December 19, 1899 · Central Luzon Theater
December 19, 1899
Leading an assault on San Mateo in a driving rainstorm, Major General Henry Lawton — conspicuous in a white raincoat and pith helmet at the front of his skirmish line — was shot through the chest by one of Licerio Gerónimo's sharpshooters. He was the highest-ranking American killed in the war. The town fell, but the Army had lost its most aggressive field commander.
Commanders