The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-05

Received at the War Department.
An official report OF the death of Major
General Lswton. al san Mates was reoeiy-
ed today by Adiutant General Corbia from
Lieut.. Col. II. II. Sargent, CT the Twenty
ninth Infantry. who was in immediate
command OF the troops that captured the
town. The report says that the battle was
Of more Importance than the press de-
spatchss from Manila have indicated. The
American forces consisted OF Hawtho;n's
Battalion of the Twenty -ninth. two com
panies Of Byron's Battalion OF the Twenty
seventh. one dismounted squadron OF the
Eleventh Cavalry. two mounted squadrons
o. the Eleventh Cavalry. and General Law
tons bodyguard Troop 1. of The Fourth
Cavalry. in all nineteen companies and
troops.
Proceeded In Three Columns
The American forces pre- eeeded in three
columns from La Iona. making a night
march. and reaching the banks OF the river
opposite san Mateo on the morning OF De
cember -. Al half past 6 o'clock. Jus, IS
Colonel Sargent Was preparing to attack.
General L-awtcn arrived He had been
riding al night.
we walked to the bluff overlooking the
town. says Colonel Sargent, and 1 ex-
planned that / had already arranged the
attack. He replied substantially as fol-
lows;
q" Sargent, I wish to give YOU full swing:
go ahead with your command. and carry
out your plans ! repliedi Gene al. [
should like to explain my plan to you He
listened attenuyely. and approved il. and
remarked that II / needed any re-enfo-ce-
ments before the rest OF the command
came ! could send for his personal es-
cOTt. He also remarked that he did not
anticipate much resisiaE e"
Owing 10 the mist and rain Major Haw-
thOrn's Battalion reached the river bank
| before being discovered by the enemy.
/ Sargent then started for the front, and On
| informing General Lswton OF that purpose
| the general said: Go ahead: 1 will be with
I you IN a few moments"
At about s o'clock the first firing began.
4 General Lawton had already arrived en- the
Z hring line. and as Lieut. Col. Sargent was
moving forward he saw General Lawton
cooily walking up and down within 30
/ yards of the enemy's entrnchments
few minutes afJerWard Lieutenant
]
Sargent and / saw General LawtCn acting
as one Of che four litter bearers helping
TO carry Lieutenant Breckenridge from the
| field"
Considerable difficulty vas experienced
IN finding a fOrdiDg place. and some of the
/ Americans came near being drowned in
/ endeavoring 10 cross the river at a point
| which they believed 90 be fordable Lieu
| tenant Colonel Sargent was proceeding
| back along the firing line when he met
/ Captain Sewell. og General LawtOn's stafT.
/ with instructions from the general Con-
/ tinuing Colonel Sargent says:
/ This was al 9-I5 a. m. Afterward 1
! learned from Major Rogers OF the generals
! stan that 10 was just al this moment that
/ the general was killed. After helping 10
| carry back Lieutenant Breckenridge TO the
4 generals headquarters during the battle
/ where some of his escort and stan had as
{ Sembled behind a small hill only about
200 yards Ia rear OF The firing line and al
] most directly opposite the main portion
I OF the town. he remained a few moments
/ asked Lieutenant Breckenridge how he felt
/ said a few words TO Major Rogers about
/ my dispositions for the fight. and then
starting back 10 the firing line was shot
before he had advanced but a few steps
! he was shot just above the heart with his
/ face toward the enemy He fell to the
ground and lived buJ a few moments Thus
! died on the battlefield this great. brave.
/ heroic soldier large OF heart. and large
Of frame with an indomitable Will and
with power unsurpassed Of overcoming
obstacles-a soldier who had never known
I fear, who knew not what fear was
After failing TO cross the river here
Cat point where the water was too deepB
/ decided 70 20 TO the generals headquar-
tiers and get permission TO try a crossing
IN front OF the town I had not yet learn
ed Of his death. Upon arriving there I
found the general lying dead upon a
stretcher. In the meantime the fight was
going on about the same as usual"
About an hour after General LawtOn' s
death. Colonel Sargent decided that he
would force crossing directly in front of
the town II was necessary TO do this in
order to get to the Mariquina Road over
which the body of General Lawton and the
wounded could be tram nOrted to Manila
Companies f and G OF the Twenty
Infantry forded the river. cheering as they
crossed and reached the enemy's entrench-
ments without a casualty.
The Insurgents Flee.
The insurgents fed when they saw the
Americans coming The towr was taken
in the morning. Colonel Lockett. with
the mounted troops. crossed the river at
another point and drove the enemy
through Montalbon. which he captured.
Col Sargent says that while a Spanish
prisoner reported that there were 900 in
surgeBts in san Mateo. he is inclined to
believe thar there were only about 500
there Of whom not more than three nun
dred had rifles. The number of insurgents
known to have been killed was twenty
four. Colonel Sargent estimates the num-
Der Of insurgents killed at 30. and the
wounded at l25. The American loss was
one killed. Major General Lawton: one
missing. Private Frank ID. Hewell. Com
pany Twenty-ninth Infs ptry, and nine
wounded. including three officers. Captain
o. T. Kenan. Twenty-ninth Infantry: First
Lieutenant Walter V. Cotchett. Eleventh
Cavalary. and Second Lieutenant Z. L. d.
Breckenridge, aide on General Lawton's
staff
In his report Colonel Sargent mentions
Major Hawthorn OF the Twenty-ninth as
diSDla wing cOnspicuOus bravery AZ all