The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-12
HOW GENERAL LAWTON DIED.
The Story Told by Lieutenant Fuller,

| The Story Told by Lieutenant Fuller, Who Caught Him When He Fell | Lieutenant Lawson M. Fuller, of Wis | consin, an ordnance officer of the Uni | ted States army in the Philippines, nas | written to friend in Baltimore. MT Daniel T. Bowers, graphic account of | the death of General Lawton. In his letter Lieutenant Fuller writes first of the departure of the troops for San Ma teo in driving rain.
 We rode all night" he wrote stop ping at one place two hours; in field one hour, where lay down and slept like a baby in spite of the rain, which is something terrific in this climate. At half-past four we arrived at our destination, a position on some moun- tains about two miles from San Mateo. Two hours later General Lawton ar- rived He immediately put the troops in motion q did not go out with him, as I lost him in the night) and then fol- lowed on foot, the mountain trail being so steep we could not ride, especially as they were running foot deep with wa ter About eight o'clock we struck the opposite bank of the river on which San Mateo is situated, and almost at the same time the enemy opened fire. The boys were disposed along the river front for nearly two miles seeking a ford to cross, under fire. to take the town. The two Hanks were separated about two hundred yards this space being so exposed that troops could not be placed even lying down.
 General Lawton two aides and myS self crossed this space and back again, receiving more attention than one real ly likes so much so that General Law ton cautioned us to keep moving and not to bunch. The second time we crossed successfully, the fire being ter rife as soon as we appeared, and di- rected, of course, at the officers, as we had no orderlies or other enlisted men with us. We started on our second re- turn, when Breckenridge a lieutenant and one of the generals aides, was struck. I was right behind him and grabbed him. General Lawton and his other aides coming up and also Major Rogers, we carried him off the field, perhaps hundred yards. ] went across the open space for doctor and back successfully and joined General Lawton, who was alone. I have seen a number of men hit, but Breckenridge made the funniest move l ever saw He absolutely went through the first steps of the Spanish fandago. He was not mortally wounded
 General LaWton and I started across the space again alone. We had not | gone more than thirty yards when the general made an exclamation and brushed at his breast a couple of times. He staggered, and seeing that he was hit I jumped to his support--so quickly | that Breckenridge, who was lying on a | stretcher about twenty-five yards away, said, Both the general and Fuller got l 1t in that volley.'
 Major Rogers and King, one of the | aides, ran up, and King asked him if he l had been hit. Through the lungs Gen. eral Lawton replied. placed him in a semi-reclining position and held him in my arms until he died, inside of two or three minutes.
 well we crossed the river and took the town. I got the generals body across, and Breckenridge as well, pre- rared tho hndv of tho general for re- moval to Manila rustled up a coat, which l tore to pieces, and of the pieces made an affair for moving him (no ann Dulance could follow over the moun- Iains) and got ready to return the next In order to return we had to go another way and take another town, Dur rations did not follow us, and we vent without them for two days
 Fortunately We had no further fight ng and got everything into town all 'lght l had to remove General Law on's body from the cart and ferry ii across a river in a canoe, while the men orded nearly up to their necks It was l dismal trip all through.
 During the fight I never felt more anguine We were so close to the ene-