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Why did Lawton leave Cuba?

Two factors weighed on the decision to bring Henry W. Lawton home from Cuba. The first was health. While little attention is given to his state of health during the campaign in Cuba, it was to affect Lawton a great deal more than people realized at the time and since. While he made no public statements regarding his condition, he did confide in friends with whom he corresponded immediately after the fighting ended. He admitted to suffering a bout of malarial fever and was later diagnosed with the condition and spent time in a hospital near the end of his tenure as military governor. His illness, while not a major story for correspondents, was nevertheless picked up by the press and revealed in later stories.

What people did not realize was that Lawton was experiencing 'recurring' malarial fever for which he had been treated in the past. National Archive documents reveal that an army surgeon examined Lawton in 1876 and diagnosed malarial fever and dysentery, recommending a change in climate and six months sick leave for then Lieutenant Lawton. Lawton never made light of the condition outside of his occasional requests for leave through official channels. When the condition flared up again in Cuba, it undoubtedly resulted in fatigue and a general run-down condition.

Leonard Wood, in his signed version of the U.S. Military Government of Santiago (The American Spanish War-A History by the War Leaders-Chas. C. Haskell & Son 1899) wrote: "In October General Lawton went home on sick leave having had a long siege of fever and I was left in command of the Department."

The second factor had to do with Lawton's concern for the health of his troops in Cuba and his views on relieving their condition.

President McKinley was keenly aware in September 1898 that public anger over the Cuban Campaign and sickness among the troops could translate into a loss for his party in the Congressional elections. A loss would cripple his agenda for the remainder of his term.

Lawton and other generals who had been objective, or quiet in expressing their views, had been of help in turning public opinion back to a positive direction. However, Lawton, in poor health with a great deal of work in front of him as Military Governor of Santiago, now took a position opposite of one held by the President and the War Department.

He was a popular hero among the American public, a respected voice, and potentially instrumental to the President in bringing victory to the Republicans in the fall elections.

This excerpt from 'General Of The Night' pretty much explains when and how the administration probably decided to help a popular general gracefully exit from a job he did not want, and to head off any political damage that might occur if he were to 'press his point'.

The United States, still considering its occupation options, then announced the intention of the administration to add 40,000 troops to the garrison serving under Lawton. The article reported that within two weeks, orders would be cut to dispatch 10,000 of the total on October 10^th, with the remainder to follow in short order.[1]

            Lawton had developed an entirely different point of view and recommended withdrawing all American troops and turning garrison responsibility over to the Cubans. His primary reason for making his recommendation was the large amount of sickness among the troops under his command. The information he sent caused uneasiness at the War Department. The War Department insisted that with a cooler climate, illness would not be a major factor affecting the troops who would be ‘immunes’. Lawton took the position, apparently based on his daily health reports, that while the immunes might not be subject to Yellow Fever, they would suffer from malaria, fever, and other diseases peculiar to the region.[2]

            For the first time, Lawton was at odds with the War Department although he did not press his point publicly. The fact that he did not was favorable to McKinley who, just prior to Congressional elections, could not afford to have a hero of the American people raising criticism of a decision of the War Department.  

            Did the disagreement have an affect on Lawton?  The answer was quick in coming. At 7:51pm the evening of September 20^th, Lawton cabled Corbin with a request that Corbin look after Lawton’s interests with the President as vacancies opened. In effect, Lawton said “get me out of here!”

            No doubt the President was informed of Lawton’s cable that evening. He and War Department officials were in the habit of being up late at night watching developments in Cuba and the Philippines. At 10pm the same evening, Corbin cabled Lawton assuring him that the President would look after his interests. Lawton was also authorized to take a leave of absence as soon as he could get important matters settled down. He was to put Leonard Wood in charge in his absence. Wood was also authorized to return home on leave when his services could be spared.[3]

            At this point, the President and Corbin probably considered options for relieving Lawton and bringing him home. Lawton’s physical health was diminished and he was physically in need of a rest. Moreover, he was about to take a position concerning the health of American troops that, if it became public, could be damaging to the President’s domestic political agenda. No one believed Lawton would purposely undermine the administration, yet, in a state of poor health and worn out, a slip could occur.           

            At the same time, Lawton who would never ‘quit’ while standing on his feet, must have known that his health was going to be a problem and he needed a rest. His personality was such that he could not ask to be relieved due to illness. Not voluntarily. His cable to Corbin was the caution light and in the next few weeks, matters would be worked out so he could be relieved gracefully and brought home.