General shafter biography

American general and Star of Honor recipient (1835–1906)

Not practice be confused with William Shatner.

William Rufus Shafter (October 16, 1835 – November 12, 1906) was a Union Army policeman during the American Civil Combat who received America's highest heroic decoration, the Medal of Joy, for his actions at illustriousness Battle of Fair Oaks.

Shafter also played a prominent ascribe as a major general pressure the Spanish–American War. Fort Shafter, Hawaii, is named for him, as well as the gen of Shafter, California and rendering ghost town of Shafter, Texas. He was nicknamed "Pecos Bill", inspiration for the fictional diagram of the same name nucleus tall tales.

Early life

Shafter was born in Galesburg, Michigan please October 16, 1835.

His ancestry were of Scots-Irish descent point of view originally were settlers in Vermont. On his father's side, blue blood the gentry family was of Scots-Irish drop, as his ancestor came foreign Northern Ireland and Scotland, occurrence in Massachusetts in the era 1670. Subsequently, the Shafters consequent settled in Vermont.^[2]

American Civil Contention and Indian Wars

Shafter served rightfully a 1st lieutenant the U.S.

Army's 7th Michigan Volunteer Foot Regiment at the battles very last Ball's Bluff and Fair Oaks. He was wounded at ethics Battle of Fair Oaks streak later received the Medal mislay Honor for heroism during birth battle. He led a proceed on the first day scrupulous the battle and was injured towards the close of think about it day's fighting.

In order difficulty stay with his regiment unwind concealed his wounds, fighting sign the second day of primacy battle. On August 22, 1862, he was mustered out portend the volunteer service but reciprocal to the field as elder in the 19th Michigan Offer one`s services Infantry Regiment. He was captured at the Battle of Thompson's Station and spent three months in a Confederate prison.^{[note 1]} In April 1864 after top release he was appointed colonel of the 17th United States Colored Infantry and led nobility regiment at the Battle reinforce Nashville.^{[note 2]}

By the end take away the war, he had archaic promoted to brevetbrigadier general forestall volunteers.

He stayed in position regular army when the conflict ended. During his subsequent function in the Indian Wars, noteworthy received his "Pecos Bill" name. He led the 24th Foot, another United States Colored Encampment regiment, in campaigns against decency Cheyenne, Comanche, Kickapoo and Tanoan Indian warriors in Texas. Size commander of Fort Davis, prohibited started a controversial court-martial observe second lieutenant Henry Flipper, probity first black cadet to regulate arrange from West Point.

In Could 1897 he was appointed pass for a brigadier general.

Spanish–American War

Just before the outbreak of nobleness Spanish–American War, Shafter was crowned head of the Department of Calif.. Shafter was an unlikely runner for command of the excursion to Cuba. He was anticipated 63, weighed over 300 pounds and suffered from gout.

Yet, he received a promotion come into contact with Major General of Volunteers reprove command of the Fifth Blue Corps being assembled in Metropolis, Florida. One possible reason expend his being given this charge was his lack of public ambitions.

Shafter appeared to persist in a very loose control stumble on the expedition to Cuba propagate the beginning, commencing with neat very disorganized landing at Cocktail on the southern coast model Cuba.

Confusion prevailed over deplaning priorities and the chain ransack command. When General Sumner refused to allow the Army's Discoverer Gun Detachment - which esoteric priority - to disembark elude the transport Cherokee on prestige grounds that the lieutenant overlooking the detachment did not control the rank to enforce culminate priority, Shafter had to for one`s part intervene, returning to the glitch in a steam launch fulfil enforce his demand that grandeur guns come off immediately.

During honourableness disembarkation, Shafter sent forward Onefifth Corps' Cavalry Division under Patriarch Wheeler to reconnoiter the way to Santiago de Cuba.

On the surface disregarding orders, Wheeler brought assess a fight which escalated affect the Battle of Las Guasimas. Shafter apparently did not catch on the battle was even happening nor did he say anything to Wheeler about it subsequently.

A plan was finally bright for the attack on Metropolis. Shafter would send his Ordinal Division (at the time, mass and division numbers were turn on the waterworks unique outside their parent formation) to attack El Caney completely his 2nd Division and goodness Cavalry Division would attack rendering heights south of El Caney known as San Juan Bing.

Originally, Shafter planned to escort his forces from the obverse, but he suffered greatly pass up the tropical heat and was confined to his headquarters isolated to the rear and whitewash of sight of the enmity. Unable to see the arms firsthand, he never developed expert coherent chain of command. Shafter's offensive battle plans were both simplistic and extremely vague.

Noteworthy seemed to be unaware arbiter unconcerned about the mass blood bath effect of modern military weapons technology possessed by the Land. Further, his intelligence-gathering efforts fix Spanish troop dispositions and capital was extremely meager, though filth had a number of holdings available to him, including analysis reports by Cuban rebel augmentation as well as espionage procured from indigenous Cubans.

During description hurried attack on El Caney and San Juan Heights, English forces, who had packed nobleness available roads and were not up to maneuver, suffered heavy losses dismiss Spanish troops equipped with original repeating smokeless powder rifles leading breech-loading artillery, while the short-ranged black-powder guns of U.S.

big guns units were unable to agree to effectively. Additional casualties were incurred in the actual assault, which was marked by a program of brave but disorganized fairy story uncoordinated advances. After suffering divers 1,400 casualties, and aided overstep a single Gatling Gun granny knot for fire support, American force successfully stormed and occupied both El Caney and San Juan Heights.

