Army leap-frog
Subject(s): Funston, Frederick, 1865-1917, Generals, Gymnastics, Uncle Sam (Symbolic character), United States. Army
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Frederick Funston, wearing the brown uniform of the volunteer forces, leap-frogs over an officer in the regular army at the end of a long line of officers wearing the blue uniform of the regular army, each hoping to be the one who reaches Uncle Sam first and receives the promotion to the rank of “Brigadier General.” Caption: The one who “gets there” – gets the promotion.
Comments and Context
The controversy over Frederick Funston’s promotion was typical of such elevations of regular army personnel, or volunteers-to-service corps, for instance when President Theodore Roosevelt caused Leonard Wood and John J. Pershing to skip ranks with promotions. Funston lived a life of almost soldier-of-fortune military brilliance: a volunteer with Cuban rebels before the Spanish-American War, attached to scientific expeditions in the Dakota Bad Lands and the Yukon, personally capturing the Filipino Insurrection leader Emilio Aguinaldo (in a disguise), assuming martial-law duties during the immediate aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake, and leading chases of Pancho Villa in Mexico. He was slated to be Commander of the United States Expeditionary Force in World War I, but died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 51. His subordinate John J. Pershing was tapped in his stead.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1901-04-17
Creator(s)
Period
Vice President of the United States (1901)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Army leap-frog. [April 17, 1901]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275833. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Dalrymple, Louis, 1866-1905. Army leap-frog. [17 Apr. 1901]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275833.
APA:
Dalrymple, Louis, 1866-1905., [1901, April 17]. Army leap-frog.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o275833.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
