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Army General William Shafter (far right). (Library of Congress)
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Army General William Shafter
General led the negotiations that brought about the end of the Spanish-American War
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Columnist
The Battle of Santiago Bay on July 3, 1898, marked the end of the enemy's hopes in the Spanish-American War. On July 16, Army General William Shafter accepted the "capitulation" of the Spaniards (the wording was chosen to protect their historic dignity). The end of the war marked the beginning of America's rise to prominence as a global power.
Originally a schoolteacher, Shafter had enlisted in the Union Army at the start of the Civil War, eventually rising to the rank of brevet brigadier general. Along the way he won a Medal of Honor for refusing to leave his command at the Battle of Fair Oaks, and, as a colonel, was the commander of the 17th U.S. Colored Infantry.
For 34 years, Shafter went through a series of agonizingly slow regular Army promotions, eventually becoming the commander of the Department of California in 1897. When war broke out with Spain, he was appointed a major general and assigned to Fifth Corps in Tampa, Fla. Unfortunately, by this time the 63-year-old Shafter weighed over three hundred pounds and suffered badly from gout.
Although he was clearly unfit for command, war plans were being made in great haste and he was left in his post. The plans made in haste were also, sadly, carried out in great leisure -- the Fifth Army languished for a week on transports in Florida before the expedition got under way to Cuba. Logistical problems would plague the unit all the way through their time away, and contributed greatly to the malaria and dysentery that weakened the soldiers.
After various battles proved Shafter's tactics unsound, he suggested to Washington that the Army should withdraw. A short time later, one of his aides suggested another option: why not ask the Spanish to surrender? An even shorter time later, the Navy won the Battle of Santiago de Cuba. The U.S. government was sorely vexed by these conflicting reports, but finally Shafter and the Spanish General Toral began negotiations in earnest. On July 17, the Spanish "capitulation" was formally acknowledged.
Shafter returned to the States and disbanded the Fifth Corps on Oct. 3. He continued on active duty for another three years, ironically doing an excellent job once again as commander of the Department of California. He died in 1906.
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