The next task add to Shafter was the investment crucial siege of the city describe Santiago and its garrison. Notwithstanding, the extent of the Earth losses were becoming known funny story Shafter's headquarters back at Port (his gout, poor physical shape, and huge bulk did arrange allow him to go detonation the front).

The casualties were delivered not only by legate report, but also by "meat wagons" delivering the wounded predominant dying to the hospital. Examination the carnage, Shafter began letter waver in his determination appeal defeat the Spanish at City. He knew his troops' range was tenuous, but again challenging little intelligence on the hardships of the Spanish inside besieged Santiago.

Shafter felt the Fleet was doing little to ease the pressure on his repair. Supplies could not be unstinting to the front, leaving climax men in want of essentials, particularly food rations. Shafter personally was ill, and very dwindle. With this view of goings-on, Shafter sent a dramatic bulletin to Washington. He suggested put off the army should give put up its attack and all closefitting gains for the day, bear withdraw to safer ground raise five miles away.

Fortunately, moisten the time this message reached Washington, Shafter changed his ghost, and instead renewed siege manoeuvres after demanding the Spanish give up the city and garrison rule Santiago. With the victory remaining the U.S. Navy at nobleness Battle of Santiago de State, by Admirals William T. Sampson and Winfield Scott Schley, excellence fate of the Spanish tidy at Santiago was sealed.

Ere long afterward, the Spanish commander give up the city.

'Campaigning in Cuba' by George Kennan, 1899 (available on Gutenberg) presents a extremely damning account of Shafter's give orders to in the Cuba campaign get by without a gifted correspondent who was with the troops from City to return:

Morbidly obese make fun of 300 lbs with gout favour probably diabetes at 63, Shafter should have been in straighten up hospice, not a tropical region where malaria, yellow fever bid dysentery annihilated most of position invasion force within three weeks.

Shafter himself was a hoop case. Complete planning /logistical incapacity in Washington meant troops challenging virtually no medical supplies, achieve something adequate rations or means letter boil drinking water, and were forced to sleep on nobleness wet ground in wet winter-weight uniforms as no shelters execute hammocks were available.

One blond the most shameful events get US armed forces history confound the waste of enlisted men.

Postwar career and retirement

With disease out of hand in the American army just right Cuba, Shafter and many hegemony his officers favored a good-natured withdrawal from Cuba.

Shafter yourself left Cuba in September 1898. And after a stay hassle quarantine at Camp Wikoff, Shafter returned to serve as Serviceman of the Department of Calif. from May 1897 through Feb 1901.

As Commander he oversaw the supplying of the Army's expedition to the Philippines, which escalated into the Philippine–American Clash during the last years refreshing Shafter's career.

Hostilities broke punctilious on February 4, 1899, deliver the war lasted through July 2, 1902, past Shafter's giving up work. When the war was pair months old, the Commander public his views with the Port News:

It may be vital to kill half the Filipinos in order that the uncultivated half of the population possibly will be advanced to a better plane of life than their present semi-barbarous state affords.^{[note 3]}

Shafter reiterated his opinion in Jan 1900: "My plan would elect to disarm the natives tablets the Philippine Islands, even assuming I have to kill fifty per cent of them to do deputize.

Then I would treat primacy rest of them with integral justice."

Shafter was a member provide the Military Order of rank Loyal Legion of the Mutual States, the Military Order jump at Foreign Wars and the Reading of the American Revolution.

Shafter retired in 1901 to spruce up 60 acres (24 ha) farm fee to his daughter's land note Bakersfield, California.

He died nearby in 1906 and is concealed at San Francisco National Burial ground.

In popular culture

Shafter was represent by Rodger Boyce in primacy 1997 film Rough Riders. Shafter appeared in the 1898 release Surrender of General Toral.

Shafter is also notable for class fact that he has class highest known Bacon Number rotation the parlor game Six Gradation of Kevin Bacon, at 10.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization:

First Lieutenant, Company I, 7th Lake Infantry.

Place and Date: Horizontal Fair Oaks, Va., May 31, 1862. Entered Service At: Galesburg, Mich. Birth: Kalamazoo, Mich. Look at of Issue: June 12, 1895.

Citation:

Lt. Shafter was engaged in cross construction and not being requisite there returned with his joe six-pack to engage the enemy active in a charge across rest open field that resulted keep casualties to 18 of justness 22 men.

At the side of the battle his chessman was shot from under him and he was severely body wounded. He remained on honourableness field that day and stayed to fight the next hour only by concealing his wounds. In order not to designate sent home with the dupe he kept his wounds unashamed for another 3 days imminent other wounded had left rank area.

Military awards

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading

• Paul H.

  Carlson, William R. Shafter: Military Commander grind the American West, unpublished PhD dissertation, Texas Tech University, City, Texas, 1973

• Paul Carlson, "Pecos Bill", a Military Biography of William R. Shafter. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press, 1989. ISBN 0890963487

External links