general of the night 2010

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General of the NightHenry W. Lawton

A Biography

By

Rudolph Rau

Copyright May 2007 by Rudolph Rau-All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rau, Rudolph, 1938-

General Of The Night-Henry W. Lawton- a Biography/ by Rudolph Rau 1st Edition

Includes bibliographical references


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Major General Henry Ware LawtonCourtesy of The Smithsonian-Museum Of American History

Military Branch


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I dedicate this book to the memory of Henry Ware Lawton; to my mother,Mary Elizabeth Rau who inspired it; and to my wife Patricia and son Paulwho supported me and provided important help in writing it.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. A Knight Passes On................................................................... 72. Lawtons Boyhood...................................................................... 103. Lawton Goes To War......................................... ......................... 164. Civilian Life-And Beyond........................................................... 325. Early Years In The 4th Cavalry................................................... 376. The Southern Plains.................................................................... 507. The Cheyenne Episode ................................................................ 648. The Apache Years........................................................................ 779. The Last Geronimo Campaign...................... ................. ............... 9110. The Lull And The Storm............. ................. ................. ............... 12511. The Occupation and a New Assignment...................................... 161

12. Lawton Leaves Cuba.......................................... 19313. The Philippines-Phase One......................................................... 20614. Lawtons Last Battles................................................................. 22715. Lawtons Final Voyage... 25416. Reflections 260

Bibliography ................................................................................. 272Index 278


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Major General Lawton......................... ...................................... FrontispieceGeorge S. Lawton....................................................................... 12

Jennie White............................................................................... 13Marie Lawton.......................................................... ................... . 14Capt. Lawton-Corinth Ms............................................................ 19Ranald S. MacKenzie.. 34Young Lieutenant Lawton, 4 th Cavalry. 46Lawtons wedding bond 76Lt. A. Smith letter. 112Lawton and 4th Cavalry Troop at San Antonio railhead.............. 113Lawton with General Miles and staff officers.............................. 117Letter from Governor of New Mexico. 118Letter from Governor of Texas. 123Letter from Col. Dodge. 128Letter from General Sherman 129Letter from Col. Anderson.... 134Maj. Gen. Lawton-taken during campaign in Cuba..................... 142Maj. Gen. Lawton-Philippines 1899............................................ 213Lawton with Admiral Dewey 1899.............................................. 218Lawton resting 228Lawton with staff 1899..................................... 230Lawton with cavalry trooper. 233Lawton at Arayat PI and with staff 234Late photograph of Lawton-1899....................................... .. 236Lawtons funeral caisson 255Statue of Lawton in Manila.......................................................... 262


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Acknowledgments

For their untiring help and support, I thank my wife, Patricia, andson, Paul, who have assisted me with much of the primary research neededfor this book. They have also been faithful to the necessary task of readingmy rough drafts and helping me to bring the story of Henry W. Lawtoninto existence.

My mother, Mary, did a great deal of the early research intoLawtons life back in the 70s. Her notes betray a diligent endeavor tobring his achievements to light.

So much of the information about Lawton is scattered about in avariety of sources, it would have been next to impossible to even have astarting point without the work of the Ft. Wayne Historical Society andPublic Library, which, in 1954, honored their home town hero. TheSociety compiled a great number of public domain documents, primarilynewspaper reports, special articles from Harpers Weekly, Colliers, andother publications that had followed Lawtons career in 1898 and 1899.The resulting pamphlet provided an important set of pointers that helpedme determine the sources of information for this book.

I wish to acknowledge Steve Locke, Culbertson Mansion,Louisville, Ky. He has been most generous in his effort to provide me withinformation, leads on photos and Lawton family information along with agreat deal of support for this endeavor.

I also wish to thank the research center personnel at the FirstDivision Museum-Cantigny, Wheaton, Illinois, who provided me with anumber of source documents and assistance on doing my early research;the National Archives; U. S. Army Military History Institute; and theNewberry Library of Chicago.

Special thanks to the Lawton Ledger, particularly members LeoLawton and Stephen Lawton who have provided me with support andinterest in my efforts.


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INTRODUCTION

As a young teenager, the old photographs in my mothers albumsalways fascinated me. Many of them were of people who had lived farbefore my time, and all, according to my mother, had interesting storiessurrounding them.

Because of my interest in history, and in particular, the Civil War,I was more fascinated than usual with two photos in one album. The firstwas of a young Union Army officer with the name Capt. Henry W.Lawton written at the bottom of the picture. On the reverse side werecomments written by my maternal grandmother about her cousin Henry. Itseems that my grandmother referred to many persons in her family ascousins. This picture was taken after Lawtons promotion to Captain atCorinth, Mississippi, in 1862.

Another picture was of a tall, older officer, in a white uniform,standing next to Admiral Dewey. This picture was of General Henry W.Lawton in the Philippines. It was taken near Manila in 1899. I was initiallyinterested in this picture because it showed Lawton as a rather tall man andhe was wearing what appeared to be an English helmet rather than anAmerican style helmet.

My curiosity caused me to ask my mother what she knew aboutLawton. She recalled that as a very young girl, she listened toconversations between her mother and grandmother about Henry Lawtonwho apparently was very popular with my grandmother. Her mothercontinued to talk about Lawton from time to time, whenever there wasoccasion to be looking through the family photo albums.

My Mother, Mary E. Rau (Gelvin), encouraged my interest inHenry Ware Lawton because her own natural curiosity about familyancestors led her to Lawton, among others. He appeared to have a uniqueand fascinating story about him that resulted in a great deal of research,letter writing, and piles of notes.

Moreover, other photographs in my mothers album developed aconnection between Lawton and me, however distant. It turned out thatmy maternal great-great-grandmother, Marie Lawton, was Lawtons auntand that her picture had been in the album all along, as had one of GeorgeS. Lawton, Henrys brother. I had not paid much attention to either until


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the past few years when I began in earnest to try and learn more about thisinteresting distant relative, Henry.

After some initial interest on my part in the 1970s, the subject laydormant until recently. When my mother prompted me again I decided todo some research in earnest and find out as much as possible about ourdistinguished ancestor.

As I got into the task, Lawtons character developed and I in turndeveloped an appreciation of the man and others of his time and thehistory in which they participated.

As my mothers health deteriorated in the late 1990s, she wishedto have something put down in writing about Lawton for the family. I alsodetermined, after watching a 1994 movie Geronimo, to find out once andfor all, just who Lawton was. In the process of doing so, I learned that hewas quite a unique individual in the history of the West, and in thedevelopment of the U. S. Army in the late 19th Century.

While he did not have a flair for the limelight, as did GeneralGeorge Custer, his achievements probably exceed anything Custer couldhave hoped for. Unlike Custer, Lawton did not die in utter defeat. Whilehe did not attain the stature of Generals Sherman, Sheridan, or Miles, hewas no less dedicated and sure of purpose in his life mission and perhapsachieved more in pushing Americas frontiers beyond its natural borders.

The little that has been written of him concentrates on his role inthe Geronimo campaign of 1886 and his death in the Philippines in 1899.Getting to know Lawton was an adventure unto itself. But the greateradventure was to watch the character of the man Lawton unfold asresearch led to more and more information about this interesting man.

There is a great deal more to him than those two campaigns so Ibegan looking for something that would reveal, underneath his soldierlymanner, what kind of person he was. I believe the revelation of who hewas can be found in large part in his conduct after the Northern Cheyennecampaign in 1877. I will allow the reader to form an independent opinionwithout writing anything more on that subject other than to comment thatthere was a good heart in Henry Lawton.

Throughout Lawtons life, a number of his personal traits remainconsistent and demonstrate that the accolades and gratitude displayed afterhis death were probably not overstated.

For one, he was an honest man and not given to lies or deceptionabout himself or others who served alongside him. His ambitions werenormal for an officer striving for promotion, but there is no evidence in his


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reports or the reports of others that he gained at the expense of someoneelse.

Lawton was a compassionate man from accounts given by formeradversaries, friends, superiors, and men who served under him. While adetermined and fierce fighter who put himself at high risk, he alsodisplayed sympathy and support for the defenseless, including his enemies.Portrayed by one account, he symbolized the dedicated soldier ready tosacrifice financial gain for national glory. 1 The records and notes kept byRobert G. Carter, a longtime friend of Lawton, and now housed in theGraff Collection-Newberry Library, Chicago are invaluable insights toLawtons activities. They also reflect his own assessment of a number of events. Combined with the information that was brought together from avariety of sources to enable the writing of this book, they portray a manwho has perhaps been ignored too long.

1 Dictionary Of American Military Biography-Roger G. Spiller


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CHAPTER ONE

A KNIGHT OF THE 19TH CENTURY PASSES ON

On December 30, 1899, the U. S. Army transport ship, theThomas, set sail from the Philippine harbor at Pasig. Its destination wasthe United States. As the Thomas proceeded from the harbor it passedthe U. S. cruiser Brooklyn and the battleship Oregon on one side, thecruiser Baltimore and the monitor Monadnock on the other. Eachfired a thirteen-gun salute. The British battleship Endymion dippedcolors, and its band played solemn music. When the transport was thirtymiles at sea, the minute guns still boomed.

