New-York tribune., 1906-11-13

stein and ]. W. Thorne. Of San Francisco. were
called DR.. Thorne arrived early Saturday
morning. In the afternoon a slight rally was
detected, and relatives and physicians were ex-
treuely hopeful, but the change was shortlived-
At 10 o'clock a sinking spell seized the general
Dr. Herzstein arrived early on Sunday morning,
and a consultation was held with the other
physicians All hope Of saving the generals life
wss abandoned.
The general became unconscious at O'CLOCK
this morning and remained in that condition
until death. Captain and Mrs, McKittrick' Mrs.
Carrie Redmond, Mrs. COPYRIGHT and Captain
James W. Shafter were at the bedside when the
end came.
The body Of General Shafter viii leave here
on "Wednesday evening on a Santa Fe train. and
on arrival at Point Richmond, the next morn
ing. viii be placed aboard government tug and
escorted by military officers TO the Presidio at
San Francisco. Burial will be in the post ceme-
tery Immediately after the arrival with full
military honors. The body viii rest at the Nc
Kittrick ranch until Wednesday evening.
General William Rufus Shafter. the hero of
two wars. who commanded the army which in
vaded Cuba in 1898, was native of Michigan.
He born a frontier farm near Galesburg.
Kalamazoo County. on October 1s, 1886. He was
early set at work by his father. and attended
public school until he had saved enough money
20 go 10 the Prairie Seminary, in Kalamazoo, for
term. There one Of the professors Julius
c. Burrows. afterward 10 become a United States
Senator. Young Shafter returned TO farm work,
and was engaged in It when the Civil War broke
out. His youthful ambition 10 go to West Point
had not been gratifed. but in his reading at
home he had devoted as much time to military
men and affairs as the few books his COM
mand and the intervals of hard worl allowed.
With the opportunity 10 go TO war. young
Shafter felt that his desires at last 10 be
gratihed, and both he and his brother John
listed in the eth Michigan Infantry in 1861.
William was made Lieutenant of the company
raised in 'is town. and the following year he
appoi ed major Of the 18th Michigan In
fantry. II brother soon gained the rank OF
captain.
Major Shafter took part IN the conflicts at
Yorktown, West Point Fair oaks, Savage Sta
ton. Glendale and Malvern HILL in Virginia and
was once slightly wounded. In June, 1863, he
was promoted 10 a lieutenant colonelcy in the
6lst Michigan Infantry. and saw service in Ten
nessee, where he prisoner for two months
He was honorally discharged April IS. 1864.
and the following day received a commission as
= colonel OF the 18th United States Regular In
fantry, and was made a brigadier general by
"a brevet March 49, 1865 At the close of the
war he honoraby mustered out. Both he
and his brother returned TO the Michigan farm.
but William was not content TO settle down.
His brother John agreed to stay with the old
folks, and William made application TO the
authorities at Washington for the post of lieu
tenant in the regular army.
The story is told how he had almost given up
hope ot securing his desire, and busy tax
ing a load Of hay town one day. when the
postmaster handed him letter To his sur
prise II contained commission, not as a lieu
tenant he had modestly asked but as a lieu
tenant colonel. He turned his back at once OF
Farm work, 10 which he had never had much in
clinston. and Joined the 41st United States In
fsntry on January 26, 1867. lie saw much active
service the Indian and Mexican frontiers In
1863 he assigned 10 the 24th Infantry, and
ten years later was promoted by President Hayes
10 be colonel Of the lst Infantry. In his long
service in the Southwest he gained the sobri-
quet Of "Pecos Bill" which clung TO him for
many wears. For protracted period he was in
command Of the troops al Angel Island, Cali
fornia.
Colonel Shafter TO be br' Idier general, ana ht
was put in command o. the Department OF the
Columbia. From there he shortly after
ward transferred 10 the Department of Califor-
mia. and he returned 10 the station where he had
been post commandant. He was in command
there when the Spanish American War broke
cut, aId was ordered 10 Washington He was
named a major general OF volunteers. and
put in charge by President Mckinley OF the
troops TO take part IN The Santiago de Cuba
campaign. Before the end Of April, 1898, Gen
eral Shafter established his headquarters a
Tampa, Fla ard the assembage Of transports
for The embarkatipr Of troops under way
in lltte more than month thirty-two trans
ports left Port Tampa with over fifteen thousand
men ana the necessary supplies hoard. Th'
troops were landed on June q al DaiGuiri. Cuba
end an advance was made rapidly as possbl,
20 Santiago. General I4aWton's division cap
iured SibOney. and as all the troopi
were landed fhe advance was ordered ON mi,
] occurred tho attack San Juan Iiill and III
battle of r Caney. General Shafter and hi
staff had viewed the ground up within I'VE
hundred yards of The Spanish pickets the "a,
before and he had outlined his plans hi
division commanders but the day Of th'