The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-02
Gen. Chaffee and His Career

/ Gen. Adna RomanZa Chahee. IL IS
| remarkable fact that all MS fellow Off
GERS nave nothing but good words far
( Gen. Chahee. They all rejoice al .
good fortune in being selected to lead
the American army in China There has
| been no show of Jealousy, as is usually
| the case when some one is promoted.
| One reason for this is that Gen. chat
| fee has been so thoroughly honest and
! straightforward, never having soush
promotion or preferment without having
I first won il. He is acknowledged the
/ best man for the command in China. He
/ is brave fighter. resoureeful and skill
/ full in tactics and man OF determine q
ton, yet full OF diplomacy and tact II 5
services in the West in the Indian wars
have been of great value TO him IN his
campaign in China.
One Of Gen. Chaffee's great advantages
as a commander IS his splendid eye for
the country 1t is said that he CARAT
once size up the salient features OF the
topography and determine almost az &
glance the best route for advance. This
faculty undoubtedly proved of great
value TO him in his relief march in
China.
/ Gen. Lawton recognized Gen. Chat
fees ability. and in his report TO Gen,
Miles on the battle of FL Caney used
the following language:
! Il am indebted for a thorough and IL
| telligent reconnaissance % the town OF
Ell Caney, and the vicinity, prior 20 the
battle to Gen. A. r. Chaffee. and tne
submission of a plan of attack which
was adopted. / cons der Gen. Chaf1ee
one of the best practical soldiers IN the
army, and recommend him for special
distinction for successfully charging the
stone fort mentioned in this report, and
the capture OF which practically closed
the battle
Cen Chaffee. enlisted in the Sixth cav
I airy IN 1861, at Pittsburg. He remained
with that regiment over six years. lie
won his shoulder straps as second
| lieutenant March 16, 1868, by his success
full capture of wagon train during the
raid of Stuart's cavalry. Two years
later he was made first lieutenant. He
was captured at Gettysburg, offered pa
role, but refused it and afterward es-
capped He was breyetted captain in
1865 for gallant and meritorious services
| in the battle of Dinwiddie Court House,
| Va He resigned from the army In
March, 1861, but was reinstated in
! April, being out only one month, and
was made captain in October, 1861.
Instead of retiring after the civil war,
he went to Texas with his old regiment,
| the Sixth cavalry, and Joined the IN
|
Miles where he saw d great deal Of
service AT the battle OF Red River
Bluff he was mentioned for leading d
cavalry charge. After this campaign, n
went to Arizona, and General Crook Sc
lected him as one OF the officers TO
capture Geronimo. The work continued
an entire year, the Apache chief leading
the officers a merry chase through
Texas and Mexico
After this expedition General Crook
and his staff were photographed, and
that photograph was used TO make the
bas-reIef placed on General Crock 5
tomb at Arlington, to commemorate that
campaign. General Chaffee's picture IS
therefore on General Crooks grave at
the National cemetery. Soon after that
| General Chaffee was appointed Indian
agent at San Carlos, Ariz, where he
did remarkably good work in breaking
up bands of thieves who were plundering
| the Indians.
Except for the time while he was
agent, and a short period when he was
detailed for inspection duty, General
Chaffee was in active service and old
excellent work among the Indians. HIS
best fight is considered as that at Big
! Dry Wash, Chevilon Fork, on the Col
orado river, Arizona, on July IT, 1852
Although there was a senior officer on
| the ground before the battle was over,
General Chaffee was the senior when il
began, and when the other arrived he
saw that Chaffee had the thing so well
/ in hand and was so near victory that
he waived his right to command and
/ told Chaffee to continue the fight, which
he did bringing 1t 10 a successful
close For this he was again meni ned
! for gallant services in action
/ He served with the Sixth cavalry for
! twenty-seven years, and on July I, 1855.
was promoted to be major of the Ninth
cavalry (coloredJ, which. by the way.
! has Just started for China, TO JON Cen
eral Chaffee's forces. 1t is said that
during the time ne was with the xth
cavalry he kept an accurate daily rec
ord Of every man in his troop. and
could tell each morning exactly the con
ditiou Of every man under him. While
himself an apparently utterly fearless
man, General Chaffee has wonderful re-
/ gard for the lives of the men under
/ him He has the confidence of his men,
and is personally beloved by all under
him.
/ AT tho time of the breaking out of the
war with Spain he was instructor OF cav
airy at Fort Riley, Kansas and was
one of the first officers appointed a brig
adier-general of volunteers. He was com
.
brigade from Las Guasimas to T. Caney.
! 1t was at the latter place that ne won
fresh laurels, and secured the port
quoted above from General Lawton. At
/ ter peace was declared General Chaf1ee.
who had meanwhile been made a major
general OF volunteers, was appointed
chief Of staff 10 GOvernor-General
/ Brooke, and remained in Cuba for over
a year, doing splendid service. He had
/ just come back to the United States
when he was ordered 20 China.
] General Chanee had no intimation that
/ he was 10 go to China, and in fact
/ had made all arrangements 10 spend this
summer in Maine. He was visiting his
! brother-in-law. Dr. Thomas H. Rock
web, with Mrs. Chaffee in New York,
and was at dinner one day in June WHEN
/ telegram was handed 10 him. General
/ Chaffee thought It was an order 70 re
turn 10 Cuba. but when he opened II Re
found II was simply TO report a. once
+ Ia person 20 the seer tary OF war al
f Clinton. New York. where Mr.. Root was
attending the commencement exercise
of Hamilton College There he learned
he was TO 20 70 China. and the ar
nouncement vas a. much q surprise =
him as 70 anyone else.
During the Ia1ian campaigns General
+ Chafee met Mss Annie Rockwell. Of
) Junction City. Kansas, and feii IN love
+ with her. ard fn 1874 they were rnarTiel.
They have three cailGren. t=o daughter
and a son. The eldest daughter beng tn
wife Of Lieutenant Hamilton, wno is
now stationed az Wet Point Bis son
and Other dan ter are bon under six
teen years u age
General Chanee IS q very domestic
man. ard j. devoted 20 his fairly a.
they aye 10 him. He is about ave fesf.
ten inches tall square shoulders. ds .
set gray eyes sandy fsr and m1s-
fache both streakes somewhat wIfh