The age-herald., 1899-03-21
GENERAL LAWTON,
 THE INDIAN FIGHTER

brought him to the rank of major general and to the command of the army of the Philippines. The beginning was humble. The present position Is that demanding the best fighting talent In the American military establishment. While General Otis will be the governor general and as such will rank General Lawton. the former will devote himself to the civil duties and upon the latter will deyoive the disposition of the troops and the planning and execu- ton of campaigns.
 Sergeant Lawton of the Ninth Indiana Infantry he was six days after Fort Sum- ter was fired upon in April, 1881. The war between the north and south was to be a matter of 100 days. The first enlistment was for three months. Lawton saw enough service in West Virginia to earn com- mission. When he returned to his state in midsummer he re-enlisted, and was com missioned second lieutenant in the Thir- teenth Indiana The steady, persistent quality of t,ae man showed itself In the way he continued through the war and climbed by all of the grades until, at the time of muster-out, he was In command of the reg iment. At Chickamauga he was a captain. In the last year of the war he led his regi- ment on several battlefields
 After the Thirteenth Indiana was mus tered out, in the winter of 1865. Colonel Lawton saw a few months of civil life. When the reorganization of the regular army came offer of a lieutenant's com- mission was made him, and 1t was &C., cepted.
 The commission for second lieutenant in the regular army, issued in 1866. was In the Forty-irst infantry. Lieutenant Lawton served with the Forty-first In Texas, and was transferred to the Twenty-fourth in- fantry. From the infantry he was trans ferred, in 1871, to the cavalry arm and as- signed to the Fourth cavalry. Lawton's service in the cavalry continued seventeen years
 Lawton never was political soldier. When he got his commission in the reguA lar army he was assigned to a regiment which was soon sent out to the frontier. There he gained the great reputation as an Indian fighter which had much to do with his early selection for a command in the war with Spain. His regiment was in most of the Indian campaigns from 1868 to 1888. But that which army officers most associate with the fame of Lawton was his pursuit of Geronimo. Twice the born fighter took a regiment across the Mexi- can border and followed the trail of the willy Apache chief into the fastnesses of the Sierra Madre. It is an interesting fact that participation in this Apache cam pagning brought out the fighting quali- ties of Surgeon Leonard Wood, and laid the foundation of reputation which in- duced the administration to authorize him to organize the Rough Riders. Lawton and Wood were together in the Geronimo cam paigning. They found themselves together again last June at Santiago, Lawton head, ing a division and Wood commanding a brigade. Now Wood is a major general of volunteers, commanding the Department of Santiago, and Lawton has just reached Manila to take charge of fighting opera tions against the Filiplnos
 After his twenty years service in the line, which made him famous Indian campaigner, Lawton, in 1885, was trans ferred to the staff lieutenant coIonel and assistant inspector general. He was stationed in Washington ten years, and was occupying a desk at the war depart ment when the hostilities with Spain came on. His field record stood him well in his prayer for active service. When the rush from the bureaus to command took place Lawton was one of the first officers given a high commission, and put in charge of mobilized regulars. Had he been of like rank, Lawton and not Shafter would have had the command of the Santiago expedi- tion. As it was, Shafter put Lawton and his regulars forward for the most respon- sible work. He relied upon this trained soldier to take El Caney and to close in on the city from the north. Lawton came home with his division to Montauk. He had his season of being lionized to which he did not take with enthusiasm. The military critics found no flaw in his part of the campaign, and the newspapers never drew him into controversy with .4As supe- riors with his subordinate commando CTS No speech of his was ever reported which called forth censure or started wordy war. During the winter a great dinner was given at Washing ton to war heroes. Generals and admirals and dother war officers of high rank were present. Speech followed speech. Some wise things were said, and also some things not par ticularly wise Lawton's turn came. He arose amid a hearty round of applause. He bowed in front, to the right and to the left. Then he sat down without a word. The act was done handsomely. It was just like Lawton, who is frequently described by brother officers as the most modest man In the army"
 The story of the returned soldier from Santiago who met profuse admiration with the response, q ain't no hero; I'm only a regular" is said to have originated with General Lawton. If the general did not start the story, he was one of the first to tell 1t, and the satisfaction he took in the repetition was very plain.
 That General Lawton is medal of honor man is not generally known. The most prized decoration of the American army was conferred upon him flor distinguished gallantry in leading charge of skirmash- CTS against the enemy's rifle pits, taking them with their occupants and stubbornly and successfully resisting two determined attacks of the enemy to retake the works" It was in front of Atlanta in August, 1884, while captain of Company A, Thirtieth Indiana, that Lawton thus dis tinguished himself
 IT CANNOT BE
 E,ror, tha T>alladega News and Reporter.