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HAFFEE, ADNA ROMANZA, son of a farmer in Ohio; enlisted in the United States cavalry at the outbreak of the Civil war has been promoted from private through the various grades to the highest rank attainable, serving first in the Civil war, 1861-65; in the Southwest in quelling disturbances with the Indians; in the war with Spain in Cuba as brigadier-general of volunteers, 1898, and as major-general, 1899-1900; in China suppressing the outbreak of the Boxers, 1900; as major-general United States army and military governor of the Philippine Islands, 1901-02; in command of the Department of the East, 1902-04, and as lieutenant-general. United States army, and chief of staff of the United States army from January 9, 1904, his date of retirement under operation of law being April 14, 1906. He was born in Orwell, Ashtabula county, Ohio, April 14, 1842. His father, Truman Billings Chaffee, was a farmer working a small farm and filling up his time when debarred by the weather from farm work, by working at the carpenter's trade in which he had served an apprenticeship when a young man. He had married early in life Grace, daughter of Ira and Sarah May Hyde and they brought up a large family of children. It was to the precepts and encouragement of his mother that he owes his strong moral character. His boyhood was passed upon the farm where he assisted his father in the tasks usual to farmers' sons. He had few educational advantages, attending the district school during the winter months. He married while young, after attaining the rank of captain in the army.

On July 22, 1861, when nineteen years old, he enlisted at Warren, Ohio, as a private in the U. S. army and was assigned to Company K, 6th U. S. cavalry, and served as private sergeant and first sergeant of his company, and on May 12, 1863, he received his commission as second lieutenant, which was dated March 13, 1863. He received promotion to first lieutenant in the 6th cavalry, February 22, 1865; captain, October 12, 1867; major, 9th cavalry, July 7, 1888; lieutenant-colonel, 3d cavalry, June 1, 1897, and colonel, 8th cavalry,