The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-05
"PECOs BILL" SHAFTER.
HeaVy-weight Fighter In Every
sense of the Term.

Sense of the Term.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Nine-tenths of the men in the regular
army, from major generals, brigadiers,
officers OF the line to ordinary troopers
always refer to the commander of the
American forces at Santiago as "Pecos
BnP' Shafter, He is known by that title
from Vancouver Barracks TO Tampa. The
sobriquet is Renaissance of the old
days in the Southwest when Mai. Gen.
Shafter. as a colonel of infantry chased
Indians rode hard, ramped harder and
made the military life pleasant for every
body around him
He was a slender young man in those
times could ride his sixty miles a day
day In and day out or tramp along at the
head of the troopers under him for week
on army rations without complaining.
They tell a hundred stories in the army
10 prove that "Pecos Bill" Shafter is a
real soldier. They say of him that he is
hard" They don't mean that he is hard
in moral or humane sense because he
is as gentle as a woman and as rigid in his
views of life as a Puritan Father. But
he is hard soldier; hard rider; hard fight
er, and a strict disciplinarian.
"Bi1' Shafter 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 not only had
off his coat, but also his suspenders, and
was giving the herders of a mule pack
train a lesson or two about their per
suading" mules 10 do things at Port
Tampa
Gen. Shafter superntended the embark
alton of the troops al Port Tampa, and
this statement means that he superintend-
ed every part of it, lie was the busiest
man in Tampa and hoped about with the
agility of a cadet fresh from the Military
Academy and in perfect physical training.
In order TO fully appreciate his energy
1t should be remembered that Gen. Shafter
is a sure enough heavyweight He is
pretty nearly as big from east to west as
he is from north to south. He frankly ad-
mits that he weighs something over three
! hundred pounds
His great girth of stomach makes him
look lot shorter in stature than he really
is and if you could see him in action,
jumping about as lively as a cricket with
his coat off and his arms travelling as fast
as his tongue giving orders in a manner
that is al once emphatic and soldierly, you
would not be inclined TO detract from the
glory that the men of the line and rank
confer UPON him.
The reports from Santiago say that the
big general assumed direct command Of
his men; that he rode into the field with
mis- coat off and yelled just as he used to
do in the old days when batting renegade
Indians was the extent of the nations nit
itary undertaking.
BIZ Shafter is known as a plain man,
too. There are no frils about him. lie
went off to Cuba not a whit better equip
ped as far as clothing was concerned than
the troopers who went with him and swell
tered under heavy blue cloth uniforms A
friend who was with him at Tampa sug
gested that he have one of the fashionable
"KhaIlie" uniforms made for himself Most
of the generals staff officers with him pre-.
scented very natty figures, and the bluff old
Indian campaigncr admired them in a way.
"They are just the things for military
ball" said he. But l don't want any OF
them in mine. l guess / viii go Just as 1
am. | will fit among the boys better"
The only difference In Skaters uniform
is that upon each of his shoulders there
were two gold stars, the insignia of a ma
ior general Of the United States army He
endeared himself to the troops in his corps
by advising the regimental commanders 10
take off and leave off their coats And he
left his off during the trip from Tampa 10
the landing place in Cuba. The troopers in
The First Regiment Of Infantry who served
with Cen Shafter in the west are sincerely
fond of HIM.
They give vigorous evidence Of the fact
upon every occasion, and no man came in
for heartier reception than he the Gay he
went aboard the transport Seguranca al
Port Tampa 30 sail out of the port and
point the way TO Cuba and the stronghold
Of the enemy.
The boys In the First say there is
streak of sporting blood in the general.
They prove it by reciting an incident that
occurred a few months ago at the post in
California. The general was enjoying
siesta at the window Of his house when
some Of the troopers who were playing
football in the parade ground kicked the
ball In through the open window and rude
~ disturbed his nap. He woke up with
start, and visions Of the guard house arose
before the men. But much TO their sur
prise "Peeos Biz came out on the porch
Of his house and kicked the bah back 10
them Incidentally he kicked his three
hundred pounds Of bulk off the porch, got
iip red IN the face and followed the bail to
prove that ne could kick II without falling
down. He did It.
Cen Shafter rides the biggest morse IN
the army. The animal is a long-barreled,
i6.hand bay and weighs more than 1900
mounds