The evening times., 1900-01-06
ANECDOTES OF LAwToN.
New Version of the Charge at FL
CaHey.
(FTUm the New York sum

Caney.
(From the New York SUM
Some National Guard officers who served
in the Spanish American war were dis
cussing General LawtOn's death and his
services in Cuba. One Of them told he
following stories concerning his conduct at
El Caney. where he wore the white helmet
" hich vas the cause Of his death.
''On the morning Of July I General Law
ton was sent with a force Of about 1000
men 70 take EI CsHey. while the balance OF
the troops were 10 be engaged dJ san Juan.
AS dusk fell after the first days fighting
We viewed with alarm the thin blue line
which surrounded San Juan. Many Of US,
tired out with the long. hot days work.
having broken camp that morning a.
o'clock. fell asleep on the damp hillside OF
San Juan trying to gain a few moments
rest before the struggle which we knew was
inevitable the next day. Grave doubts
were expressed il We could hold our POSI-
zion against the Spaniards. and u will be
remember that there was a consultation
Of officers at which il was suggested that
our troops should be Withdrawn. a plan
which was violently opposed by General
Wheeler and others. About midnight we
were awakened with the pleasing inreln-
gence that General Lawton had captured
El Caney with a very small loss, ! think
five, and that he was rapidly moving TO
Join our right, which would be done by
daybreak. This he accomplished, and # is
doubtful II save for this our troops could
have held their position Our JOY was
somewhat tempered by the fact that Gen
eral LawtOn's loss az FL Caney Was much
heavier than at first reported.
A day or two after the battle, one OF the
officers OF General LawtOn's stan told me
OF the generals famous white helmet,
which seems to have been the cause OF his
death near Manila He said that during
the battle Of Ell Caney the tall form Of Gen.
eraI Lawton with his white helmet was q
most conspicuous object while directing the
movements of the troops. Then, as was
afterward the case in the Philippines, be
was thus target for the enemy's bullets,
but undisturbed and unprotected he stood
while the bullets patterei like hail about
MIN. One or two Of his STAFF officers begged
him 10 lie down, as he was drawing the
fire Of the enemy but it never seemed TO
occur 10 him that be would be hi', and ne
characteristiCally remarked 70 these O-hcers
that If any of them cared about lying down
they could do so. and many OF them did 50
while LawtOu remained erect. And there
the staff had to remain exposed to a CALLING
fire as the enemy's sharpshOoters continued.
10 select General LawtOn's white helmet as
d mark.
Il have seen some mention since me
death of General LawtOn Of the order sent
10 him by General Shafter TO withdraw his
troops from FL Caney, proceeding which
would have been disastrous TO our forces,
hut I have never seen the statement given
20 me by the same staff officer. He told
me that as General Lawton stood directing
the troops an aide from the stan OF GeneraI
ShafteT rode up and said.
General Lawton. General Shafter directs
Won 10 withdraw your troops
al first General LawtOn was nOnpiuSedi
then turning 10 the aide he said. This is
TOO serious an order TO be received verbally
and T shall require il in writing from Gen.
eral Shafter' He we'll knew that General
Sbafter was eight miles in the rear, and
that a written order from him could not
be received before the charge was ordered.
This much is a matter Of history, but do
not believe the whole story has been told.
General Lawton knowing that the aide
would soon reduce the order to writing,
Immediately sent orders 10 his officers TO
charge. The aide returned in about twenty
with the written order. having re-
tired only short distance TO write, and he
delivered il 70 General Lawton just as the
whole American force stormed across the
field in that last desperate. successful at
tempt to take FL Caney. When he handed
the written order to the general, Lawton
pointed to the charging troops and said:
AS you see, the troops have already COM
menced to charge. Tell General Shafter
that God Almighty himself could not stop
them now
Thus the capture Of FL Caney was due
TO General Lawton's perseverance under
difficulties
The following story Of General Lawton
was told by a sergeant in the Regular
Army who served Under LawtOn in Cuba
and afterward went to Manila, being now
the Oldest enlisted man IN the Eighth
ARMY Corps After the surrender Of San
tiago the general was standing in the main
street of the city looking into the win
dows of a shop, his tall massive form
making him even more conspicuous thar
usual. He wore a blue shirt and campaign
hat and was without any indications OF
his rank. A young second lieutenant just
from West Point. and so belonging to the
class known in the Army as Johnny
rome-Iately," was walking down the
street and having a high sense Of his own
Importance tapped the general on the
shoulder. taking him for a non-cOmmis-
stoned officer. AS the general turned
around he was addressed thus by the young
officer:
Sergeant are you a soldier"
''Yes. sir" replied the general.
men why uOn you salute au Vl"N'A
when you see him?"
The general saluted. but with so abrupt
md fiippant an air that the anger OF the
lieutenant was aroused, and he further
asked:
Sergeant. what's your name?"
Well" replied the general assuming
slight drawl that was sometimes ehaTac-,
eristie, my name is Major General Henry
w. LawteR.- What's your name? leaving
he lieutenant crestfallen and stammering
,ut some lame apology.
Best remedy for coughs is the simpcs; and