Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-10-14
"pECOS BILL" SKATER.
A Good Soldier Who Has Won HIS
Spurs In Many Hard
Fought Battle.

adlerS, OfncerS OF the line 10 ordinary
troopers, always refer to the COM
mander of the American forces at San
tiago as "Pecos Bill" Shafter. He is
known by thai title from Vancouver
barracks to Tampa The sobriquet is
Renaissance of the old days in the
southwest when Mag. Gen. Shafter, as
a colonel of infantry, chased Indians,
rode hard, tramped harder and made
the hardest sort OF military life pleas
ant for everybody around him.
The hero of Santiago was slender
young man in those days, could ride his
GO miles day, day in and day out, or
tramp along at the head of the troop
ers under him for week on army ra.
lions without complaining half as
much as some Of the volunteers who
have not progressed any further to-
ward actual war than Camp Alger in
| Virginia.
They tell hundred stories in the
army to prove that"Pecos Bill" Shafter
is a real soldier; not one of the sort
that likes military hop as well as he
likes scrmmage with the enemy.
| They say of him that he is hard"
They don't mean, of course, that he is
"hard" in q moral or humane sense,
because he is as gentle as woman, and
as rigid in his views Of life as a Puritan
father. But he is hard soldier, hard
rider, hard fighter and strict disci'
plinarian.
"'Bill' Shaftcr always has his coat
off when there is anything doing" is a
saying in the army The last time he
was seen by the writer" Pecos Bill" moi
only had off his coat, but also his sus.
penders, and was giving the herders OF
a mule pack train lesson or two
about their business and the accom-
panying art of persuading mules to dc
things at Port Tampa.
In order TO fully appreciate his en-
ergy it should be remembered that
Gen. Shafter is sure-enough heavy
weight. He admits that he weighs,
something over 300 pounds" The re
ports from Santiago say that the bis
general assumed direct command OF
his men; that he, rode into the field
with his coat off and yelled orders just
ms he used to do in the old days, wher
batting renegade Indians was the ex
tent of the nations military under
taking.
bill" Shafter Is known ms q plair
man, too. There are no frills about
him. He went off to Cuba not whit
better equipped as far as clothing wa,
concerned, than the troopers who
went with him and sweltered under
heavy blue-clo;h uniforms. A friend
who was with him at Tampa suggested
that he have one Of the fashionabl,
khaki uniforms constructed for him
self. Most of the generals and staff of
ficers with him presented very natty
figures, and tLe bluff old Indian cam
paigner admired them in way.
"They are just the things for mil
itary ball" said he. "But," he added
81 don't want any of them in mine
guess l will go just as am. will fiji
in among the boys better"
So "Bill' Shafter went off to the wal
J IN regulation uniform of dark blue
cloth, of the same quality MS the
clothes worn by the private troopers
The only difference was that upon each
!. Of his shoulders there were two GOLD
stars-the insignia of major general
Of the United States army. He en-.
deared himself to the troops in hi,
corps by advising the regimental
commanders to take off and leave of
; their coats. And he left his off during
the trip from Tampa to the landing
: place in Cuba.
} The troopers in the First regiment
| Of infantry who served with Gen
Shafter in the west are sincerely FOND
of him. They give rigorous evidence OF
the fact upon every occasion, and nc
, man came in for heartier reception
: than he the day when he went aboard
the transport at Seguranca at Port
Tampa to sail out Of the port and point
J the way TO Cuba and the stronghold Of
the enemy.-BUston Post.