The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-13
LAYTON rs COMMANDER
SENATOR BEvERIDGE TALKS OF
THE GENERAL As HE SAW HIM.
HI. Crowning Quality and Test Of
Greatness Was His Power OF
Concentration-Trait Noted.
Philadelphia Saturday Post.

Many uniformed officer at the head OF
his troops has fallen In the far-ofs Philip
pines and died with a smile. counting his
life well given in advancing the destiny OF
his country and his race. whose large re-
suits are wrapped as yet in the unfolded
centuries. Yes. he has thought IL out. and
where his analysis could not reach his
faith has ventured. for 1 have already
noted the fact that the American soldier
in the Philippines has some of the quail
ties of fatalist.
Such was our prince OF warriors. the
knightly Lawton. Coming in after one
campaign, where had seen him the tar
get for an entire Filipino fuSillade. and
where by all the laws OF craftsmanship or
even by accident he ought to have fallen.
I said to him: General you will certain
ly get killed If you much longer expose
yourself like this"
YES" said he with perfect simplicity, ~
know shall. but did this all through the
civil war; have done it for twenty years
in Indian wars; did IL in Cuba; am do
ing IL here i am soldier. you know. and
that is our business Danger is our pro-
fession. When my time comes / shall go.
/ have figured out the law of averages and
nave loLg since exhausted the chances in
my favor" Then he named the number
of chances which, according TO the law of
averages as computed by himself. there
was of his being killed every time he went
into action. But then" said he, that is
the way a soldier should die" and added
wish of which he made me the custodian.
An officer now in the Philippines wrote me
the day after he was killed, recalling every
word of this talk.
Directness was the key TO Lawton's char
acter. He went straight to the point, in
thought, in speech. in action. He was su-
perlatively intense. His dress. food, safety.
were forgotten in the absorption OF the
task before him. One day we ate a few
mouthfuls of breakfast before sunup. IL
was long past MONDAY before could in
duce him to eat again. and then only a
morsel Sometimes his disregard for what
he had on or did not have on left him gro-
tesquely dressed. For example. at the
close of a certain day CT hard campaign
ing he was arrayed in khaki trousers. a
gray wool undershirt and celluloid coll
lar, not connected with IL, but buttoned "a
He rode in straight lines directly from
the point where he was 10 the point he
wanted to go. cutting across fields. regard
less of roads. ambush or bullets One day
the firing line was behind row Of bam-
boo trees Apparently nothing was being
accomplished by the fire Lawton did not
send an orderly TO have the colonel report
TO him. He rode directly across the field,
returning. hunted up the colonel and said:
What are you stopping here for? Get
your men into that town." And without
another word rode 20 another portion or
the field, giving personally his orders.
FAILURE HURT HIM.
On one occasion he was bif1erly out OF
humor because OF the failure OF a certain
plan made possible by the lack OF initiative
of the officer intrusted with the execution
of part of IL. Not smile lighted up that
stern face the whole day. Not a soft word
came from the lips Every order was sharp
and hard a saber blade. His very tones
were tense with earnestness. Riding up a
HILL the following morning. after passing
in the greatest peril through a town de-
serted by the Filipinos only few min
utes before rapid firing was heard fmme-
diately ahead. Our advance line was de-
ployed on the crest of a hill, the men con-
cealed behind rocks. trees. hummocks OF
earth, and what not. The rear guard of
Filipinos were firing briskly from the val
ley below AS Lawton reached the top OF
the hill bullet struck perhaps four feet
away. He turned, with pleased look and
a smile like that of child. and said:
Hal If that fellow had raised his gun
sixteenth Of an inch IL would have got
you or me-one. sure"
Wheeling his horse from the road he gall
-
there calmly stood for perhaps fifteen min
utes. the target OF the entire Filipino force.
II was not foolhardiness. II was disregard
CT his own safety ia order TO have the most
complete regard for the safety OF his men.
He was simply calculating the number OF
the enemy left behind and the probable in
tentions OF their commander. lie was sim
ply calculating precisely what TO do. In
this calculating his mind became oblivious
TO personal danger. he was for the mo-
ment mere machine OF thought.
And yet courage was not the distinguish
Ing characteristic OF Lawton as a soldier;
neither was his care OF his men. although
both of these qualities were abormal in
him. But his browning quality was his abb
sclute concentra ton OF mind upon the plan
on which he was engaged; upon the neces-
sary notifications OF that plan as the ac-
ton progressed-upon the effect OF this or
that or the other order. Lawton was above
all planner, contriver, a calculator. The
brilliancy of his execution has blinded the
popular mind TO this more valuable quality
just as I'm all men the more snowy quality
is apt TO obscure the stronger ones Caesar.
you will remember, was known capti-
waiting orator long before the public ever
thought OF him as an organizer and war;
rior; and. indeed. he lightly consid-
cred. by the judicious, a fashionable
young man with facility for speech and
gambling, until destiny offered him oppor-
tunity to show the great creative qualities
OF organization and command. So, when
Lawton, in the accounts Of him that fill the
popular imagination, appeared 10 be fool
ishly risking his life. he was. as matter OF
fact, so intently thinking. that. at the mo-
ment. danger did not occur 10 him. al
Though whirring deaths were flying past
him all the time.
CAREFUL OF HIS MEN.
I have mentioned his concern for the
safety Of others. An instance: We had
advanced alone along the road over which
the Filipinos had retreated so short & time
before that bits OF their food, which they
had thrown away. were lying here and
there. still fresh. On either side were the
thickets. and perfect opportunities for am
bush. Ahead Of US. perhaps four or five
yards, went the omnipresent military
''point'-that Is. from three 70 Eve men on
foot, with guns in hand. ready for instant
fire. Just before rounding a bend IN the
road. Lawton swung himself OF HIS horse
on the outer SIDE that the animal might
rest while he thought out, IL he could. what
had become Of column he had dispatched
the day before and which he had expected
to meet many hours earlier. He happened
TO glance up just before the point" lad
got around the bend in the road
Hold on there. men. Stop Stop! There
Is a barricade ahead Of you Don't expose
yourselves"
And the men, who were keeping 10 the
inside OF the road and had NOT VET seen