Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-02
.LAWTON EULOG|zED
Annual Banquet Of Command
Named for Him.
SECY. SHAW'S SPEECH
UNIQUE DECORATIONS A FEA-
TURE OF THE OCCASION.
Men Who Served With the Dead Sol
der Tell Of Their Ex-
periences.

1Ssneral f1enFy w. LdWtOH, the army sdtO
American womanhood were eulogized by the
half a dozen or more speakers who accept
ed the invitation OF the Henry w. Lawton
Command. No. 80. 8. W. A.. to dine with
1t at the Barton Hotel Saturday night The
men who assembled about the tables In the
long banquet hall of the hotel were almost
all men who have responded to the call
Of their country in the time Of need and
who have performed or have sought to
perform deeds OF valor on the battlefields
Of two hemispheres. Some of them did not
get to a battlefield until after the fight
was over and some Of them, professional
soldiers, have distinguished records for
service rendered not alone during the war
with Spain, but in the Indian wars Of the
great west, and the great conflict between
the states. One or two Of those present
had never seen battlefield or worn uni
form. but they had rendered some serv-
ice to their country In time Of need as
trying and as arduous as that which the
fighting men had rendered.
| The Lawton command Is made up from
among the members Of the District volun-
teer regiment, with a goodly proportion Of
men who were in other organizations There
were about seventy-five members Of the
command and guests in the parlors of
the hotel when "reveile" was sounded, fol-
lowed shortly by Assembly" which was
the signal for the diners to repair to the
banquet hall to partake OF the feast spread
for them.
The Decorations.
Hardly had the guests secured their
places at the table when the sharp report
of gun was heard and in the rear Of the
room the stars and stripes fiuttered to the
peak Of a tall flag pole, while the orchestra
played the Star Spangled Banner" The
decora tons Of the banquet hall were so
unique that the diners paused for some
moments before beginning the discussion of
the excellent menu served to examine and
understand all that was before them. At
each side of the entrance Of the hall were
placed two large marque tents with flag
poles rising from the center. Directly OPP
posite the entrance was hung huge iron
pot on a tripod Of rough hewn rails. Be-
hind the pot and tripod was miniature re-
production Of the block house on San Juan
hill. The sides Of the hall were draped
with flags and bunting and at the end, in
front of the flag pole, which lowered to the
ceiling, was a magnified reproduction of
the castle used as the insignia Of the army
engineers lighted by electric lights. On the
guest table, across the upper end OF the
room, a camp ground was laid out. Tiny
tents were pitched and miniature soldiers
drilled on the green sward. AT either end
of the table were block houses over which
waved Spanish colors. A diminutive battery
of artillery covered the block houses and
| threatened them with destruction. In the
center of this battlefield was perched an
American eagle
The diners were called to order after the
menu had been served by Captain Sheridan
Ferree, captain of the LaWton command.
Captain Ferree welcomed the guests to the
dinner and after few words of eulogy to
General Lawton, introduced General George
H. HarrieS to act as POSTMASTER. General
Harries was Intimately acquainted with
General Lawton when he was captain in
the 4th Cavalry, and was serving under
Colonel Mackenzie during the Indian cam
paigns in the southwest He told several
army.
Gen. Lawton Eulogized.
The POSTMASTER then introduced Captain
Lloyd NJ Brett of Troop F, Cd United States
Cavalry, to respond to the toast, General
Lawton." Captain Brett served with Cen
eral Lawton during his Indian campaigns.
and knew him intimately as a cavalry off,
| Ger. The speaker referred to the work OF
| the cavalry and Lawton's pre-eminence as
| an officer in this branch Of the service. He
| referred to the campaign in Cuba and of
Lawtons aggressiveness, and gave 1t as his
| opinion that II the Spaniards had not sur
rendered they would have awakened one
| fine morning to find the American trenches
| inside Santiago. Major c. G. G. Anderson,
| United States Volunteers, who was sur
| geon in the army during the Indian cam
| paigns In Arizona. and who became vol
| unteer surgeon during the war with Spain,
served in Arizona. Cuba and the Philippines
with General Lawton. and knew him well.
| He spoke highly Of his ability as an officer
and Of his interesting career.
Secretary Shaw's Speech.