2000.171.51

Image shows multiple regiments in formation with civilians watching the spectal. On the reverse of the photograph it reads- handwritten: Gen. Miller's Reserve 51st Iowa in front marching down the hill towards the front. 1st Tenn. in the muddle right on the top of the hill. 20th Kansas on the right marching away with knapsacks on their backs. Iowa had their blankets rolled. __20th Kansas about 1/2 way down with the flad, I was with the band in front of the Reg. H.P. Todd Com.20th Kansas

Harry P. Todd, originally from Kansas, moved to California around 1899, following his service in the U.S. Army. While in the army he served in the Philippine Islands during the Spanish American War.The Presidio was a natural staging point for troops leaving for the Philippine Islandes during the conflict (Spansih American War) because of its proximity to the finest harbor on the west coast, and possessed enough land to house and train large numbers of troops for service in the Philippines. The first soldiers left the Presidio in May 1898, and consisted of the 1st California Infantry and the 2nd Oregon Infantry Regiments. Soon soldiers from Washington, Montana, Iowa, Wyoming, Kansas, Tennessee, and Utah would be stationed at the Presidio in addition to the regular garrison. From the beginning of the war to 1900, some 80,000 men passed through the post on their way to the Philippines. At the turn of the century, San Francisco offered many attractions, but army life at the Presidio was cramped, and sickness often flared up in the temporary tent camps. This situation prompted the military to improve troop facilities and helped change the face of the Presidio over the ensuing years.