The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30
STORIES TOLD OF SKATER.

Major General William Rufus Shat.
ter. Just dead. had one very bad year
It may have been liver, or govt, or dys.
pepsia, or all three But he was re.
garded as a very stern man that year.
1t was when he was colonel of the
First infantry, stationed at Angel ISL
ano, IN the harbor of San Francisco
Always a rigid disciplinarian. there
came period when ne made the First
infantry one OF the least desirable regi-
ments Tor enlisted men In the whole
American army. This sudden martinez
ism on the paft of an erstwhile amiable
colonel was properly ascribed, by those
VINO knew. TO his physical condition. He
wasn't a well man that year. But the
enlisted men didn't know this, and not
knowing it, their resentment was great.
During that bad year OF Colonel
Shafters something like ene-half the
enlisted force of his regiment was In
the "clink" all the time-in the guard
house. that Is OF say, subject to such
inspiring daily fatigue duty as white
washing chicken ooops and outhouses,
digging gravel. making roads, hosting
coal and such like. While that bad
year OF the colonels slowly dragged
along. almost any little old minor in
fraction OF discipline was enough TO
get the Angel island soldier "a month
and month"-thtrty days confinement
In the "clfnlE," with fatigue duty, and
the loss Of a months pay. 1t was rough
soldering for ali hands, sure enough.
The non-commissioned officers were
being broke" to the ranks for the most
inconseQuentisl derelictions. The buck
soldier just made into q non-com. In
place OF some busted" cornrade would
pin HIS chevrons and stripes on, II used
to be said. not caring to go to the bother
OF sewing his non-com-'s regalia on
when he felt more than middling conf
dent that he'd be back in the bucks
ranks again within very short time
The rigid discipline Of Angel island
began to tell on the regiment. The
men began to go away from there with
out p9tttng IN their rames for leave of
eosence. They couldn't stand the pace
The ga6 became too hard even for a
large number OF old-timers, who Jumped
without even the pretense OF adieux
The nub OF the story has to 90 with
how that peculiar condition Of a regi-
merat was corrected.
War q Relief.
That Pine Ridge affair of the OgalalIa
Sioux broke out. and when the rumor
reached Angel island that the First in
Iantry was to be sent to the scene OF
the trouble all hands OF the enlisted
inen were delighted. The expedition
would be a tremendous relief from the
state OF things at the Angel island gar
rison with the old man" in such a
relentless frame of mind. Being de-
lighted. the regiment proceeded to cell
citrate at the canteen.
-Four OF the mens two non-commis-
stoned officers and two privates ceie-
brated unwtsely. They reached the
point OF unwholesome garrulity. They
arranged the matter among themselves,
but they made their arrangement in too
audible a tone
Briefly, their conference.-the argument
was this: They would get" Shafter,
their colonel the first time the regi-
ment went into an enhancement with |
the Indians at Pine Ridge
Getting" a superior officer In an en-
gagement is q matter OF involving the |
simplest meaning. The idea is to shoot |
him in the back when he is facing the |
enemy. It would be absurd to deny
that that thing has been done thou
sands upon thousands OF times since
armies were first organized
The four enlisted men who talked
II in the canteen with regard to Colonel
ShafteT, however, made bad medicine
for themselves. Tehir little agreement
was overheard. Thess matters have a
way Of tricklins 60 the ears of com
mencing officers. In every outfit there
are plainly Of men who cannot and will |
not abide this talk about getting a
superior officer IN battle. And so Col
onel Shafter heard about that little ar
rangement.
The four plotters were forthwith gen.
eral-court-martieled. There was no
question about the gravity of their Of
lenses. The thing was to prove that
they had made the sinister threats 1t
was proved. They were all given very
I
Alcatraz island, that bleak seven-acre
rock in San Francisco harbor, the sad
dest and dreariest of all places of mill
tary. confinement in the United States
Colonel Became AnnIabIe.
Thenceforth, and right on to the I'm
ish of his active service, Colonel, later
General Shafter, was the most engag-
ing, amiable and lenient commanding
officer IN the army of the United States.
His lenience and amiability began
from the day he heard Of the plot
against him when the Pine Ridge ru-
NOR was in the cir. The change In the
stern colonel was all but instantane-
Gus.
four enlisted plotters were hailed before
him to tell their story and excuse them
selves as best they might with the plea
OF drunken responsibility there was a
game OF football between the soldiers
on tho Angel island parade ground.
When. by mischance that seemed
terrible. the football was kicked
through en- open wfndowo the colonels
quarters plumb into his parlor. the
game was suddenly stopped. The cowed
soldiers stood ransfixed with fear of
the consequences Of that sorry accident, /
They pictured The old man" on his
mont steps. believing at them. and
thsy had visions of themselves going
TO the ''clink" on the double IN sets of
tours. Anyhow, they had no football
to continue play with, and so they
Ftarted TO gloonily dispense, feeling full
certain that their haling before the
'beal' was only a matter of minutes.
They had barely turned their backs
30 leave the parade ground. however,
when their colonel appeared on the
ront steps OF his quarters. He was not