Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1899-12-27
DfATH or GIN. IsWTOt,

In the death OF Gen. LawtOn the
people of the United States are called
upon To mourn the loss al one Of its
bravcst officers. lie WIS every inch
n soldier and had no other watch
word than that oi duty. Ii there
was amy chance for criticism it WIS
In his utter disregard for the cnemy's
bullets. lie was n leader that led In
the true SENSE ui the word. lie
would not ask n private to 20 where
he would not 20 himself, hence he
was nearly always ON tie firing line
directing operations. When hard
marches AMI almost impussihletasks
were to he accomplished Lawton was
selected us the man for the work and
he accomplished all that was expect
ed Of him. OF his services in the Phil-
ippincs the public is more familiar,
but he won honors in the civil and
Indian wars, MS well rs at III Cancy
in the Spanish war. 4 brief biug-
raphy Of the intrepid leader would
not be amiss here, especially as ohis
earlier achievements:
Henry W. Lawton was born In
Manhattan, ear Toledo, Ohio. and
his parents almost Immediately re-
moved tn Maumee City, Ohio, where
he spent his bOyhood. lie began his
lighting career when he was -. That
wns ut the very beginning Of the
civil war. He was enrolled mt Fort
Wayne, Ind, on April Is, 1851, and
mustered into the service at Indian
apolis five days later. His first rank
was that of sergeant, and mt the end
of three months he was mustered out
to re-entcr the army as n lieutenant.
His record in the civil war was oi
the first order. lie VAS brevctted
colonel FOR gallant and m~eritorious
services during the war" and in lSI3
CONVERSATIONAL "A little tardy-
voted him II medal OF honor ''for dis
tinguished g%allantry" in the battlco i
ATLANTA.
The fighting he had done as n vol
untcer inspired hin with the ambt-
/ nun w h'lbl'l gu liiN hN IlN III tl'HFlbI
He had the advantage OF youth, de-
MED to many volunteers who wished
10 enter the regular service.
lie vas appointed in 1866 second
lieutenant of the Furty-iirst infantry
and full lieutenant Just one year
thereafter. In 1879 he was made n
captain and transferred to the Fourth
cavalry. He was advanced slowly
to the ranks OF major. lieutenant
colonel and inspector general. which
post he held until the beginning oi
the Spanish war, when he was placed
at the head OF a division of yOluH.
teerS which he commanded in Cuba,
and with which he challenged tho
praise of the world by his dashing
work in the Cuban campaign under
Gen. Shafter.
Hitherto his luck in battle has beer
marvellous. He had been in hundreds
of skirmishcs and midnight attacks
He wns regarded as n Il of actor
and of splendid courage, but wasnot
considered reckless. He never cX
posed his men without due consider
alton Of the risks and thcStake. Iii,
men knew this and would unhesitut
ingly follow his lead under whnI
seemed to he the most desperate con
ditions.
The Indians cnmc to know him M
the most active, vigilnnt, wary an,
determined Of foes, aud his pnrsui
and capture of Geronimo, the famou'
Apache chieftnin, has gone down I,
history ms one Of the most remark
able campaigns ever undertaken will
the small force In hand.
Gen. Miles picked out Lawton Il
lead the chase after the Indian chief
and for three months, day and night
without Il pause, through all sorts
vicissitudes OF weather md persona
suffering, Lawton hung on the trai
like a bloodhound until the gnm,
was run to earth, and for the frs
time In n quarter OF n century south
eastern Arizona was pnciiied.
When Gen. LawtOn went TO Cubi
he led the division that was the frs
to land on Cuban soil, and Lawton'
name soon began to figure proml
nently in the dispatches from tn
front. The glnric1 AZ Siboney, L
Caney and Santiago were won Il,
Lawton and his men. aud the secOnt
division came ont of the wnr full q
honor and soldierly reputation.
He died with his face to the foe, n
every true soldier would wish to die
and even Ii n little reckless, his match
less courage dlsarms all censure. A
II man of deeds his fame Is secure. III
was n typical American soldier.