The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-05-30
In Memory of
\ General LaWtOn.
j. T.
BY DANIEL 9. skITT.


I'VE BILE by the unveiling of
statue Of Major General Hen
nv Ware Lawfon, President Roosevelt
participating General Lawton was
the most conspicuous victim Of the
war In the Philippines. He was killed
during battle at San Mateo near Ma
Dila. Dec 10, 1899.
The statue is a bronze figure of Gen
eral Lawton in uniform. Daniel Ches-
ter French of New York and Andrew
O'Conner. now living in Paris, were
the sculptors. The statue and stone
pedestal cost between S2j, 900 and $780,
600, raised by popular subscription
most of II from friends and admirers
of General LawtOn in Indiana his
home state. The movement to erect
the memorial was started shortly after
the death of the general.
The career of General Lawton makes
n brilliant page in American military
history For thirty-seven years he was
a soldier of the United States. He
served in the civil war, in the Spanish.
American war. in the Filipino uprising
and through several severe Indian
campaigns on the western plains. He
was what is sometimes described as
born soldier In fact, he. never follow
ed any other calling.
Just n week after the attack on Fort
Sumter IN 1861 Henry w. Lawton en-
listed i'm the volunteer service. He was
but eighteen years of age. His first
service was as Il private and sergeant
In an Indiana infantry regiment. and
he was promoted rapidly for gallant
fighting Congress voted him a medal
of honor for gallantry In action in the
fighting before Atlanta in 1864. Before
the end of the war he was Il brevet
colonel. When the war closed, Colonel
Lawton retired for few months, but
In July, 1866, lie entered the regular
army as q second lieutenant in an in
fantry regiment He remained In the
regular army until his death by FIll-
pinO bullet more than thirty-three years
later At the time of his death his rank
in the regular army was that Of colo
mel, but the war department clerks at
Washington were preparing his com
mission as a brigader general in the
regular service when the news reached
the department that he had been killed
in battle.
In 1871 Lawton was transferred to
the Fourth cavalry. lie fought the
Sioux, the Utes and other hostile Indian
tribes and In 1886 performed Que of the
most notable eXploitsiIh plains warfare
history by rounding up and capturing
a fierce Apache chief, old Geronimo,
who had given the government more
trouble than any other Indian on rec
ord. General Miles selected Captain
Lawton to lead an expedition of picked
men into Mexico against Geronimo and
his band Of bloodthirsty Apaches. Law
ton visited the chief Ia his camp and
planned for his surrender. This was
one of the most daring ventures In ln-
dian war annals. Some of the older
army officers still discuss 1t with won.
der.
At Santiago Lawton, with the rank
Of brlgadier general of volunteers, com.
manded the second division OF the Fifth
army corps, doing valuable service In
the several engagements leading to the
capture of the Cuban city He was
pade a major general of volunteers
less than a week after the fall of San
tiago for gallantry ut III Caney.
General LawtOn's service In the Phil
lppines was notably brilliant. He be-
gan his work there early In 1899. In
July lie was placed In command at
Manila. He Immediately began cam.
paign with the object of capturing
General Aguinaldo, the Filipino leader
1t was much like the Indian fighting
with which I.awton was so familiar
Various small engagements were
fought, the Filipinos frequently hiding
In the jungles and shooting from am
bush. General Lawton captured San
Isidro, the capital OF the Filipino gov
eminent ut the time, and chased Agui-
naldo from place TO place.
About the middle OF December the
general led force of something more