As the ship neared Nagasaki, one German and four Russian men-of-war in port dipped their colors. In port, Rear Admiral Grenet of theItalian cruiser Carlo Alberto came aboard to pay respects to certainpassengers. The governor of Nagasaki also boarded the Thomas withgifts. Later, as the ship sailed out of port, the band on the Britishbattleship Victorious played a dirge.

The Thomas arrived in San Francisco on the 30th of January.Its flag was at half-mast, as were the flags at Fort Baker and Angel Island,and on all the ships in the harbor. Minute guns boomed; ships of allnations dipped their colors as the Thomas slowly moved past them. 2

The attention and respect directed to the Thomas as she sailedfrom the Philippines to San Francisco was only a small part of the tributepaid to a fallen soldier and his comrades who traveled on board.

Major General Henry Ware Lawton, truly considered anAmerican warrior, had come home to rest. The final journey of GeneralLawton took him to rites and services of a kind afforded heads-of-state anddignitaries. Fiery oratory, admiration at home and abroad, and finallyburial in a place of prominence at Arlington National Cemetery ended thelifes journey of a young boy from modest beginnings, to a national figure

of heroic proportions.Writing about General Lawton in terms of dates and events would

accurately portray his fine career and accomplishments. Using a simpledate and event approach would not, however, fully develop what kind of

2 Ft. Wayne Ind. Historical Society- Henry W. Lawton


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person he was. Since Lawton did not spend a great deal of time speakingor writing about himself, his insights are not available in any volume.

One can only rely mainly on the observations of people who knewhim and their own credibility. There are also some limited numbers of documents and letters of correspondence between Lawton and others.Studying the observations, interviews, letters and documents, and actualevents in his life provides a picture of an interesting character that played akey military role in the development of the American west and early overseas expansion in the late 19th century.

Lawton died in combat, a situation that he seems to have preferredto be in during his distinguished military career. Moreover, he died invictorious combat at San Mateo in the Philippines, as another of his manysuccessful battle plans achieved its objective. To many who knew Lawton,his superiors, peers, and subordinates; his death probably came late in hismilitary career. In the many major conflicts in which he participated, hisfearless execution of duty placed him squarely in the line of fire. Hisnature was such that he believed in being in the thick of a fight and leadingfrom the front, rather than directing his troops from the rear.

This trait was evident from the time he was an 18-year-oldvolunteer in the Union army and found himself at Shiloh, early in the CivilWar. That Lawton escaped death so often in over thirty years of militarylife, had to be a matter of fate.

To those who admired him in his time and later, and the numbersare great, his death was early. He would not have the luxury of writing hismemoirs, or of benefiting from his battlefield experiences through laterpromotions, or elevation to the top levels of the U. S. Army. Nor would hehave the opportunity to bathe in public recognition after the Philippineconflict and accept the thanks of his many admirers.

While his feats were of a magnitude to gain national recognition,and the nation as well as foreign governments mourned his death, HenryW. Lawton had not yet put the final touches on his career. As a result, hisprominence in the military annals of the late 19th century would fade as

America moved on with its rapidly changing role in the world.A writer of 1899 had referred to General Lawton as a Knight Of

The 19th Century. 3 Lawton was indeed a dedicated soldier who devotedhimself to country, honor, and to gallantry. The terms used to describe

3 National Magazine-1899-Newberry Library-Chicago Il


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him might be viewed today as somewhat flowery, but even today, hischaracter would attract the admiration of those who hope that there are stillidealists among us. And even soldiers can be idealists.


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CHAPTER TWO

LAWTONS BOYHOOD

Henrys father George W. Lawton was born in Buffalo, New York on October 12, 1806. The Lawton family including brothers Daniel,Charles and sisters Maria and Hannah moved to Loraine County Ohio in1836. George married Catherine Daley December 4, 1836, in Henrietta,Loraine County Ohio.

Georges sister, Maria Lawton, my maternal great-great-grandmother was born November 20, 1823. Maria lived with George andCatherine for a time, before her marriage to Edmund Oscar White, August20, 1843, in Ohio. Oscar died in 1853 leaving five children behind. Mariaremained in the Toledo area until her death on July 30, 1869. Sheremarried in 1857 to Samuel Bratton. Both she and her brother remainedclose over the years and she undoubtedly had a great deal of contact withyoung Henry.

Three children were born to George and Catherine; ManleyChapin, born in 1838; Henry Ware, born March 17, 1843; and George S.,born in 1848; all in the Manhattan (Toledo) Ohio area.

Henrys father and two uncles, Daniel and Charles, worked asmillwrights. Their trade caused them to move around to various job sitesso George was frequently away from home. For example, the threebrothers built mills in New York, at Youngstown, Roanoke, as well asseveral locations in Indiana. In 1843 George Lawton went to Ft. WayneIndiana to work on a mill. The rest of the family joined George in Ft.Wayne where they lived in a home located along a bank on the St. MarysRiver, near the Main Street bridge. 4

In about 1850, Henrys father traveled to California to buildmining equipment for the gold miners-no doubt hoping to cash in on agold find himself. While George was still in California in 1852, Catherine

Lawton died unexpectedly. As it would have taken quite a while to notifyGeorge that his wife had died, the more pressing need would have been tofind someplace for the boys to live. For all intents and purposes the GeorgeW. Lawton family ceased to exist as a family unit. Nine-year-old Henry

4 Ft. Wayne Historical Society


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went to live with a Mrs. E. D. Moore who cared for him and acted as asurrogate mother. It is not clear where the other boys went, but it is knownthat they stayed in the Ohio area either with other relatives or otherfamilies.

One can only imagine how desolate Henry and his brothers musthave felt. Not only was their mother dead, but their father was so faraway. The worst part would have been that even if letters were exchangedbetween relatives, they still took time to reach their destinations, and mostof the time no one wrote to children. Letters would have been written to anadult and in the body of the letter, a reference would be made to the child,so at the beginning, Henry would have felt very isolated from everyone.

Henry ended up living with Mrs. Moore for the next five years.After a time, Mrs. Moore moved back to Maumee, Ohio area that was veryclose to the other Lawton family members that finally afforded Henryopportunities to visit his Aunt Maria and other relatives.

Whether Henry really enjoyed spending Sundays with a group of girl cousins is not known.

He had several cousins, one of whom was my great grandmother,Jennie M. White. Jennie was born December 28, 1845, and had foursisters; Ellen, Lavena, Mary and Ella, children of Maria Lawton White.

Whatever Henrys feelings towards his cousins, their memories of him were always fond and generous. Jennie was talking about him yearsafter she moved to Iowa in 1861 and raised ten children of her own. One of Jennies daughters, in later years, named her son Manley Lawton Ratcliffe,in honor of Henrys own son, Manley.

Another of Jennies daughters, my grandmother Jessie, keptphotographs and mementos of Henry and his father and passed them downto my mother.

During the time Henry was in Fort Wayne, he was befriended bya neighbor, Jack Waters, who had served in the War of 1812 as a fife. 5 Like most young boys, Henry probably had his imagination stirred by thetales of glorious deeds such as marching into battle with the drum and

fife playing and the soldiers carrying banners. The influence may havebeen all the greater since Mr. Waters would have been a role model forhim.



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In 1857, after having been gone seven years, George Lawtonreturned to the area. He stayed a short time and then took Henry west withhim to Iowa and Missouri, returning to Ft. Wayne a year later.

George S. Lawton-Henrys younger brotherFamily photo


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At that time Manley was teaching school in the Huron, Ohio area,but younger brother Georges whereabouts are not known. Shortly after hisreturn in 1858, George announced that he was going to remarry. Manleybecame very upset at the news and a schism occurred in the family. Onthe fathers wedding day, Manley packed his belongings and left for partsunknown. 6

Jennie White-Lawtons cousin, authorsGreat grandmother

6 Robert G. Carters notes-Newberry Library, Chicago


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After the quarrel between his father and his brother, perhapsHenry did not feel at ease with the new situation at home either, becausethat same year, Henry entered the Ft. Wayne Methodist Episcopal College,a preparatory school. It was during his school years that his youthfulimagination and military tendencies were further aroused. The Hickoriesand the Wide-Awakes were active mens marching clubs that participatedin political and other local events. Henry joined the Wide-Awakes andparticipated in regular drills and marches. 7

Maria Lawton-Lawtons aunt, authorsGreat-great grandmother

The Zouaves, a specially uniformed organization, was also formedin Ft. Wayne, at his school. With their history based on gallantry in battle,the Zouaves were a natural attraction for young men with a sense of patriotism and an inclination for bravado. Henry, like most young men his



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age, could see the glamour and dash, but not yet the gore and tragedy-although in later years it did not seem to dampen his spirits or frightenhim.

