The San Francisco call., 1899-10-16
SHAFTER WILL
KEEP HIS TWO
SILVER STARS
To Retain His Rank as
Major-General.

To-day is the date set for the retirement
Of General Shafter from the ranks Of the
regular army, and he would go on the re-
tired list If 1t were not for the fact that he
Is now serving under q volunteer commits
son-one which places him beyond the
regulation requiring the retirement of off,
GERS upon their si1ty-fourth birthday. AS
matter of feet, n will go on the reg
ular retired list, but he will continue to
command this department
General Shafter has received no notifi-
cation OF the fact that he will be retained,
but the case does not call for notlAcation.
The action of the law retires him from the
regular service in the one case; the failure
to appoint a successor in command and to
muster him out as a volunteer retains him
in the other. So General Shafter will re-
main in command of this department at
the pleasure of the President.
No prentice hand can run matters mill
tary on this coast now, in which fact lies
the principal reason for the retention OF
General Shafter. 1t is not generally known
what an amount of work is attached to
the caring for and transporting of the
thousands upon thousands of men who
have come and gone through this city
since the war broke out, and particularly
within the last few months. Since Cen
eral Shafter took command Of the Depart
ment of California after his return from
Cuba twenty-eight regiments have gone
recruits, and there are eight more to go
within the next month or six weeks.
Then, too, there have returned from Ma
Mia fifteen organizations of State Volun-
teers, all but two or three being full reg
iments, and aggregating over fifteen thou
sand men altogether; and further there
have been shiploads of discharged men
and sick men received, and ten sets of
barracks at the Preside have been kept
full of sick and convalescents. SiXty-hve
thousand men passing and repassing In
the last half would be TOO large
an estimate, and in all the going and COM
ing there has not been one man lost as
result Of the transportation arrange
ments; there has been no delay traceable
to the army management, and the regi-
mentS have followed each other from the
East and on out to -Aant la as smoothly as
they have followed each other from Ma
Mia and home to their own States after
being mustered out. At times there have
been quartered at the Preside over twelve
thousand men-ten .!meS as many as was
ever expected to be kept there-and there
has been no trouble, no sickness to speak
OF and no complaint.
A newcomer would find 1t hard to keep
the department up to this standard, SO
until ali the volunteers have finished their
service and oan Francisco returns TO its
former standing as a military station 1t
is probable the President will leave the
department in the generals hands.
Captain Leitch, who has been recently
Twenty-ffth Infantry, will be General
Skaters chief aid unless the adjutant
general wills otherwise. General Shafter
has asked that Captain Leitch be ap-
pointed upon his staff, but as Captain
Leitch has by his promotion come under
the orders of the general commanding
the Department of Texas, 1t will be neces-
sary for the adjutant general to make the
assignment.
Captain Kittredge, who was in the
service during the Spanish iIsn, war as as
to have been the second aid. He
had been mustered out, but was
infantry He declined the commission.
however. as his private interests require
his entire attention. Lieutenant Wilson,
who is now General Skaters only aid,
will be retained.
! Captain John Lafferty,. a retired officer
of the regular army, died at his home, 7SO
ferty began his military career in 1864,
when he was given a commission as first
lieutenant in the First California Cavalry.
He served with that command until the
close of the war, and he was then made
second lieutenant in the Eighth United
States Cavalry. He became a captain in
! 1876 and was retired for disability in
| 1878. During his service with, the Eighth
Cavalry he distinguished himself for
bravery and ability. and he was more
| than once complimented in orders by his
commanding officers. He particularly
distinguished himself on scouting expedi-
| tions. and on one occasion added to his
! while away from his command and fight
| ing them single handed He killed two
and brought the other two back with him
! to camp. He was a lieutenant then, and
for this exhibition of courage and ability
| as a fighter he was recommended for
brevet as captain.
! this and other fights, and the effect of
! his wounds finally compelled his retire
ment Since then he has been in bust
ness in this city. He was a member of
/ the Produce Exchange and was well
! known among all the grain Dealers and
member, of the Loyal Legion, the Cali
! United Workmen and the Knights of
! Honor. He has two sons who served
during the late war with the Oregon
First Lieutenant Charles A. Phillips of
! the Thirty-second Infantry and Second
Lieutenant James A Simpson of the
homes to be mustered out for disability
The Forty-second- Infantry. recruiting
at Fort Niagara: N. Y: and the Fortieth
/ Infantry, recruiting at Fort Riley, Kans.,
portation to the Presidio. The Forty
| second is under Colonel ]. Milton Thomp-
son formerly major maj RI in = the Twenty
commanded by Colonel Arthur Murray.
| formerly a captain in the First Artillery
First Lieutenant John w. Barker. Third
/ Infantry, has been assigned to the trans
port Newport as quartermaster and com
missary for her next trip.
! A delegation of friends and relatives
of the Iowa boys arrived in the city yes
| terday and registered at the Occidental.
! where they will remain until the trans
/ port bearing home their heroes is report
| ed. When seen yesterday they said that
as yet no definite plans had been made
for the entertainment of the boys when
! they should reach their native State as
it was deemed best to wait until an op-
! portunity be had to consult the men
| themselves. The people of Iowa. how
ever, are willing to turn the State up
side down to give the lads anything they
want, and the regiment can rest assured
! that the reception it will get from the
people of the State. they have so dis
! tinguished will be fully equal to anything
! of the kind that has preceded it.
The delegation includes the following
ladies and gentlemen: Secretary of State
! G. /. Dohson, Adiutant General Byers
| and wife. Orator Frank F. Marion, A. A.
Mason, Mrs. ". F. Sleepy, Mrs. ]. D.
| Cady Clara M. Flammant. Mrs. j. B.
| Findley Mrs. c. V. Mount. Mrs w. L.
! Tubbs, Mrs j. G: Pryor, Mrs. F. NJ.
| Crompton. Fl. Williams, ]. w. Boden.
! Jerry l.. Ryan, Robert Kissick and Mrs.
! II. B. Dull.