos
IV. From Malolos to San Fernando
V. San Fernando and the Beginning of the Guerilla War
VI. More of the Guerilla War
VII. The Capture of Emilio Aguinaldo
VIII. Closing Days
Index

Also of Interest