The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-20
HOWLAWTON DIED
Made an All Night March In the
Rain
To Capture the Town Of San
Mateo.
ATTACK SUCCEEDED
At the Cost of One of Our Felt
Fighting officers.
Picked Off by SharpshOOters
While Directing His Men.

Manila, Dec. 2O-GeneraI Lawton left
home Monday night, having returned
from his northern operations Saturday
to lead an expedition through Mari
quina valley. which has been an insur-
gent stronghold throughout the war.
The valley has several times been in
vaded, but never held by the Ameri-
cans. General Geronimo was supposed
to have there the largest organized
force north of Manila and General Otis
wished to garrison RGariquina-
The night was one of the worst Of the
season. A terrific rain had begun and
is still continuing.
Accompanied by his staff and troop I,
Fourth cavalry General Lawton set out
at o'clock in advance Of the main
force, consisting of the Eleventh cav
airy and one battalion each of the
Twentieth and Twenty-se infan-
try, which started from La Iona at
midnight. With a small escort he led
the way through an almost painless
country, a distance of fifteen miles over
hills and through cane brake and deep
mud, the horses climbing the rocks and
sliding down the hill. Before day
break the command had reached the
head of the valley.
san NateO was attacked at 8 o'clock
and a three hours fight ensued. This
resulted in but few casualties on the
American side, apart from the death OF
General LawtOn, but the attack was
difficult because of the natural de-
fenses Of the town.
General LaWtOn was walking along
the firing line within 800 yards of a
small sharpshoOters' trench, cOnspicu-
GUS in the big white helmet he always
wore, and q, light yellow rain coat. He
was also easily distinguished because
of his commanding stature
The sharpshOOters directed several
close shots which clipped the grass
nearby. His staff officer called General
LaWtOn's attention to the danger he
was in. but he only laughed with his
usual contempt for bullets. Suddenly
I'm shot" elenched his hands in a
desperate effort to stand erect and fell
into the arms of a staff officer.
Orderlies rushed across the field for
surgeons, who dashed up Immediately,
but their efforts were useless. The
body was taken to a. clump of bushes
and laid upon q stretcher, the familiar
white helmet covering the face of the
dead general. Almost at this moment
the cheers of the American troops
rushing into San MateO were minglng
with the rifle vOlleys. After the fight
six stalwart cavaIrymen fOrded the
river to the town, carrying the litter
on their shoulders. the staff preceding
with the cOlOrs and a cavalry escort
following.
The troops filed bareheaded through
the building where the dead body was
laid and many a tear fell from the
eyes of men who had long followed the
intrepid LawtOn.
The entire command was stricken
with grief. as though each man had
suffered personal loss. Owing to the
condition of the country, which is i'm
pasSable so far as vehicles are concern
ed the remains could not be brought to
Manila today. Mrs. Lawton and the
children are living in a government res
idence formerly occupied by a Spanish
general San Mateo lies between a high
mountain behind and a broad, shall
low stream in front. with wide sand
bars which the insurgent trenches and
the buildings command. The Americans
We're compelled to ford the river under
fire 1t was while they were lying in
the rice fields and vOlleying across pre-
paratory to passing the stream that
LaWtOn was shot. All except the Off
GERS were behind cover. A staff officer
was wounded about the same time and
one other officer and seven men were
wounded.
After three hours shooting the Fill
pinos were dispersed into the noun
tains. Colonel Lockett took command
when General Lawton fell.
LAWTON KNOWN IN LOS AN
GELES.
Los Angeles, Cal. Dec. 20-GeneraI
Henry LawtOn. who was killed at San
Mateo. was well known here Previous
TO the Spanish-American war he was
a lieutenant colonel in the regular es-
tabhshment and was inspector general
for the Department Of Arizona, with
headquarters in this city. He was a
member Of a local G. A. r. post and of
various social clubs of this city. Cen
eral LaWtOn married Miss Craig of
Redlands, San BernardinO county, and
had a large orange grove near Red
lands. General LaWton left here on
the orders of the War department to
join General Shafter in Cuba and was
made a bTigadier general of the volun-
teers for gallantry in the Cuban cam
GRIEF AT SANTIAGO.
Santiago de Cuba, Dec. 20.-The re-
port of the death of Major General
LaWton made a profound impress
sion here, many of the officers
now in this military department hav-
ing served with him. A social function
which had been arranged at the Off
GERS club was postponed and the flags
on the government buildings and the
American club We're lowered to half
mast.
He WAS OUR BEST.
Milwaukee, Wis, Dec. 2O.-GeneraI
Charles King. who commanded a bri-
gade in General LaWtOn's division up
10 June last. in the war against the
FilipinOs, was much depressed on
hearing Of the death of his former
commander General King paid a warm
tribute. to the dead general in the fol-
lowing words:
THE death of General Lawton is a
calamity, yet one 1 have been in dread
of ever since he took command of our
division last March In point of dash
energy and endurance, he was our best.
His one fault lay in his utter CON
tempt for danger. We could not prevail
upon him to use cover or shelter of
any kind. He was perpetually running
into every kind of danger, exposing