The evening times., 1900-02-09
GEN. HENRY W. LAWToN.

Of the late Major General Henry w. Law
/ ton, both as a solCier and a man, are de-
| scTibed with mass of detail in an article
written by Franklin Matthews and pub
| lished In a recent number OF "Harper's
| Weekly" In this article the career Of Cen
eral Lswton Is analyzed and eulogized and
| described from his birth until he fell dead
with Filipino bullet through his heart at
/ San Mateo. The article follows:
The people OF Tie United States were
shocked on December 19. when a cable
message from General Otis. in ManilG to
/ the War Department. announced the dsath
in action on the day before. at San Ma
/ teo. in the Island Of Luzon, thirteen and
a half miles northeast of Manila. Of Ma
jor General Henry W. Lawton, the foremost
/ fighter Of the American Army. General
| Otis despatch closed with the words,
/ Great loss to US and to his country
For nearly forty years Lawton had been
| in the army. and no man wearings its uni
form had done harder, more brilliant, and
more dangerous work. Until within year
( and half the country scarcely knew him.
| The people had heard Of him thirteen years
! ago as fearless Indian fighter, but that
/ work was well-nigh forgotten. II it had
! been asked who it was, away back in the
/ eighties. had captured the devilish Apache
! leader Geronimo, probably the most cruel,
crafty. and treacherous Indian this coun-
/ try ever had TO deal with and punish not
one person in a thousand outside of The
army could have recalled Lawton's name.
After he had taken EI Caney in the
| Santiago fight Of July l, 1898 the country
rubbed its eyes ard learned 20 respect and
admire him as a military man Of broad
scope. a clever tactician. a persistent
fighter man of indomitsble bravery and
viii power-a real general Later, when he
went TO the Philippines. and Ike whirl-
wind swept the Filipinos before him.
scattering them like chat, running down
I and capturing their leaders until even
! hguinaldo himself. stripped Of his escort.
! family and personal followers, was COM
/ PEELED to fee into the mountain Businesses
! in disguise. then IL was that at last the
/ American people found out Lawton, and
I began to love him and estimate him at his
! true worth
himself. ir the presence Of the President,
10 an audience in Montgomery, Ala. after
/ the Cuban campaign had cIosed-but such
a soldier, On the trail Of treacherous
Zoe he was a veritable bloodhound. In the
! presence of an enemy who would fight true
/ and brayeiy he was a HOn-heaTJed Rich
ard. With a conquered opponent ne Was
/ just m8gnsnimous aud even gentle
Fear ia battle he never seemed 10
| know. He dia not scOrn the enemy's bull
lets. his mind Eas keyed TO a higher pitch.
/ lie wanted TO win. Where the danger was
3 greatest there was LaWtOn on the outer
most edge OF the lighting line. lie bTayed
danger not because he was fOOlhardy. not
because he wanted to win promotion. and
{ probably rot so much 10 set an example
10 his men as because ne could no other
thing and be himself.
! Perhaps the greatest tribute that can
be paid TO LavtOu is that he never order
ed the humblest private TO endure priya-
tiOns and dangers he did not share him
self He always led his men. The wonder
was not that he was killed at San Mateo.
/ hut that he vas not Killed before. From
a military point OF view he was fortunate
in his life and fortunate in his death. The
glory OF dying in battle was his. lie died
as he would have chosen 20 die had the
choice been his. He was only the general
officer killed since hosulities with Spain
and the Filipinos began. and when the IA
tai bullet pierced his heart the clerks were
making out his commission as brlgadier
general In the regular army. his cOunJry's
reward for his faithful work as a soldier
Truly his death was a great loss 70 the
country
'-laUIon was in his ffty-siNth year. and
since April. 1851. had been a soldier. with
the exception OF a sort time after the civil
war closed. when be entered the Harvard
Law school IN doubt whether a COmmis-
sion in the regular army would be made
out for him. He was a remarkable man
IN appearance. a splendid target and il
was strange that no bullet found him soon
er lie was SIX feet three inches tall, and
he weighed more than 20O pounds His
jaw was square. his lips thin. his eyes
/ grey. his cheekbones prominent. his fore
head high anS narrow; his hair was tjnged
with grey. nd his mustache was nearly
white. lie was not handsome. but his
striking face displayed his characteristics
minutely. Thick as TO his chest. long as
! 10 arms and legs. erect and straight IN n 5
/ Carriaga. he vas supple as a youth and mis-
giant freme matched his courageous heart.
He could go without food and sleep for
dsvs. and there seemed no limit TO his
! tireless energy. He was Of violent temper
when he was aroused. and he did not
mince his words when angered strict
| disciDlIn8rian. his men loved him and
( obeyed him implicitly. He was simply one
OF them. They endured hunger and thirst.
/ and even walked the shoes of their feet.
/ because LaWtOu wanted them 10 do so
rather than give up. The Indians called
/ him Man who gets-up-in- -the-night-to-
fght.' Charging Buffalo" and Mad
| Bear" and those names were eminentIy
Gt for him. He was big in frame. big in
heart aud knew nothing cared for moth
ing but devotion 10 his country and ter
arms.
United States Senator Bsve.idge was
quoted. the day after LawtOu's death. as
saying that Lawton said to him one day
last summer, while at the front in the
Philippines:
'' I suppose I shall be killed some day.
But that is part Of a soldiers profession.
We who go 10 be soldiers Of the Republic
understand this thoroughly
There was nothing showy in Lawton s
manner of command He did not like
dress parades- Senator Beveridge who
was with him daily for several weeks in
the Philippines, SAYS that when ne or
dered the South Dakota Regiment into
action at Taytay he rode quietly across
the field and said to the colonel. Get
your men into town. To the Twelfth
Regulars major he said, Get your men
on the move, major! Then he went with
them. When he saw his men in danger he
warned them, but took no thought Of him
| self He had escaped so often himself that
II seemed as il he bore charmed Tie;
but he did not think of that
Whenever possible. he did his own
scouting. He wanted to see himself where
Z hn -rarrfn hay 70, nd n