Henry was in school, just past his eighteenth birthday when theCivil War began. His boyhood was ending as he became one of the earlyvolunteers in response to President Lincolns call to arms. It was becomingevident that his future did not include following in his fathers footsteps asa millwright. It would not be too long before Lawton decided that hewould devote his life to service to his country.

One coincidence that occurred later on during the Civil Warinvolved Henry and his cousin Jennies husband, Darius Garlinghouse of Sand Spring, Iowa.

Henry received his commission as a captain at Corinth,Mississippi while Garlinghouse received a medical discharge from theUnion Army at the same location.

Garlinghouse had served with a regiment from Iowa and wasassigned as an aide to General Rosecrans earlier in the war. Lawton hadalso served under Rosecrans, while with the 30th Indiana Volunteers, inKirks Brigade. It is unlikely that either man knew of each other duringthe Civil War although Garlinghouse probably heard a great deal aboutLawton in later years, from his wife Jennie. 8

A short six years after Lawton entered the Army for the firsttime, his father passed away in Ft. Wayne.

8 Family notes-most of the information about Lawtons early familylife has been passed down and is augmented by information from theFt. Wayne Historical Society and Dr. F. E. Weeks Pioneer HistoryOf Clarksfield Ohio -published in1908.


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This great loss is ours--the nations--not Lawtons. We should not andwould not wish to call him back. After a name has been written as high asit can be on the scroll of a nations heroes, what better death can come to abrave soldier than to be suddenly stricken on the field of battle-- to closeones eyes and ears on the scenes of blood and carnage and open them tosee sweet fields of peace beyond the swelling flood? Col. R. S. Robertsonat Lawtons funeral.

CHAPTER THREE

LAWTON GOES TO WAR

Henry W. Lawton entered the spring of 1861 having just passedhis eighteenth birthday. Certainly aware of the sentiments to abolishslavery and the strong reactions from the people of the south, he could nothave been aware of where his life would begin to lead in a few shortmonths. He could not have envisioned that the eulogy above would begiven after his death, thirty-eight years later.

Like many young men of his age, the instinct to do something,to join and become a part of a great historical event was strong. Honor,valor, comradeship, and patriotism are words and feelings that become areal part of a young mans life. The desire to become a soldier and marchforth for his country was probably uppermost in Lawtons mind.

Unlike others who soon became disillusioned with the realities of war and eagerly returned to more peaceful lives, Lawton never lost histaste for the battle, nor his eagerness to fight.

Henry was among the first to respond to President Lincolns callfor three-month volunteers. 9 On April 16, 1861, he enlisted in Company E

of the 9th Indiana Volunteers. His brother George joined the Union armylate in the war, was wounded during the conflict, and died of complications from the wounds after the war. Manley was living in the

9 U.S. War Department Report-Inspector Generals Office-12-21-1899-in authors possession.


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South at the outbreak of hostilities and was pressed into service for theConfederacy as an engineer.

According to War Department and other documents , Lawton wasmustered in as a sergeant. 10 Captain W. P. Segur commanding Company Ereceived a recommendation from Colonel Robert H. Milroy that Lawtonbe immediately elevated to the rank of sergeant.

While proud of his rank and acceptance into E Company, Lawtonalso demonstrated his honesty and self-effacing qualities that were to behallmarks of his conduct throughout his career. He related to a friend thathe had never had as much rank since. I was impatient to learn it all, but Isoon saw how much there was that I didnt understand.

I had the company drill pretty pat; but of guard mounting, picketand outpost duty, and many other things, I knew absolutely nothing. 11 Itwas in his nature however to learn quickly, often puzzling his superiorswith difficult tactical questions not often posed by enlisted men. Hereanother trait of Lawtons was surfacing, that he took his job seriously andmeant to meet or exceed the expectations others had of him.

Lawtons regiment left Indiana shortly after the beginning of May, 1861 after grouping in Goshen. The unit took the Baltimore & OhioRR to Bellaire, Ohio, then crossed the river to enter Benwood, WestVirginia, in pursuit of a Confederate force led by General Garnett. Theretreating rebels tore up the tracks as they moved back and the line had tobe re-built by Union forces as they advanced.

About this time, Lawton had picked up one of the manynicknames he would receive, Long Hank. He contracted measles and washospital confined. His place of rest was a boxcar fitted with beds. Whileill and resting in the boxcar, it was blown off its tracks by a storm butLawton was unharmed. Still sick, he insisted on marching with his unit asit moved on to Philippi, West Virginia.

At Belington, Confederate forces were sighted. Company E andother units of the 9th Volunteers bivouacked early on the morning of June3, 1861, in a large field. Arms were stacked and the enlisted men rested

while the officers determined the order of battle.Several men, including Lawton, became restless and initiated

action on their own. Taking their rifles, several moved up the road

10 Ft. Wayne Historical Society- Henry W. Lawton 11 Ibid


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towards the Southern picket lines. Among the men were W.H. Miller, latera major; Frank Chilcote, later to become a circuit judge; Mart Whitman,and John Auten. Lawton and Chilcote took the lead. The small groupattacked the Confederate pickets.

Auten was one of the first soldiers to be killed in the war. Hewas shot through the heart. Ignoring his own safety, Lawton ran to his aid.When the little force returned to camp, Major Henry J. Blowney orderedthe men arrested and placed in the guardhouse. 12

Lawton, an imposing and self-composed figure, intimidated theguards, threatening to reduce them in rank. The officer of the guard, andofficer of the day were called and ordered Lawton and the others released.The two officers who ordered Lawton released were later to become U. S.Senators representing North and South Dakota.



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Captain Lawton Corinth MississippiFamily photo

The daring and lack of fear displayed by Lawton was to remain with himthrough his life, ultimately causing his death years later. His eagerness toget into a battle was also a trait that he would display with regularity,sometimes to the point of being competitive with his fellow officers.


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the Ohio, under General Don Carlos Buell in Kentucky and remained therefor a brief period. The army moved on to Tennessee early in 1862. Itsfirst major engagement would be at Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh) whereLawtons regiment was one that suffered heavy losses. 14

General U.S. Grants army of 42,000 men was in place atPittsburg Landing since early March, 1862, waiting for General BuellsArmy of the Ohio. The two forces were to join in a major push intoMississippi. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston commandedsouthern forces that were positioned at Corinth, Mississippi, just 22 milesaway from Grants position.

Both the Union and Confederate forces had been suffering fromdysentery, scarce rations and cold, wet weather. Johnston, over theobjections of his second-in-command, General Beauregard, had decided toattack Grant before Buell could arrive at Pittsburg Landing. On themorning of April 6, 1862, Johnstons forces attacked Grantsencampments. Some of the early fighting took place around a small whitewashed church named Shiloh, which in Hebrew means place of peace.

The Confederate attack so surprised Grants troops that manyabandoned their bivouac area and left their breakfasts behind. TheConfederate soldiers who had not eaten for twenty-four hours stopped totake advantage of the free meals. 15

General William Tecumseh Sherman was in position with histroops near the church but they were pushed back by the 6th Mississippi.General Johnston himself led a charge of southern soldiers. Sopreoccupied by the battle, he did not notice that a Union bullet had tornthrough his leg and severed an artery. He died mid-afternoon of the firstday of battle and was replaced by General Beauregard.

Grants troops were in a difficult way but on the second day of battle, General Buells Army of the Ohio finally joined the battle. WithBuells fresh troops, the Union forces counter-attacked and drove the tiredand outnumbered Confederate forces from the field. Beauregard withdrewto Corinth.

The casualties were extremely heavy with one in four of the100,000 combatants being killed or wounded. Observing the field of battle, strewn with corpses, caused Grant to comment that he could walk

14 U.S. War Department Report15 Ward, Geoffrey C.- The Civil War -p. 114


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across the area in any direction, stepping on bodies, without his feettouching the ground. 16The aftermath for Grant was so bad that he wasdenounced as a butcher and summarily relieved of his command andreassigned by his superior General Henry W. Halleck, Commander of theDepartment of Missouri. Privately, General Halleck spread the rumor thatGrant had been drinking during the battle.

Lawton, one of the fortunate survivors of Shiloh, had experiencedwith others, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. His unit movedon and fought at Corinth, Mississippi.

General Halleck moved the forces to Corinth, although it took him close to a month to cover twenty miles. His movement was over-cautious as General Beauregards forces numbered less than half of Hallecks. Under pressure from the Union army, Beauregard abandonedCorinth and withdrew to the south. Halleck, on the other hand, would stopthe army every day and put up fortifications to protect against Confederateattacks which never materialized, and when he did reach Corinth, therebels had moved south and offered no resistance.

Regardless of his indecisiveness and lack of progress, Halleck was promoted to general-in-chief of the Federal armies. Grant, in disgust,came close to resigning and going home but was talked out of doing so bySherman.

