The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-20
Lieut.. H. H. Warren and DR.. J. B.
Ronayne Speak of Gen. Law
ton With Whom They Served
LIEUT.. WARREN WAS ON
HIS STAFF IN CUBA
Or. ROnayne Served in the Philip
pines With Him and Knew Him
as a Fearless, Kind Officer

Major General Henry w, Lawton's
death in the Philippines, yesterday, as
told first in bulletins posted by The
Spy was nowhere received with more
regret than by DR.. John B. Ronayne
and Lieut.. Herbert H. Warren Of the
Light Infantry, both Worcester boys
who have been with Gen. Lawton on
the field Of battle and have seen him
under fire.
| Lieut.. Warren was an aide on his
staff in the Cuban campaign, and was
/ with Lawton from the time he landed
at Daquiri until after Santiago fell.
Lieut. Warren was appointed to the
position at Tampa when Gen. Lawton
/ organized his staff, after being placed
/ in command of a division of the Fifth
army corps. Lieut. Warren's acquain-
/ lance with Gen. Lawton was of that
! kind which is gained by man in con-
stant touch with another and who is
/ given position because of his ability
TO perform the duties attached He has
received many persona, letters from
Gen. Lawton, the last one being written
! at Port Said, and is dated Feb 7, 1899
| Lieut.. warren was also recommended
| for bravery by Gen. Lawton after the
battle of Ell Caney on the first day of
! July. and through the recommendation
Lieut.. Warren was recommended for
the brevet of captain.
Lieut.. Warren said that Gen. Lawton
was man who seldom INDUCED in
speeches to attract notice, but always
went around doing what he could to
better the position and condition of his
! troops While they were in Cuba, and it
! was only occasionally that he ever
criticised the action of others Lieut..
Warren recalls one instance in particu-
lar where Gen. Lawton seemed to think
that wrong was done. 1t was at the
battle of La Guasimas, where the
Rough Riders were ambushed by the
Spaniards and would have probably
been cut to pieces but for the timely
arrival of the Tenth cavalry
Gen. Lawton was called on for re-
Inducements and he made the state
ment at that time that he had more
respect for an officer who would &C
about a thing cautiously and win il
the end by looking before he jumped
than for man who went into battle
with a show of bravado and came Out
loser with a great loss of life. 1t was
this trait in the life of Gen. Lawtor
that made him a great man. He was
ever careless as to his own safety and
ever went about ordering other men
under cover while he exposed himself
Personally, Lieut.. Warren says that
Gen. Lawton was a pleasant man, al
though trifie stern. He was a man
who had little or nothing to say to
strangers, but to an old friend he
would sit and chat for hours and al
ways proved a good converse ionalist
as his fund of anecdotes gathered from
long life as a soldier, never failed
to interest. His fights with old Chief
Geronimo in 1886 We're probably his
most stirring adventures, until the war
with Spain. He was captain in the
Fifth cavalry and his wonderful tenac-
ity displayed at that time is a matter
of history.
Now that he is dead, Lieut. Warren
says he will treasure his letters as his
most valuable remindeeS of a great
! soldier and also as souvenirs Of the
times he spent fighting in Cuba with
him.
DIR. Ronayne saw Gen. Lawton the
day after the United States transport
Grant arrived in Manila and his i'm
! pressions of him at that time were of
a man anxious to get into battle. From
the time the Grant left New York until
it arrived at Manila, Gen. Lawton was
| forever after the officers of the boat
| as to the number Of knots she was
| speeding. and as to the time the trans
port would arrive at its destination. He
would cut the hawsers at ports along
the line in his anxiety to get to Ma
Mia, and in one instance DIR. Ronayne
recalls a story about him going ashore
with a Getail of four privates and pull
ing the hawsers from the stays. AT Gil
braltar, Gen. Lawton was received with
tremendous ovation by the English
soldiers at that point and was accord
ed one Of the greatest honors that was
ever given to foreign military Off
Ger. He was allowed to view the forti-
fications from every point and was also
allowed to land his entire command
and paraded them before the English
men.
The boys on board were more than
grateful for the opportunity, as they
had been tied up aboard for several
days, and the chance to stretch them
selves Oh terra firma was quickly ac-
cepted. The trip made by the Grant
was the first ever made by an Ameri-
| can troopship through the Suez canal,
and the transport had just been remod-
eled from the old Mohawk. Everywhere
| it's neatness was remarked and Gen
Lawton~ proved himself to be criterion
as an American soldier.
! The day after the Sheridan arrived
| at Manila, DR.. Ronayne took dinner
with Gen. LaWton on the Grant and
was received royalty by the soldier.
A few days after the arrival, Gen.
Lawton, with a corporaPs guard, went
up the Pasig river to Laguana de Bay
/ in a boat and there discovered large
! body of F'ilipinos. who he engaged for
a time, doing what he could with his
| few men and gradually Withdrawing
with valuable information as to their
| numbers and location. He also organ
| lied the scouting expeditions which
have been so successful of late, and
| DR. Ronayne, who was in Manila in
| some of the fighting with Lawton and
| Macarthur, says that not enough could
be said to tell his ability as a soldier
and man willing to do every duty, no
matter how disagreeable or seemingly
| impossible.
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