William Rufus Shafter was born at Galesburg, Michigan, October 16, 1835. He was brought up on a farm and received a common school education. He entered the Union army as first lieutenant of the Seventh Michigan infantry. He rose in rank, and when mustered out of the volunteer service, in 1865, entered the regular army as lieutenant colonel. In 1867 he was breveted colonel and given congressional honor for gallant conduct at the battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia. He was made a brigadier-general May 3, 1897, in charge of the department of California and later a major-general of volunteers; May, 1898, he went to Tampa, Florida; afterward to Cuba, where he commanded the military operations which ended in the surrender of Santiago de Cuba in July, 1898, while at the close of the war he received his share of criticism for some incidents of the campaign, yet his personal gallantry and technical skill have never been questioned. His success in his chosen profession may be traced to his putting into practice the ruling axiom of his life, which he formulates thus: “I think that, when a man once finds the thing he likes, and for which he is best fitted, he is bound to like it always, and stick to it.” JOSEPH WHEELER. General Joseph Wheeler gained “three stars” on his coat-collar, in contending for the “Lost Cause.” He now has the two stars of a United States major-general in the Cuban war. General Wheeler was, from boyhood, a careful and painstaking student of the profession which he adopted. He was born at Augusta, Georgia, September 10, 1836, and was sent to West Point at seventeen. While others were passing their leisure moments in sport, young Wheeler could be found in the library, poring, with deepest interest, over those volumes which spoke of campaigns and battles, both ancient and modern, and examining military maps and plans of battle of distinguished generals. From the cavalry school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he went, in the spring of 1860, to New Mexico, and, in March, 1861, returned to Georgia. He became a first lieutenant of Confederate artillery at Pensacola, and led the Nineteenth Alabama infantry regiment as colonel. At Shiloh he had two horses shot under him, and is said to have carried the regimental colors in his own hands. On the retreat from Kentucky, Colonel Wheeler, as chief of cavalry, covered the movement. During this campaign, he met the enemy in thirty fights and skirmishes. Having been made a brigadier-general, on recommendation of Bragg, Polk, Hardee and Buckner, he was sent to Middle Tennessee. The Union troops at that time reported that “not a nubbin of corn was obtained without fighting for it.” Here he received the _sobriquet_ of “The Little Hero.” General Wheeler was sick when the American troops attacked Santiago, but he hastened on a litter to the point of danger, and by his words and example stimulated his men to victory. He was retired as brigadier-general September 10, 1900. EXPLORERS. EVELYN BRIGGS BALDWIN.