Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-09-15


/ This was one of the tricks that Chat
Tee acquired. He could go through
woods or dense underbrush and follow
/ a trail by noticing broken twigs or
! branches brushed one side, or in
hundred other ways known chiefly TO
the American Indian. Furthermore,
he became an adept in the use Of the
Indian sign language. and few years
| later. when he was chasing Geronimo,
under General Cook, all this Indian
lore stood him in good stead and made
! him one Of the most valuable officers
! Crook had
While he was fighting these inter-
mittent campaigns on the frontier,
| Chaffee had occasion to go TO Junction
! City. Kan. now and again on business.
| on one Of these visits he met Miss
/ Annie Rockwell. the second daughter
Of Major George Rockwell. a merchant
and banker. In 1874 Miss Rockwell and
! Captain Chaffee were married. The us
ual life OF the young army officer on
| the frontier was the life which Chaffee
| led. including the Indian fighting. until
| 1885. when Brigadier General Crook
| was ordered to fit out an expedition to
| capture the Apache chief Geronimo.
| Chaffee's troop was detailed to go with
the expedition The work continued
for an entire year, the Willy Geronimo
leading his pursuers a merry chase
through Texas and into Mexico, back
into Texas again and again into Mex
leo. General Crook didn't succeed in
capturing the Apache but he kept him
mighty busy
Chaffee served with the Sixth cav
airy until July, 1883. more than quar-
ter Of a century. when hc was made
a major and assigned to the Ninth
| CcoloreD Cavalry He was with the
| Ninth for the next nine years when
/ he was again promoted and became
the lieutenant-Colonel Of the Third
/ Cavalry on June /, 1921. lie was serv-
! ing with the Third when the war with
\ Spain began. General officers We're
needed and Lieutenant-C Colonel Chanee
| was one Of the first to bc appointed
/ a brigadier general Of volunteers He
was commissioned On May 4. 1898 ana
commanded brigade from Las GuAs-
! imas 70 FL Caney. II was at Fl Canry
| that the general fought his latest fight
/ and won new laurcIs. Many stories
! have been told about Chamec's marvel
Gus nerve ana bravery during that bat
tie. He himself Is the authority for the
statement that not more than third
1 " the stories that have been told and
written about him are true. one Of
the tales was ~ how he noticed man
in the trenches as he was walking up
and down the firing line whose shoot
ing was So erratic that he pokcd holes
in nothing but the atmosphere. 40
Cordng to the story. Chaffee got down
into the trench. laid his hand kindly
on the soldiers shoulder-he was q
young private Of the 18TH Infantry
and asked him what was the matter
Nothing. | guess. sir was the al
legged reply, except I'm scared"
Well, let's see If we can't steady
ourselves" Chaffee is reported To have
said, and then he lay down beside the
soldier and told him how and where
to shoot until the young fellow became
rs steady as church and forgot u
stop shooting when the order 70 cease
firing was given. This story was print
"a in a magazine and one of Chanee's
brother officers showed it to him Chat
fee read it through. Sowing more
viciously the further he read When
That's all damned rot. What the
devil do these fellows want to make
such fools Of Us for? Do YOU suppose
had time in that scrmmage to get
down in a trench and carry on private
target practice with some Of the boys
had enough troubles Of my own. with
out giving particular attention to those
Of particular individuals Some folks
don't"
No matter how much General Chaffee
may try he will not be able altogether
To belittie his performances during the
war in cuba, For instance. no matter
what he may say of it, his brother Off
GERS will not forget a certain perform
ance Of his one night at Santiago It
was before the attack On the city had
been made and SIMPSONS ships We're
lying outside the harbor entrance.
ready to smash CerVeraS fleet as soon
as it should ever make the attempt to
come out. Much had been said about
the strength Of the Notifications about
MORO Castle. As a matter Of fact.
however. nobody knew exactly how
strong they We're. and what was much |
more Ia the point there were no maps
10 show the best way by which a land
attack could be made while Sampson |
was attacking, If he ala attack from |
the sea. Chaffee knew this. and one |
evening he just disappeared for a while. |
nobody knowing what had become VI |
him. After a while he came back and |
one Of the officers asked where he HAD |
been
oh. I just went out to walk off my |
dinner. was Chaffee's reply Then he |
pulled out Of his pocket a number Of
papers upon which were rough sketch
es He laid them out before the officers
and said:
Here's something we may need be-
fore we get through with this bust
ness"
And then he explained that he had
discovered two trails leading to MORO
Castle, had made sketches of them as
best he could, without knowing Very
much what he was drawing on account
Of the darkness, and kept on until he
had got actually within the Spanish
lines.
Suddenly" said Chaffec. n heard 4
sentinel cough, ana it nearly scared me
TO death. ! didn't know | had got 50 far.