Lawtons unit also fought at Iuka while attached to Buells forces.At the age of 19, on May 7, 1862, outside of Corinth, he was promoted tothe rank of captain. 17 The memory of being handed his captains bars inJune was recalled later:

It was on a lovely day in June, 1862, that my commission of captain washanded me. I had been commanding my company for some time; and I knew I would receive the formal promotion, for my immediate superiorshad all endorsed me in the most favorable terms. But I did not have the

formal warrant to assume the rank. When it was handed to me, I would not have changed places with king or kaiser. I was nineteen years old; and,

though my upper lip was as bare as a girls, I was captain in a fightingregiment. It was then that I felt that if I had a vocation for anything onearth it was for the life of a soldier. Then and there I determined to make

16 Ward, Geoffrey C.- The Civil War- p. 12117 U.S. War Department Report


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the service of my country my lifes work. 18

In the meantime, Lawton, with the 30th, transferred to the Armyof the Cumberland, where he would serve in Kirks Brigade, under MajorGeneral William S. Rosecrans. His regiment was among the forcescommanded by General George H. Thomas. Rosencrans spent two monthspreparing for an offensive against General Braggs Confederate forces in

Tennessee. On the day after Christmas in 1862, he split his army intothree columns and advanced towards Murfreesboro. Bragg and his armyhad been camped there for over a month.

Braggs defensive position straddled Stones River. On December29, Rosecrans army arrived in the area of Murfreesboro and by thatevening, two-thirds of his unit was positioned 700 yards from theConfederate line, along the Nashville Turnpike.

By December 30, Rosecrans had 44,000 men arrayed againstBraggs 38,000 soldiers. The battle plan of the opposing generals turnedout to be the same, that is, each planned to hold their right side static andadvance with their left. 19

In the early morning hours of December 31, the air was cold and

crisp, the men of the 30th Indiana had been able to get some sleep duringthe night, and were preparing for the days events. The 30th, along withthe 29th Indiana, 34th Illinois, and 77th Pennsylvania regiments, werepositioned in a line just above present day Franklin Road.

Some of the Union troops were cooking breakfast when rebeltroops under General William J. Hardee struck against the Union rightflank. The Federal troops offered stiff resistance but began to roll back,one brigade at a time so that by 10 A.M., the line was at a right angle to itsoriginal position. Lawtons unit came under heavy fire, suffering highcasualties, and was pushed back about one mile in the first hour of fighting. The regiment continued to fall back, seeking cover, and the menkeeping their heads low. At one point, Lawton was observed amblingalong, taking his watch out to check the time of day. He either failed tounderstand the danger of a bullet or was completely unafraid. At his heightof 6 feet four inches, he was an ample target for any rebel rifleman.

18 Ft. Wayne Ind. Historical Society19 Catton, Bruce- The Civil War -p. 266


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It seems, as was borne out by his actions in later battles, that he had aspecial presence of mind, and was extremely brave in the face of danger.

The 30th, along with several other regiments on the right side of the Union line were driven back past Wilkinson Pike. Furious fighting onthe part of the Federal troops as the Confederates pushed through thewooded sections allowed Union artillery on the high ground to set up andhalt rebel charges across the open areas. Rosecrans was forced to recallpart of his forces that he had sent across Stones River in order toconsolidate them. By late in the afternoon, he had re-formed his lines andfurther Confederate attacks were repulsed.

General Bragg was confident that Rosecrans would withdraw hisforces to Nashville. In fact, on the next day, January 1, 1863, Bragg as aprelude to withdrawing misinterpreted re-forming actions on the part of theFederals. On the contrary, Rosecrans was strengthening his defensive lineand setting up protection for his supplies. The next morning, Bragg wassurprised to find the Union army still in place, confronting his forces. Hespent a quiet morning, then ordered General Breckinridge to dislodge theUnion troops from the east bank of Stones River. Breckenridge protestedthe order, but ordered his men to attack at about 4 P.M.. The rebels had tocharge across a wide expanse of open ground and came under heavy Unionartillery fire.

The Confederates lost 1,800 men in the effort and withdrew. Tomake matters worse for Bragg, he learned that Rosecrans was receivingreinforcements. He then moved his troops 36 miles from the engagementfor the winter while Rosecrans moved into Murfreesboro where his armycamped for the next six months.

Lawton saw his next major action at Chickamauga as part of Rosecrans summer campaign against Bragg. At the end of June, Rosecransbegan what appeared to be a dazzling show of generalship. He outflankedand out-maneuvered Bragg all the way to Chattanooga. His only problemwas that once in Chattanooga, he didnt stop to re-supply or rest his troops,rather, he continued his pursuit of Bragg through very difficult terrain.

Meanwhile, Bragg had halted his retreat and was receivingreinforcements, including those commanded by General James Longstreet.Twelve miles south of Chattanooga, Bragg attacked on the banks of Chicamauga Creek. On September 19 and 20, he routed a major part of Rosecrans Army.


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Lawton and the 30th, part of Thomas command, were positionedon the right (or south) of the Union line near Lee & Gordons Mill,opposing Longstreets troops. When Bragg struck, Rosencrans perceived agap in his own line that actually did not exist. When he ordered it closed,the movement created a gap on the right through which Longstreets rebelsattacked, routing two Union corps. The troops under General Thomas,known as Pap to his soldiers, managed a stubborn and orderlywithdrawal that prevented Chickamauga from becoming a total disaster.Thomas earned a new nickname; the Rock Of Chickamauga.

Bragg failed to follow up on his success and Longstreet wasincensed to the point of requesting his removal as commander. 20 TheUnion troops then retreated to Chattanooga and were bottled up and undersiege for the next several months.

Troops were cut off from most supplies, were infested withvermin, and were cold and hungry. They cut down trees and knockeddown houses and other buildings in order to have firewood. Plagued byfall rains, the stench of dying mules and horses, the federal troopsexperienced a great deal of misery.

In October, after having been named commander by Lincoln of Union armies between the Appalachians and the Mississippi, Grant madeChattanooga a priority. He went to Chattanooga and replaced Rosecranswith General Thomas as head of the Army of the Cumberland. WithGrants arrival, the union troops morale improved and activity increased.A gap was created through the Confederate lines so that a pontoon bridgecould be laid across the Tennessee River. Supplies began to reach thearmy, and Grant conceived a strategy to drive the Confederates off Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain.

Like Lawton, Arthur MacArthur, Jr., eighteen year-oldLieutenant with the 24th Wisconsin, was also at Chattanooga. The twowould later serve in Cuba and the Philippines as senior officers.

On November 24, the battle of Chattanooga began withShermans attack on the left flank of Braggs line. It stalled but Joe

Hookers men stormed Lookout Mountain and planted the Union flag onthe summit. On November 25, Pap Thomas veterans of Chicamaugamade a limited attack on the first line of rebel trenches below MissionaryRidge as Hookers units launched an all-out assault on the right. The rebel

20 Ward, Geoffrey C.- The Civil War -p. 256


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positions were supported by artillery lining the crest; rifle pits on the slope;and trenches at the bottom of the hill. 21

Thomas soldiers overran the trenches, held their ground andawaited further orders. General Sheridan was with the troops in thetrenches. When he pulled a flask from his coat and toasted the rebelgunners on the slope, they opened fire, spattering him and his officers withdirt.

Sheridan roared, That was ungenerous! Ill take your guns forthat. His words triggered an immediate response from the Union soldierswho, without orders, jumped from their trenches and started up the slope.Shouting, Chickamauga! Chickamauga! as they fought past the rifle pitsand on to the top. 22 Grant, observing from a distance questioned who hadgiven orders for the advance and was informed that the men had started upon their own. MacArthur carried his units colors to the top of MissionaryRidge yelling, On Wisconsin.. It seemed that the veterans of Chickamauga had been doing a slow burn for some time, having sufferedthe jeers from Hookers and Shermans men for the defeat atChickamauga. The two-day battle cost the Confederacy the war in theWest. 23

General Sherman was then named commander of the armies inthe West including the Army of the Cumberland under General Thomas.Lawton served in the Army of the Cumberland until November of 1864.In July of 1864, he was assigned as inspector on the staff of GeneralGrose, commanding the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 4th Corps. He held thisposition prior to assuming command of the regiment that reflected the trustplaced in him by his superiors.

Lawton saw more action and was under fire at Tunnel Hill, RockyFace, Dalton, Resaca, Adairsville, Cassville, New Hope Church,Kennesaw Mountain, Smyrna Camp Ground, Chattahoochee River, andPeachtree Creek, all in Georgia.

These engagements were part of Shermans movement towardsAtlanta. At Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, Sherman found the

Confederates well dug in. Pap Thomas men attacked under a broilingsun facing death as coolly as if they were automatic or wooden men. The

21 Ward, Geoffrey C.- The Civil War- p. 26022 Ibid., p. 26123 Ibid.


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frontal attack failed and Sherman resumed a flanking strategy, forcingGeneral Johnston of the Confederacy, to the Chattahoochee River, lessthan ten miles from Atlanta.

