Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1899-04-19
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A Il the head of the 5000 regulars
/ ~ in the Philippine Islands is Il
Il \ modern fighting machine. Its
name is Lawton-Henry w. Lawton-
and for nearly forty years 1t has worn
/ the uniform of the United States army.
! 1t has risen from the ranks, this fight
Ing machine, leaving behind it other
machines as strong possibly, but less
fortunate.
Henry w. LawtOn was born In Ohio
fifty-siX years ago. He was a country
boy and got only a common school edu
cation-not any too much of it. 1t is to
be doubted If he would have learned
great deal if kept steadily at college un-
til he attained his majority. Emphat-
lcally he is not book man. Studying
the printed page has been to him al
ways task and never n pleasure. Men
are his books-men and happenings.
! His folk were plain farmer folk. From
them he derived his length and size of
bone. The tremendous muscles, the
tireless endurance which have marked
him in later life had the beginning of
the development in the open air of the
fields of his boyhood. 1t was said Of
him that it took him longer to learn
anything and longer to forget it than
any youth that ever tramped through
the snow to a log school house. His
memory, indeed, has been one of his
strong points since he emerged from
childhood. He remembers well-par
ticularly enemies A better hater was
never born. 1t follows necessarily that
he is true in friendship. He is, in fact,
a mans man. Women who get to
know him like him well enough, but
not many of them get to know him. In
the age of gray hair he is still bach
elOr, and If he has ever had an affair of
the heart it has been kept to himself
Lawton entered the volunteer service
of the United States in April, 1861, and
was given the chevrons of a sergeant in
company Il of the Ninth Indiana In
fantry. In August, 1861. he was made
first lieutenant of the Thirtieth Indi-
ana. In May, 1862, he was made Il cap
tain. was a lieutenant colonel in No
vember, 1864, was breveted a colonel
for gallant and meritorious services
in March, 1865, and was mus
tered out of the service in No
vember, 1865. He had had practically
four years of the most tremendous war
In the history of the nations. He had
been n participant in a dozen pitched
battles He had led his men in charge
and counter charge on the stricken
fields of Virginia. He had stepped up
on the dead upturned faces of his broth
( ers. He had been soaked with blood to
his knees.
On the 1st of July, 1866, he was ga
zetted a second lieutenant In the regu-
lar army, being assigned to the Forty
first Infantry. A year later he was
made first lieutenant. He was trans
ferred to the cavalry arm in January,
1871, had advanced to captaincy In
March, 1879, was made a major In the
inspectors generals department in
September, 1885, and inspector general,
with the rank of lieutenant colonel, in
1889. That is his rank in the regular
army to-day, although he wears the
epaulets of major general of yolun-
teers. He is slated for appointment to
be brigader general under the reor-
ganization act and when the two years
for which the new soldiers will be en-
listed have expired there will be enough
retirements from the service to make
his retention as regular brigader II
certainty.
He has come upward step by step
solely through personal courage and
personal strength. He has held that 1t
Is the first duty of the soldier to fight,
and to fight as soon as he gets the
chance. He has been possessed by no
particular refinements of the art of
war. He has simply gone ahead and
fought like tiend when opportunity
offered and left to others the task of
explaining why and how such and such
victory was won or defeat suffered.
He has devoted his life to the profess
sion Of arms and he understands it. He
does not pretend to be an authority up
on ANYTHING else. He is a oneidea man.
Personality of the Man.
In person he Is a wonder. Standing
@ feet 3 inches high, as straight as Il
rule, with long arms, wide shoulders,
deep chest and thin tanks, he weighed
1876 pounds of bone and muscle when
25 years old and now weighs 210. His
head is small and set on n massive
neck. His hands and feet are large.
He Is as active as Il cat and as tireless
as a wolf Under the sleeves of his
blue fatigue jacket the muscles bulge
like cables. His stomach goes like
clockwork He has not an unsound
tooth. Headaches are not known to
him, except from hearsay. He can
travel for week without food or sleep,
then make boa constructor ashamed
of itself and sleep for two days without
turning over. He has never taken any
care of himself The soldiers rough
and exposed life has been his since
youth, but he is as sound as nut to-
day and able to tire out dozen young
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