El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-21
RECOLLECTIONS
OF LAYTON
Known And Admired In Ell
Paso For Twenty Years
HIS BRAVE LITTLE WIFE
A Companion In All OF His Cam
paigns, Has a Nation To Mourn
With Her In Her Great Bereave-
ment

ment.
The loss of brave General Lawton is
felt By the whole country and nowhere
more keenly than in Ell Pasc, where he
was known personally to many people.
The sympathy of many Ell Pasoans
goes out to the devoted little wife, who
was always with b i'm on his cam.
paigns.
General Lawton was in this section
of the country from 1880 until the
breaking out of the Spanish-Amer:can
war. He came out with General Nc
Kenzie to Santa Fe in 1880 as quarter
master, with the rank of captain of
the Fourth cavalry. J. j. Lopgwell,
of this city, was his master of transpor-
tattoo.
Mr.. Longwell knew him intimately,
though he WAS never with him on an
expedition which was fruitful of fights
with the Apaches. The government
had been having some trouble with tbe
Apaches before Lawton came out here
and there was almost continual war;
fare from the time of his arrival until
the capture of Geronimo by the detach-
ment of troops of which he was in
command, in 1885.
| Lawton led several expeditions
found them they were worsted and
driven back into the mountains. 1t
was this indian warfare which equipp-
ed General Lawton with superior
knowledge in carrying on his cam-
pa!gn in the Philippines. It is gener-
ally acknowledged that he was the best
leader of troops against the followers
of AguinaldO of any of the generals in
the islands. He understood the tao
tics of the Filipinos from his knowl-
edge of the Indians and he was able to
| follow and find them and strike
| flows that counted. 1t is said that he
| was more feared by the FilipiuOs that
| any other of the American generals and
it is probable that they sought his life
| especially.
MIR. LONGWELL'S RECOLLECTION.
Mr.. Longwen described General
Lawton yesterday rs a very tall man,
| the tsllest man he had everknown. His
physique was powerful and he could
stand almost any hardship. He never
tired on q long march and his troops
frequently followed him half dead
from fatigue simply because it was
for him. They would not have follow
ed any other man nearly so far.
''No man In the army wes more pop
ular with his men THAI LawtOn," said
Mr.. Longwell today. HE was below
ed by all. l never heard q single SOL
ulor speak LII OF MIN.
Mr.. Longwell's observation of him
was chiefly in his own department. |
BE. said: "Lawton's ability to get up
pack trains was simply wonderful. he
could get up an outfit and run q train |
better than any man I ever knew. He |
was a natural soldier and followed the |
life because he couldn't helpit.
"His brave little wife was always |
with him when she could be. They |
Q6 ri he 81 81
feet tall and she very small woman. |
The boys loved heras much as they did |
LawtOn and would do anything or make |
any sacrifice for her.She was sort of |
an angel in camp. She was very beauti- |
full when she first came out here with |
her husband |
"When Lawton passed through here |
breaking out of the Spanish-American |
war, he telegraphed me from Lords |
burg to meet him. l met him and his |
wife, who was with him, and had q |
very pleasant visit with them, recalling |
old times. Lawton was then inspector
general for this department., stationed |
in California. He ranked as a lieuten-
ant colonel. He had not received his
orders from Washington then to go to
the front, but was expecting them
every day.
s'He took some of the old packers
with him to the Philippines. 1 think
some of the other boys were with him,
too.H
AS AN INDIAN FIGHTER.
The campaign against Geronimo be-
gen in 1883, and in 1885 he with O
good sized band, retreated into the
Sierra Msdre mountains of northern
Mexico.
Lieut.. Britton Davis was then in
n at
charge of $50 bucks and 400 women
and children, and one-third Of all these
vamoosed with the renegades into {
Sonora. Is
Two expeditions went down into
Mexico after Geronimo, one in COM {
nand of Mayor Writ Davis of the t
IT'D cavalry; the other commanded g
Try. s
The two bands of scouts. of about t
90 Apache Indians each, were in l
harge of Lieut.. Day, of the 9th cav
Try, and Lieut.. Davis, respectively.
lieut.. Davis resigned just before the
dexioau campaign became active aud
lis scouts were then commanded by
lieut.. Maus, now q colonel on Gen,
dies staff.
The original flight of the Indians
nto Mexico had been led by Chiefs e
Geronimo, Natchez and Chihuahua Fin
lily two scattered bands of ten or fif- {
cen Indians were left, led by Gero- 8
limo and Mangus.
All except these had been captured +
Captain Emmett Crawford was shot
~ mistake by band of Mexican rura- j
es near Nacori in Sonora, and General
then Captain) Lawton was sent down in I
lis place, having one company of SOL
iers and the same Indian scouts for ]
nerly commanded by Davis. Lawton
'ushed Geronimo harder than ever. {