General Johnston chose to fight a stalemate war hoping for achange in the political winds in the North if Lincoln lost the Presidentialelection. However, Shermans flanking movements allowed Union troopsto cross the Chattahoochee unopposed forcing Johnston to fall back to theedge of Atlanta. Jefferson Davis replaced Johnston with General John BellHood who was more of a gambler. His understanding of his role was thathe was to attack rather than to fall back, and he did so.

General Thomas was crossing Peachtree Creek and there was agap of several miles between his men and those of McPherson andSchofield. Hood launched a savage attack on Thomas on July 20 in thehopes of destroying his forces before Sherman could consolidate. Hoodsattack was vicious but Thomas was a tough fighter and his troops were justas tough. The Confederates were thrown back and the Union forcesconsolidated.

On August 3, 1864, Lawton was serving as brigade officer of theday and commanding Company A. He personally led his brigade acrossopen ground in a charge against the Confederate rifle pits in front of Atlanta. Two other brigades were to charge the Confederate positions aswell, one on Lawtons right, one on his left. Lawton not only captured thepits, he held them as well against two desperate attempts by the rebels tore-take them. What made the accomplishment more notable was that thebrigade on his right was repulsed by the Confederates; the brigade on hisleft never attacked leaving Lawtons brigade as the only one carrying theweight of the charge. 24

In later years, Lawton was awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor for distinguished gallantry, and with characteristic modesty,considered himself unentitled to the award. 25 He was relieved from hisposition as inspector in November, 1864, and promoted to BrevetLieutenant Colonel on November 15, taking command of his regiment.

As the Union Army under Schofield fell back towards Nashville, itwas pursued by General Hoods forces. Hood hoped to effect a change in

24 National Archives-Lawton papers25 National Archives-American Museum Of History Branch-MedalOf Honor Roster-p. 168; War Department


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Shermans strategy by attacking Union forces in Tennessee and forcingSherman to turn north from Georgia. Hoods forces moved north in aneffort to prevent Schofields units from joining with General ThomassFederals at Nashville. Schofield beat Hood to Columbia by two days, yetHood still hoped to outflank Schofield and cut him off at Spring Hill,eleven miles to the north.

Hood reached Spring Hill on November 29. With the Unionescape route to the north still open, the Confederates went into bivouac forthe night allowing Schofield to slip through. Hood, extremely angry at hislost opportunity, pressed his men forward and found the Union forcesentrenched at Franklin, just south of Nashville.

Lawton distinguished himself again at Franklin, displayingexcellent leadership qualities. Schofield used two Corps to protect thewithdrawal of his wagon trains and artillery across the Harpeth River.While getting into position and waiting for action to start, Lawton took thetime to provide some instruction to his troops, many of which were newand not battle hardened. Lawtons own version of this action is containedin his report of December 5, 1864:

Report of Capt. Henry W. Lawton, Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, of operations November 30, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS THIRTIETH INDIANA VOLUNTEERS, Nashville, Tenn., December 5, 1864

Sir: In compliance with instructions, I have the honor to report the parttaken by my regiment in the action at Franklin, Tenn., on the 30th day of November, 1864:

After a very irregular march of all night, I arrived, with the brigade(Third), at Franklin at about 8 a. m. of the 30th instant. Was formed inirregular order, and, with arms stacked, remained long enough to prepare

breakfast.About 11 a. m. we were moved to the right, near the western

portion of the city, and were formed by General Grose, commandingbrigade, in line of battle. My position was in the front line, joined on theright by the Seventy-fifth Illinois and on the left by the Eighty-fourthIndiana.


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Skirmishing had already begun on the left of the line, and was nowcommencing in our front. A line of works was now being rapidlyconstructed, and by 4 p. m. was completed. My regiment being composedmostly of new levies or drafted men, and entirely ignorant of the use of arms, I deemed it necessary to have all spare time given to drill;consequently when the works were finished, I was forming for thatpurpose, when the pickets in my front commenced firing very rapidly, andby the time I formed behind the works, were driven by a charge from theenemy.

They fell back immediately in my front, and compelled me to holdmy fire for the purpose of saving our own men. The enemy received anoblique and very destructive fire from the Ninth Indiana, on the right of theline, which checked him until the pickets got under cover of the works,when I immediately opened up on him. The two fires soon became too hot,and he was compelled to fall back which he did in considerable disorder.Pickets were again sent out in my front, and kept up a slow fire, but werenot again driven in. Heavy fighting was done, however, on the left, but mycommand had no part, and nothing further occurred until 12 that night,when our line was withdrawn and I moved with the brigade across theriver without further molestation. The losses sustained by my regimentwere as follows: Private John Ottman, killed; Privates Stephen Vancamp,Julius Burns, James Simmons, and Adam Humburger, and TollmanMorris, Company C, wounded. The men above named, except the last,were all new soldiers, and were not yet assigned to companies. Theconduct of both officers and men was good without exception, and theyhave my warmest thanks for the promptness with which they did theirpart.

Very respectfully,

H.W. LAWTON,

Captain, Commanding Thirtieth Indiana Volunteers.

Lieut. F. Bingham, Acting Assistant Adjutant General, Third Brigade 26

26 National Historical Society- War of the Rebellion -Vol. 45 Series I,pp. 222-223


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After the surrender of the Confederate armies, he was ordered toTexas, where, on account of the good condition and discipline of hisregiment, the division commander assigned him to an independentcommand. His regiment took part in every march, battle, and skirmish inwhich it was engaged until mustered out in December, 1865. 29

Lawton had proven that he was a person with presence of mindunder great pressure; he certainly had exhibited leadership abilities, andnever folded in the line of fire. He also demonstrated that he was a teamplayer, with keen organizational skills, and that above all, he lovedsoldiering.

Lawton did not have the benefit of an affluent family withconnections; no political sponsors as such, and had not attended WestPoint; yet he had attained a rank and recognition level throughfundamental achievement. His standing was high among his troops and hisneighbors when he returned home.

He now had the opportunity to look with pride on hisaccomplishments, and to go home and find a peacetime profession.

29 War Department


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CHAPTER FOUR

CIVILIAN LIFE-AND BEYOND

Henry Lawton, approaching twenty-three years of age ended thewar with a fine service record and would have been able to find a suitablecivilian profession. The Army, after all, was going to undergo majorchanges, most of which would not make it an easy place to be.

For one thing, since peace was at hand, the size of the Armywould be substantially reduced. The United States perceived no threatsexternally or internally that would warrant huge appropriations for themilitary.

What remained of the Army would be split pretty much in half.A portion would be kept in the South, enforcing the peace and supportingreconstruction. Southerners, particularly in those areas where Black troopswere employed, would despise a good part of those forces.

The remainder of the Army would be spread thinly throughout thewestern territories and states to protect settlers and an ever-advancing lineof frontier people as they moved into Indian lands. Those troops would beunder-supplied, under-budgeted, and unappreciated by most of the peoplein the country.

In addition, the Army itself would be disorganized with conflictbetween the generals and the Secretary of War as to who would havecommand function. Many of the politically connected officers of theArmy would go directly to their congressman for favors or support. Thispractice circumvented the chain of command, frustrating efforts bygenerals such as Sherman and Sheridan in their efforts to consolidate theircontrol.

Staffers enjoyed the benefits of a posting in Washington D. C.as they would curry favor with politicians, often passing up their military,and often more qualified colleagues in the field.

Friction developed between the Regulars, West Point officers, andthe Volunteers. Many of the volunteer officers had achieved high brevetrank but held lower permanent or regular rank. Brevets were promotionsgiven in the field without raise in pay. Often, in a command conflict with


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a senior regular officer, the volunteer could pull rank by reverting tobrevet rank. In many cases, the West Pointer may simply not have been aswell qualified to handle a command situation and there was no basis in factfor the continued friction.

At any rate, this is the Army that would evolve after the Civil Warand its problems would continue for decades. So much so, that a man likeLawton could have certainly avoided the types of headaches found in theArmy by finding and pursuing a respectable civilian career.

It appeared at first that he had identified such a career when hewas mustered out of service. He entered the legal profession as a law clerk in the service of a Judge Ninde. At the judges urging, Lawton began lawstudies at Harvard Law School in the summer of 1866.

During this initial period after the Civil War, despite the problemsin the Army, many men sought to pursue military careers. Quietly,Lawton let it be known that he was interested in receiving a commission.In July of 1866 Congress fixed the size of the Army at 60,000 men,officers and enlisted combined.

That action seemed to close the door to many aspirants, butLawton was offered an appointment to the rank of second lieutenant in theregular Army, 41st Infantry, an all Black unit. Lawton declined theassignment and continued his studies at Harvard. A number of his friendsfelt that he should receive at least a captains grade but Lawton himself didnot get involved in a great deal of self-promotion. He applied for acommission and hoped for a captains rank and waited for a response fromthe Army.

