New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
GENERAL SH1FTER'S SOBRIOT ET
HOW HE EARNED THE NAME 'PECOS BILL.
WHILE FIGHTING INDIANS

rom me BOSTON f'oSt.
Nine-tcnt MS ~ the men in the Regular Army
from maJor-generals brigadiers officers of IN,
me 10 ordinary troopers. always refer to IN,
c''h'nahh"r Oh IN" American forces at Santiago
as Ieo"S BIZ SKATER. He is known by tha,
title from Vancouver Barracks to Tanpa Tbs
s"hrpuct Is a Renaissance II tn. old DAYS in
tn" southwest when Major General Shafier
as a colonel Of infantry. chased Indians rode
hard. tramp'd harder and made the hardest
sort Of military life pleasant for everybody
around him
The hero Of Santiago was a slender young
man in those days could ride his sixty miles
day. day IN and day out. or tram along at
the head Of tde troopers under lin for a week
on Army ratons without complaining half as
inu' D rs som" ~ the volunteers who have NOT
progressed any further toward actual war ,han
camp Alser in Virginia
They tell a hundred stories in the Army 10
prove that "Pecos BIZ Shafter Is a real sol,
der. not one Of the sort that likes n military
mop AZ well as he likes scrimmage with an
enemy. They say OF him that he is hard"
They don't mean. Of course. that he is hard
IN moral or humane sense. because he Is As
gentle as woman and as rigid in his views
/ Of life As Puritan father But he is a hard
s"aier hard rider. hard fighter and a strict
BIZ shaficr always has his coat m when
here is ANYTHING doing" is a saying in the
Army. The last time he seen by The
writer "PecOs Bill" not only had off his coat
but also his suspenders and was giving the
hcrdcrs Of mule pack train a lesson or Two
about their business and the accompanying art
II persuading mules To do things at Port
Tampa
In order fully 10 appreciate his oncr,y il
should be remembered that General Shafter
j. sur" enough heavyweight. He admits
that he weighs something over 200 pounds"
IN" report from Santiago say that the big
general assumed direct command ~ his men:
that b" rode into the fell with his coat off md
yelled orders Just he used 10 do in the old
days. when batting renegade Indians was the
extent Of tn Nations military undertaking.
BIZ Shafter is known = a plain man. too
rh"r" are no frills about him He went Off 20
cuba not whit better equipped as far as
clothing was concerned than the troopers who
went with him and swell cred under heavy blue
10th uniforms. y friend who with him
/ at Tampa suggested that he have one Of the
fashionable khaki uniforms constructed for
himself Most Of the generals and star officers
with him presented very natty figures. and the
bluff old Indian campagner admired them in
a way
bail" said he But" he added Il don't want
any ~ them in mine | guess | will go just
as am. | will lit in among the boys better"
So BIZ Shafter went off 10 the IN 4
regulation uniform Of dark blue cloth of tho
same quality as the clothes worn by the pri-
yatc troopers. The only difference was that
upon each Of his shoulders there were two
gold siars-thc insignia ~ a ma jor general "
the United states Army. H." endeared himself
10 the troops in his corps 10y advising the regi-
mental commanders To t@ke of and leave on
their coats And hr left his off during the trip
from Tampa To- the landing place in Cuba.
The troopers In the LIST Regiment Of Infantry
who served with General Shafter in the West
are sincerely fond Of him They give vigorous
evidence of the fact upon every occasion. ana
no man came in for hcartier reception than
ne the day be went aboard the transport
Seguranca at Port Tampa to sal out Of the
port and point the way to Cuba and To-
# ron bid Of the enemy.