William Shafter

Jeff Davis County, Texas

William Rufus Shafter

1835–1906

As officer of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, Shafter applied for a regular commission at the close of the conflict. As lieutenant colonel of the 24th Infantry, he commanded Fort Davis in the early 1870's and returned in 1880 as colonel of the 1st Infantry. As major general of volunteers, he led the U.S. Army in Cuba during the war with Spain and in 1901 was placed on the retired list with the rank of major general of the Regular Army. He died in 1905. William R. (Pecos Bill) Shafter commanded Fort Davis in 1871-72 and again in 1881-82. Remington did this portrait in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

American general, b. Galesburg, Mich. He served in the Union army during the Civil War and in 1867 joined the regular army, rising to become brigadier general (1897). In the Spanish-American War he was placed in command of the army that in June, 1898, invaded Cuba. After hard fighting at El Caney and San Juan Hill, the expedition entered Santiago on July 17. Shafter was much criticized, however, because the expedition had been poorly prepared and ill-equipped and the mortality rate from disease was high. Shafter retired in 1899 and was advanced to major general on the retired list in 1901.

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