Lawton also received recommendations from Generals Sherman,Sheridan, and Thomas J. Wood. Wood was a major general of Volunteers.In July, Sheridan strongly advised Lawton to take the appointment assecond lieutenant, which Lawton seemingly chose to ignore. However, onApril 4, 1867, when the offer was again tendered, Lawton accepted. In theprocess of reducing in size, the Army had gone over a number of brevetofficers from the Civil War. Many had received their brevet promotions as

favors or because of family ties and political connections. The seniorofficers wanted the smaller Army to have the least number of patronageofficers and the maximum number of battle tested and qualified officers.

One man destined to have a major influence on Lawtons life wasRanald S. Mackenzie, one of the Unions star officers during the CivilWar. He had been reduced to the regular rank of captain in the Corps of Engineers after the War. His fine record and bravery brought him to the


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impossible to other officers. Both had displayed great courage during theCivil War and had received brevet promotions to the level of colonel.

The fact that Mackenzie was a West Pointer and Lawton was not,never created a source of friction between the two men as they were tobecome close and fast friends over the next several years.

Lawton joined the 41st in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On July 31,1867, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant after beingrecommended by Colonel Mackenzie. The regiment was ordered to Texasin June and Lawton served as its regimental quartermaster. He would holdthis position, while serving under Mackenzie, for close to ten years.

He developed a reputation as a solid organizer who keptMackenzies troops supplied under severely adverse conditions. It was hisdetermination that enabled Mackenzie to get the jump on Nelson Miles, afew years later, in pursuing and locating Quanah Parkers Comanches atPalo Duro Canyon. It is also believed that his performance asQuartermaster contributed greatly to Mackenzies many successes.

Mackenzies regiment served in Texas as an Army of occupation,using Fort Brown as its base of operations. Fort Brown was located on thecoast along the Gulf of Mexico and on the Rio Grande. One of Mackenzies responsibilities was to administer the town of Brownsvillethat was situated near Fort Brown. Tensions along the Mexican borderadded to the duties of the 41st but the Army was very welcome on theTexas frontier. 31

Coupled with the military assignments given him, Mackenzie hadthe job of turning untrained ex-slaves into soldiers. He merged black soldiers and new recruits from the north into the regiment and diligentlyworked at turning the men into proficient and respected military personnel.32

After border tensions were reduced in late 1867, Mackenziesregiment was transferred to Fort Clark Texas.

On November 11, 1869, the 41st Infantry and 38th Infantry were

consolidated to the 24th Infantry to which Lawton was transferred. 33

31 Robinson, Charles M., III- Bad Hand -pp. 43-4632 Ibid.33 U. S. War Department Report-Inspector Generals Office-12-21-1899


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With the reduction of the Army in 1870, came the creation of several new cavalry regiments. Mackenzie, with an instinct for where theaction would be, requested transfer to a cavalry regiment. His request wasgranted and he took command of the 4th Cavalry regiment. That regimentwas to become one of, if not the finest, cavalry regiments in the Army.

Mackenzie also had his eyes on several promising young officers,Lawton being one of them. He requested Lawtons transfer as well and onJanuary 1, 1871, Lawton became Mackenzies regimental quartermaster.

It was with the 4th Cavalry that Lawton would develop areputation for tenacity and determination, loyalty, and a fondness for hisfellow officers that resulted in some lasting friendships. The newassignment and the adventures it brought would seal permanently,Lawtons decision to return to and remain in military life.


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What he thinks, he says. He has a strong sense of justice, but his temper isterrific and he is not gentle. He requires of subordinates the utmostendeavor, and gets it. He asks no one to do work that he is not competentand willing to do himself. Naturally a leader, he goes first, and the moredifficult or desperate the undertaking, the faster he goes. NY Times 12-20-1899 quoting an officer who served with Lawton in the southwest.

CHAPTER FIVE

EARLY YEARS IN THE 4TH CAVALRY

The Southwest and Western Army campaigns served as a greatequalizer among officer types. The Indian presented problems for whichthere were no book fixes. Traditional military battle order would notcompete well with their hit-and-run, guerrilla style tactics.

The west was a school of hard-knocks and only those soldiers whoadapted to the new environment would have any chance of surviving.Lawton and his comrades were soon to learn that old conventional theoriesmost often did not fit the current problems. As time passed, the newerofficers, those without battle experience in the Civil War, would bringtheir West Point theories and youthful exuberance to their westernpostings. Frequently, rivalries and resentment developed between theolder, seasoned and hardened officers, and the younger West Point officerswith no battle experience but plenty of textbook answers.

Lawton would serve ably as post quartermaster for the 4th Cavalryand as its regimental quartermaster in field campaigns. For one who hadbeen at the head of troops in over twenty major Civil War engagements,the duties would not be glamorous. They would, however, be a test of hiswillingness to serve in a support role rather than one of command. He alsoserved in various other positions as requested by Mackenzie as he was

flexible and able to adapt quickly to changing environments withoutcomplaint. At least there is no record of his having resisted any of theassignments he was given.

Serving under Mackenzie in itself would not be an easy task.Ranald S. Mackenzie had graduated first in his class from West Point in


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1862. 34 He had an exceptionally fine record during the Civil War and washighly regarded by Grant. He was a perfectionist, quick tempered, anddemanding. He was the type of person who would not tolerate having totell his subordinates more than once what his wishes were. When heissued an order or made a request it was understood that full compliance,on Mackenzies timetable, was expected. The other difficulties imposed onLawton in his new position were manifestations of the cutback inappropriations for military spending and reductions in the Army ingeneral. There were many in the general public who did not want, nor didthey appreciate the Army. Only when there was a pressing police matterdid the press and public scream for fast action by the Army.

Line units such as Quartermaster were hindered in getting suppliesin the quantities needed or on time to meet the demands of fieldcampaigns. Lawton would have his abilities tested regularly in copingwith the shortage problems as well as meeting Mackenzies demands. Hewould also use the quartermaster position to learn the fundamentals of supply and logistics extremely well.

During the next eight years, he was found to be practical, quick,and willing to get his hands dirty. One trait that consistently appears indescribing Lawton is that he had an iron determination and did not quit.Another and perhaps more important trait is that he maintained presence of mind under extreme pressure. He might get temperamental or short withothers, but he never lost his focus in doing the right things. His ability toroll up his sleeves as an officer may have cost him some points with someof the newer cerebral type officers, as well as with some of his peers andseniors who tended to be text book soldiers, as well. However, hissuperiors always rated Lawton high and held him in high esteem. In 1871,Lawton would put his skills to work in an entirely new environment.

In June of 1871, most of the 4th Cavalry was being pulled togetherfrom its various posts to form a large unit of operation. It was at this timethat Henry Lawton became known to men and officers of the 4th.Lieutenant Robert G. Carter, adjutant to Colonel Mackenzie, recalled his

first meeting with Lawton soon after his transfer to the 4th Cavalry whenhe joined with Troop C of the 4th in January, 1871.

34 Robinson, Charles M., III- Bad Hand -p. 13


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Troop C marched up to Fort Richardson, Texas from Laredo alongthe Rio Grande on June 29, 1871. 35 Carter and Lawton became closefriends and remained so years after each had moved on in their careers.Even after Lawton rose in rank and served in areas away from Carter, thetwo corresponded and confided in each other. Carter was one of severalmilitary associates of Lawton who promoted Lawtons cause particularlywhen Lawton would not speak for himself.

It was during the assembly of several companies of the 4th in June1871, that First Lieutenant Lawton became known to the other officers.He was 6 feet 4 inches tall in his stocking feet with dark brown, almostblack, bushy, wiry hair, brushed up and stiffly back. His eyes were dark brown, and he had an immensely long mustache. In his dress he wasunpretentious, wearing clothes that were practical for duty at hand ratherthan sending the message he was an officer.

He impressed his new acquaintances as being restless, quick spoken, energetic in his movements, and full of life and fire. Carter usesanother description, that of being; a live wire, and as hard as nails. Theother officers and men meeting Lawton for the first time would feel that atfirst he was somewhat stiff and distant. Lawton would prove to begenuinely friendly but a shyness in his personality gave the impression hewas aloof. First impressions aside, Lawton gradually developed manyfriendships among his fellow officers and took to his tasks in earnest. 36 Itwas Carter, after Lawtons death in 1899, who compiled a record of theirfriendship and kept clippings of Lawtons accomplishments in a specialalbum. That album is now in the Graff collection at the Newberry Libraryin Chicago, Illinois. It seems, according to Carter, Lawton drew the envyof some of his fellow officers, particularly the academic West Point types.Lawton was not a book-person but instead was a no-nonsense, down toearth person, and had little, if any, tolerance for bureaucracy. He had ashort fuse with people who insisted on dabbling in abstracts when thesituation required quick and competent decisions.

Lawton and his new acquaintances now faced a new kind of

situation that had been developing in the months prior to June andprecipitated the assembly of the 4th Cavalry.

