Background
He was born on October 16, 1835 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, was the son of Hugh Morris and Eliza (Sumner) Shafter, who went west from Windsor.
He was born on October 16, 1835 in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, was the son of Hugh Morris and Eliza (Sumner) Shafter, who went west from Windsor.
He attended the common schools of Galesburg, Michigan, and at odd times helped on his father's farm and taught school. In 1861 he attended Prairie Seminary in Richland County.
While attending Prairie Seminary in Richland County, he enlisted for three years' Civil War service, and was commissioned first lieutenant, 7th Michigan Infantry. He took part in the battle of Ball's Bluff on October 21, 1861, and in the Peninsular campaign of 1862. He was brevetted lieutenant-colonel and years later (June 12, 1895) was granted a Medal of Honor for distinguished gallantry at Fair Oaks.
He was promoted major, 19th Michigan Infantry, on September 5, 1862, saw service in the affair at Thompson's Station in March 1863, was taken prisoner and exchanged in the following May, and became lieutenant-colonel of his regiment on June 5, 1863.
On April 19, 1864, he was appointed colonel, 17th United States Colored Infantry, and took part in the battles of December 15-16, 1864, in front of Nashville. He received, on March 13, 1865, the brevet of brigadier-general of Volunteers.
With post-war reorganization, he was assigned to frontier duty with the 24th United States Infantry, April 14, 1869, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and ten years later was promoted colonel, 1th Infantry. He became brigadier-general, in 1897, and with the outbreak of the Spanish War was advanced to major-general of Volunteers. Shafter was given command of the important expeditionary force to Santiago de Cuba, and on April 29, 1898, established his headquarters at Tampa, Fla.
On June 14 he sailed for Cuba, with a fleet of thirty-two transports, carrying some 819 officers and 15, 058 enlisted men, in addition to teamsters, packers, clerks, and correspondents. A landing was effected at Daiquiri on June 22, the town of Siboney was taken the next day, and the engagement of Las Guasimas was fought June 24. After a more or less hasty reconnaissance of the Spanish defenses in front of the city of Santiago, the main attack was begun against the city, July 1, with a secondary attack by the division of Henry W. Lawton upon the outlying suburb of El Caney.
The battle was continued, July 2-3, with considerable loss to the American forces, and on the latter date Shafter demanded of Gen. Jose Velazquez Toral, the Spanish commander, the surrender of the city. This demand was refused, but owing to the almost total destruction of the Spanish fleet on July 3 Toral formally capitulated July 17. The surrender included some 23, 500 combatants. During the armistice that preceded the final negotiations, the morale of the American troops was so seriously impaired by malaria and yellow fever that Shafter considered the advisability of withdrawing his troops to high ground, five miles from the city. Shafter was so ill during certain critical days of the Santiago campaign as to be able to maintain contact with his advanced troops only through his staff-officers.
In October 1898 Shafter was assigned to command the Department of the East at Governors Island, New York, but in a few days was transferred to his old command, the Department of California and Columbia. He remained at San Francisco until retired from active military service as a brigadier-general, October 16, 1899, but retained command under his volunteer commission as a major-general, until June 30, 1901. By a special act of Congress, February 2, 1901, he was advanced to the grade of major-general on the retired list, July 1, 1901.
After retirement, he made his home with a daughter, on a ranch near Bakersfield, California, where his death occurred on November 12, 1906, after but a week's illness.
William Rufus Shafter received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Shafter also played a prominent part as a major general in the Spanish-American War. Fort Shafter, Hawaii, is named for him, as well as the city of Shafter, California and the ghost town of Shafter, Texas. He was known informally as "Pecos Bill". On August 22, 1919, there was unveiled at Galesburg, Michigan, a bronze bust of Shafter, erected by the state of Michigan.
He had rugged aggressiveness and ability to meet difficult situations. He was a man of large size.
He had one wife, Harriet Amelia Grimes, of Athens, Michigan, to whom he was married September 11, 1862. She died in 1898.
