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 [decorative delimiter] Class of 1865

Vol. III
p42
2072

(Born N. J.)

William A. Rafferty

(Ap'd at Large)

26

Born Feb. 16, 1842, New Germantown, N. J.a

Military History. — Cadet at the Military Academy, July 1, 1861, to June 23, 1865, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to

Second Lieut., 6th Cavalry, June 23, 1865.

Served: on frontier duty at Austin, Tex., Oct., 1865, to May, 1866, —

(First Lieut., 6th Cavalry, May 1, 1866)

Jacksborough, Tex., May to Oct., 1866, — and Austin, Tex., Oct., 1866, to Aug. 24, 1868; as Adjutant, 6th Cavalry, Dec. 12, 1866, to Aug. 24,

(Captain, 6th Cavalry, May 14, 1868)

1868; on frontier duty at Ft. Richardson, Tex., Sep. 10, 1868, to Mar.,  p43 1869, — Canton, Tex., to July, 1869, — Tyler, Tex., to May, 1870, — Jefferson, Tex., to Aug., 1870, — Ft. Richardson, Tex., to Mar., 1871, — Scouting in Kansas and Indian Territory, to Oct., 1871, being engaged with hostile Indians near Little Wichita River, Tex., — and Ft. Lyon, Col., Oct. 23, 1871, to Aug. 3, 1873; at the Military Academy as Assistant Instructor of Cavalry Tactics, Sep. 1, 1873, to Nov. 20, 1874; on frontier duty near Camp Supply, I. T., and Scouting, Dec. 28, 1874, to Jan., 1875, — Cheyenne Agency, I. T., Jan. 10 to May 13, 1875, being engaged in the Action on Canadian Fork, I. T., Apr. 6, 1875; in arrest and undergoing sentence of Court Martial, June 15 to Dec. 15, 1875, — Camp Grant, Ara., to Feb. 17, 1877, — Camp in Huachuca Mountains, and Scouting, Feb., 1877, to Oct. 15, 1878 (leave of absence, June 24, 1877, to Jan. 23, 1878), — Camp Lowell, Ara., Oct. 18, 1878, to July, 1881, — Camp Bowie, Ara., to June 12, 1884, being engaged against hostile Indians, near the Mexican Boundary, Apr. 28, 1882, — Ft. Bayard, N. M. (leave of absence, July 1, 1884, to Jan. 1, 1885, and Scouting, May‑June, 1885), to June 28, 1885, — Ft. Leavenworth, Kan. (Infantry and Cavalry School for Practice), to Sep. 26, 1889, being in the field, July 8 to Sep. 4, 1885, and in command of Cavalry Battalion, Feb., 1888, to Sep., 1889, — Ft. Lewis, Col., to Nov. 21, 1889, — and in command of Boisé Barracks,

(Major, 2d Cavalry, Nov. 20, 1889)

Ida., Dec. 30, 1889, to –––––.

Vol. IV
p152
[Supplement, Vol. IV: 1890‑1900]

Military History. —

(Brevet Major, Feb. 27, 1890, for gallant services in actions against Indians on the Little Wichita River, Tex., Oct. 5, 1870, and in the Hatchet Mountains, N. M., April 28, 1882)

Served: At Boisé Barracks, Ida., to June 5, 1890; on duty at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., to Oct., 1891; at Fort Wingate, N. M., to Oct. 11, 1894; at the Cavalry and Light Artillery School, Fort Riley, Kan., to April 19, 1898; at Camp Thomas, Ga., Mobile, Ala., to June 14, 1898.

(Lieut.‑Colonel of Cavalry, 2d Cavalry, May 31, 1898)

— Commanding squadron of his regiment in Cuba to Aug., 1898; participated in the campaign against Santiago de Cuba, June 23 to July 12, 1898, and engaged in the battle of San Juan, July 1, 1898; on sick leave Sept. 5 to Nov. 29, 1898; with regiment at Huntsville, Ala., to Jan., 1899; en route to and at Matanzas, Cuba, to May, 1899; member of Commission to supervise the distribution of money to 4th, 5th, and 6th Corps, Cuban army, to July, 1899; commanding post of Matanzas, Cuba, to Oct. 5, 1899.

(Colonel of Cavalry, 5th Cavalry, Oct. 18, 1899)

— On leave to Dec. 12, 1899; commanding regiment, post, and District of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, to ––––

Vol. V
p121
[Supplement, Vol. V: 1900‑1910]

Military History. — Commanding regiment, post and district of Mayaguez, P. R., Dec., 1899. — Sick at quarters, May 8 to 11, 1900. — Sick in quarters, June, 1900. — Detached service at San Juan, P. R., per par. 1, S. O. 116, Dept. P. R., series 1900. — Absent with leave, July 10 to 13, 1900. — Commanding regiment, post and district to July 13, 1900. — (Note — Headquarters, staff and band, remained stationed at Mayaguez, P. R., until August 3rd, 1900, when they embarked on Transport Sedgwick at Mayaguez, P. R.; left Mayaguez Aug. 4th and arrived at San Juan same date; sailed for United States Aug. 7, 1900, and arrived at Fort Myer, Va., Aug. 13, 1900.) — At Fort Myer, Va., commanding regiment and post to March 10, 1901. — President Board of Officers. —  p122 En route with command, March 10 to 17, to San Francisco, Cal., where the command embarked on board U. S. Transport Meade. — Sailed from San Francisco, Cal., March 18, 1901, arrived at Manila, P. I., April 17; disembarked and took station at El Deposito, P. I., April 19. — Commanding regiment and station and 6th District, Department of Luzon, until relieved from command of 6th District, Department of Luzon, May 24, 1901. — At San Felipe Neri, P. I., to Sept. 13, 1902.

Died, Sept. 13, 1902, at San Felipe Neri, P. I.: Aged 59.

See Annual Association of Graduates, U. S. M. A., 1903, for an obituary notice, with a portrait.

Buried, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.


Thayer's Note:

a His full name and birth data are from his AOG obituary.


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