2000.171.52

Image shows military band in formation in front of a row of white tents. Handwritten on the reverse it reads: 20th Reg. Kansas Band I am the 2nd Man from this side and the 2nd roe from the back. You would hardly know me. Cheif M... of the band the man on the left in the front line with the big horn around his neck. Charles Gormaly, Cheif Trumpiter, Percil Barsfield the man with the trumpet on his coat sleave. Photo taken just at sundown. 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.