35 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border -p. 10636 Ibid.


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In May of 1871, General Sherman visited Mackenzies 4thCavalry at Ft. Richardson to get a first hand look at the frontier situation.He was escorted by Lieutenant Robert G. Carter. 37 Sherman received anearful from the settlers, who were represented by a delegation fromJacksboro.

The Kiowas and Comanches had been leaving the Ft. Sillreservation and raiding local ranches and supply trains. The settlers weremost concerned that the Indians were being fed and supplied by thegovernment and were being equipped with breech loading rifles. Of course, the settlers did not give the Indian side of the argument, that theywere under fed, and that the Buffalo they hunted were being killed off inlarge quantities by White hunters for nothing but sport.

Sherman, when hearing the accusations against the Indians,appeared to be incredulous, casting some doubt on the pleadings of thesettlers. 38 At some point, when everyone felt that Sherman would notrespond to the requests for military assistance, a wounded man, ThomasBrazeale, came into the post hospital with the story of the Salt Creek prairie massacre that occurred on May 18, 1871.

General Sherman visited Brazeale the morning after he came intothe hospital, and listened to his story. He appeared as skeptical as when hehad heard the settlers story. 39 Brazeale and two other men, R. A. Day,and Charles Brady, had escaped the slaughter of the mule team party onHenry Warrens corn wagon train, ten wagons in all. The wagon train hadbeen intercepted by a large party of Indians about four miles from whereLieutenant Carter had first met General Sherman and his party.

The report of Brazeale got Shermans attention and he orderedGeneral Mackenzie to send out a force to the massacre site to investigatethe story. If the story was true, Mackenzie was to round up his entire forceand meet Sherman at Ft. Sill.

Later, some understood how close Sherman had been to being thevictim himself of the attack by the Indians. Colonel Mackenzie andcompanies A, B, E, and F arrived on the scene of the massacre to find that

Brazeales account was not an exaggeration. Hard rain covered the areaand the bodies of the seven men who died were already bloated. The

37 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border - p. 7638 Ibid., p. 8039 Ibid., p.80


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victims had been stripped, scalped, and mutilated. Their bodies resembledporcupines as they were filled with arrows. After disemboweling the men,while they were still alive, their attackers had meticulously placed hotcoals on top of their abdomens. The survivors had managed to fight theirway out and later came into Fort Richardson.

Mackenzie moved his troops towards Fort Sill and arrived there onJune 4, 1871. He had sent a dispatch to General Sherman concerning hisfindings at Salt Creek. Sherman had arrived at Fort Sill and SantantasKiowa war party was close behind. Santanta no sooner arrived when hebegan to boast of the massacre to the other Indians.

Word reached Indian agent Lawrie Tatum, so when the Indianscame in for rations he asked what they knew of the events in Texas.Santanta freely admitted to leading the attack. He felt that the agency hadnot met many requests such as providing rifles and ammunition needed forhunting to supplement the agencys food rations. He complained thatnothing had been done to improve things for his people since his arrest byGeneral Sheridan in 1868 after General Custers fight with Black Kettle onthe False Washita.

Santanta was angry because he had heard about a railroad beingbuilt through Kiowa country, which he would not tolerate. Because of hismany grievances, he had taken one hundred warriors to Texas to teachthem how to fight. Chief Setank, Eagle Heart, Big Tree, Big Bow, andFast Bear had also gone along. Santanta related to attacking the mule trainand killing seven men while losing three warriors. He further said that hedid not plan on doing much raiding in the vicinity of Fort Sill but did planon more raids in Texas. 40

The other chiefs with Santanta when he made his statement toTatum attested to its accuracy. Tatum then requested that ColonelGrierson, post commander, arrest the Indians and charge them withmurder. Grierson in turn called for the Indians to come into his quarters.General Sherman had been informed of the proposed meeting betweenGrierson, Tatum and the Indians and hedged his bets by having a

contingent of fully armed soldiers concealed behind the area where themeeting was to be held.

The soldiers hid behind shuttered windows and had their carbinesaimed at the spots that would be occupied by the Indian chiefs. Santanta,

40 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border -pp. 84-85


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after Santantas confinement in prison. One, a peaceful group, was led byKicking Bird. The other, warlike, was under Lone Wolf. Lone Wolfsgroup began raids along the Texas frontier often operating from Ft. Sill. 43 Before Kicking Bird resolved to be peaceful, he and his followers roamedoutside the Ft. Sill reservation. Mackenzie, after grouping his forces inJune of 1871, planned to force Kicking Bird back on to the reservation.The chase was difficult as Kicking Bird was elusive and his movementshard to follow.

General Sherman had given Colonel Grierson full authority on thereservation and Mackenzie full authority for the State of Texas. It isbelieved that Kicking Bird was warned by Colonel Grierson from Ft. Sillof Mackenzies effort to corner him. Kicking Bird eventually moved back to the safety of the reservation, where, Mackenzie, restricted by his orderswas not allowed to enter.

With Kicking Bird safely under Griersons supervisionMackenzies forces now focused on Lone Wolf. Comanches led by thehalf breed Quanah Parker often joined the Kiowas in the frontier raids,and Mackenzies soldiers had a number of skirmishes in late 1871 withParkers warriors. On September 19, 1871 Mackenzie launched his fallcampaign. The troops marshaled at an old camp near Fort Griffin, Texas.On September 25th, eight troops of the 4th Cavalry, two companies of the11th Infantry, along with about twenty Indian scouts were camped,awaiting Mackenzies arrival. 44

A short distance away at Murphys ranch, a large raiding band of Indians rustled a herd of cattle plus some ponies. The ranchers joined thetroops at camp, insisting that Captain Wirt Davis mount troops and givechase to the Indians. Davis was not going to leave camp against the ordersof Mackenzie that only frustrated the ranchers more. 45

On October 3rd the command, consisting of some six hundredmen, scouts, and pack train departed their campsite. The scouts underLieutenant P.M. Boehm moved ahead of the troops looking for signs of trails.

Since this was Henry Lawtons first major action as regimentalquartermaster in the field under Mackenzie, other officers frequently came

43 Utley, Robert M. -Frontier Regulars -p. 21144 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border -p. 15845 Ibid.


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to the rear to assist him in getting his pack trains over difficult terrain andthrough streams. Mackenzie soon learned to respect Lawtons ability andoften commented on his confidence in Lawton and other officers who hadCivil War experience under their belts. Lawton maintained the necessarypace, and Mackenzie was satisfied that he had selected the right man forthe job.

Sometime during his service in the west, Lawton was given aname by the Indians, Man Who Gets Up In The Night To Fight. 46 Nightfighting, for the most part, was an unconventional military method up untilthe twentieth century.

No doubt, Lawton acquired a taste for night fighting underMackenzie who frequently had his scouts out searching for hostile campsso that he could initiate a night attack. Of course the Comanches wereunconventional as well, and there were lessons to be learned from theirnight attacks.

In September, near Duck Creek, the troops discovered caves usedas trading stations between Mexicans and the marauding Indians. Fromnear this point it was decided to have the reluctant scouts search at nightfor signs of the Comanches. Lawton was placed in charge of supplies andtwo infantry companies were detailed to provide protection. A smalldetachment under Lieutenant R.G. Carter was sent out to try and locate thescouts. 47

Mackenzie himself struck out with a large part of the command,without waiting for the scouts to report back. He hoped to locate andsurprise the Comanches while they were sleeping. The night marchproduced no results other than troops halting in line on trails, not riskingmoving off in the dark for fear of falling into a ravine, or meeting someother disaster in the dark. 48 After a fruitless search the commandconsolidated again the next morning at the Freshwater Fork of the BrazosRiver. A preliminary check of the area indicated that Indians had recentlycamped nearby.

Captain E. M. Heyl took a squadron out on reconnaissance in the

early afternoon. Somewhat later the scouts who had not yet rejoined theforce came into camp. Having spotted a few Comanches not too far away

46 Carter Papers-Newberry Library47 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border -p. 16148 Ibid., p. 162


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they also reported that they had come across what they believed to beQuanah Parkers trail. 49

Mackenzie mounted his troops and moved out to pick up the trail.Captain Heyls squadron was called in and that evening the troops campedin what probably was not an ideal location, but it was the only one at hand.Near midnight the camp was attacked by a war party. The Indians firstgoal was to stampede the horses, which would have stranded the entirecommand.

In the darkness, amidst great confusion, the men used lariats oranything they could get their hands on to prevent the loss of their mounts.Once the confusion subsided and the troops were able, the horses weregathered and placed under heavy guard. The command, mostly G and Ktroops, lost around seventy horses. 50 The next day, in its hurry to recapturesome of the horses, troops under Captain Heyl and Lieutenant W. C.Hemphill, accompanied by Lieutenant Carter, gave chase to a number of Comanches seen in the distance with cavalry mounts. About two milesfrom the main camp, the troopers rode into a large body of Comanches.Retreating and firing on the run, the small group of soldiers attempted tofend off the warriors.

Unfortunately, Captain Heyl and Lieutenant Hemphill and theirtroops decided to make a break for it leaving Carter and only a small groupof men to face the charge, led by Quanah Parker himself. 51 What savedthat small group was the charge by Lieutenant Boehm and his Indianscouts that discouraged the Comanche attack and sent them into awithdrawal. Boehm also turned Heyl and Hemphills troops around, back into an offensive posture, which added to his number of attackers.

The cavalry gave chase for a time but the Comanches eludedfurther direct contact and were able to make good their escape. Mackenziedecided to continue pursuit of the Comanches although he sent thedismounted troops back to base camp. By early October the weather wouldbegin to work against the fall campaign, but Mackenzie persisted. Thetroops sighted the moving camp of the Comanches. As the gap closed

between the two forces, Mackenzie, for some reason, became conservativeand did not decide to attack.

49 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border p. 16350 Ibid., p. 167; Robinson, Charles M., III- Bad Hand - p. 9951 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border -p. 169


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The weather was foul, and it was becoming dark, and both thosefactors plus the fact the command was a distance from its supplies mighthave convinced Mackenzie that the potential for loss was high. Thecommand dismounted as a storm struck and vision was obscured. TheIndians sent back several scouts to determine what the troopers were up toand there was a momentary exchange of gunfire before contact was brokenoff.

Mackenzie realized that he had quite a distance to travel in badweather to get to the nearest post, Fort Sumner in New Mexico. He turnedhis command around and began his trek back to winter camp. A few of theComanche pursued and in a brief firefight Mackenzie was struck in the legby an arrow. 52

Now wounded, and with his men suffering from the elements andfacing a long march, Mackenzie sent orders to Lawton at Duck Creek,some distance in the rear, to move his train to intercept the command atFresh Fork.

Lieutenant Henry W. Lawton-National Archives

Lawton had the challenge of proving to Mackenzie, no doubt in anugly mood, that he had made the right decision in putting him in the

52 Robinson, Charles M., III- Bad Hand -p. 106


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Major Maucks command rejoined. Both men and horses were hungry,wet, and tired. Lawton also experienced a difficult time getting his supplytrain with corn through the bad weather, arriving on November 8th.

Back at Fort Richardson, Colonel Mackenzie had the task of regrouping and refitting his unit. Morale was very low following the 1871campaign. The desertion rate among the enlisted ranks had reached acritical level of close to thirty-two percent. Mackenzies command was noexception even though the 4th Cavalry was regarded as one of the armysbest regiments.

Adding to the miseries of life was the governments act to reducepay thus further reducing a soldiers incentive to live out his enlistmentagreement. There continued to be low public and political support for theArmy, most units were under manned, supplies were short, and pay wasbad. Among the enlisted ranks there was the least amount of incentive todisplay any form of enthusiasm for what they had to do.

The problem produced, in a strange way, a diversion of sorts forLawton and his fellow officer, Lieutenant Carter. Mackenzie, infuriated atthe desertion of ten of his troops, selected Carter and Lawton to go afterthem. 54

Orders were cut November 29, 1871 providing funds for bothofficers for travel and expenses. Mackenzie personally directed the effortsof the two officers with explicit orders for their conduct of operation whilepursuing the deserters. Both Lawton and Carter were to travel in civiliangarb and take along enlisted personnel as aides. Carter and Lawton weregiven instructions to travel in different directions and to take whatevermeans legal within the framework of civilian law to bring the men in. Inhis usual way Mackenzie demanded results and expected them. 55

While the assignment might have seemed to be a welcomediversion from what they had been through, Lawton no doubt hadquestions about being a detective when his interest lay in soldiering. Bythe time this adventure was over, Lawton probably decided that a civilianprofession in law enforcement was not his forte. While Carter brought

back ten deserters, Lawtons travels produced nothing more thanfrustration. He had traveled into the Indian Nation, which later becameOklahoma, and for his troubles one his own men deserted. In the end

54 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border- pp. 219-22255 Ibid.


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Mackenzie was both satisfied and amused. 56 He decided Carter was thebetter of the two for tracking deserters and sent him out to retrieveLawtons lost soul. Lawton for his part quietly accepted the minor failurein good spirits.

56 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border- p. 245


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A giant in stature, tireless, fearless, and a veritable demon when arousedto action, he was a perfect type of the hero that in every age and countryhas commanded the worship of his followers. NY Times, 12-20-1899 onLawtons death.

CHAPTER SIX

THE SOUTHERN PLAINS

Army life, while dismal for the most part, had its lighter moments.One such time came during the interlude between the 1871 and 1872campaigns. As quartermaster, Lawton had an older Scottish clerk namedMasterton. He had found a bride and was to be married to a young womanfrom Jacksboro, Texas. The weather had turned bitterly cold, but thewedding was held in frontier style and many of the men and officers wereinvited. Lawton and his fellow officers were given to some hard drinkingwhen duty allowed, so the opportunity to share the spirits could not bepassed up. With the exception of the sick and disabled, the troopers wentinto town and joined the festivities in a local home. The house was sealedup against the weather and heated to an extremely hot temperature by'airtight' stoves. 57

Masterton and his bride had prepared a large feast with most of thefood and liquor shipped in from Galveston or San Antonio. It wasprobably the best meal the soldiers had enjoyed in months. Included weresmoked buffalo tongue, quail, wild turkey, and roast pig. For those whohad found a companion, couples were called to the meal. WhenMackenzie, a bachelor, and his lady partner were called to the table andmoved at a pace slower than what the other guests wished, a youngerofficer gave him a slap on the back to hurry him along. 58

Given Mackenzies aversion to the use of alcohol, it probably took a great deal of tolerance on his part to ignore the state in which he found

57 Carter, Robert G.- On The Border With Mackenzie- p. 340-34158 Ibid.


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his officers that evening. 59 Later, attempting to return to barracks, theofficers and men found themselves stumbling across a creek, and thentrying to get into warm nightclothes.

The opportunity to eat and drink heartily did not occur often, soboth officers and men alike would avail themselves of the chancewhenever possible. Of course the enlisted men, with their rock bottompay, could not afford to drink finer alcohol often and the Army had asurplus of home made stills working with regularity. On other occasions,the men would entertain themselves by arranging an impromptu dance. Anorderly would be sent out from headquarters to announce to the men andofficers the location and time of the dance.

One barrack would be selected and cleared out. Often there weremusicians among the men who would voluntarily make up a small bandor orchestra to provide the music. Officers on duty were not invited forobvious reasons. The women on post were obliged to bring the food, andtheir creativity with what food was available, was admirable. Whenpossible, the meals were supplied with fresh meat brought in by huntingexpeditions.

In the case of Mackenzies post, a regimental band was formedand provided the evenings entertainment. The men were not particular asto what the ladies wore to the event, but their presence was essential as itcreated a little sense of home and brought warmth to the occasion. In theirdesperation for entertainment, the men attempted to form small theatricalgroups but the results were generally disastrous. These efforts to holdmorale up in the face of severe duty conditions helped, but the inevitablecampaign would interrupt any merry making soon enough.

In 1872, activity in Texas intensified. Kiowa - Comanche raids onsettlers along the entire frontier showed no signs of let up. In fact, theCheyenne and Arapaho warriors would join in, and the Army had its handsfull for the next few years. One of the major problems was the rapidkilling of the buffalo because of a demand for their hides.

Sheridan also saw the decimation of buffalo herds as an expedient

for getting the Indians back on the reservations simply because their foodsupply was being destroyed. None of the Indians took this factor lightly

59 Robinson, Charles M., III- Bad Hand -Robinson accuratelyportrays Mackenzies abstention from alcohol.


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and can hardly be blamed for their response to what they saw as asenseless waste of food.

In addition to the Kiowa - Comanche raids, the Army directed itsattention to the Mexican bandits known as Comancheros who traded riflesand whiskey with the Indians for goods they had plundered in their raids.In addition, Mexican marauders crossed the Rio Grande to add to theapprehension of the frontier settlers.

Mackenzie reopened his Texas campaign on June 14, 1872,moving out of Ft. Richardson to the Freshwater Fork of the Brazos, wherethe main supply camp was located. Lt. Colonel William R. Shafter broughtanother command into the area and he and Mackenzie spent the summermonths criss crossing the plains. 60

Mackenzie led his troops as far as Fort Sumner and Fort Bascom,New Mexico. Troops A, D, F, and L, of the 4th Cavalry were accompaniedby Company I, of the 24th Infantry. Two acting assistant surgeons wereattached to the command so in total, there were 272 enlisted men and 12officers. 61

It was in September that Mackenzies efforts paid off. On the29th, Tonkawa scouts under Lieutenant P. M. Boehm picked up the trail of Indians near McClellan Creek. The scouts lost the trail

general of the night 2010

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