Adna R. Chaffee

United States army officer
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Adna Romanza Chaffee
Quick Facts
Born:
Apr. 14, 1842, Orwell, Ohio, U.S.
Died:
Nov. 1, 1914, Los Angeles (aged 72)
Also Known As:
Adna Romanza Chaffee

Adna R. Chaffee (born Apr. 14, 1842, Orwell, Ohio, U.S.—died Nov. 1, 1914, Los Angeles) was a U.S. army officer who enlisted in the Union cavalry in 1861 and rose in rank to become chief of staff of the U.S. army.

After long service against the Indians in the West, Chaffee was promoted to the rank of brigadier general (1898) at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, during which he gained distinction at the Battle of El Caney in the Santiago campaign and won the admiration of Theodore Roosevelt. He commanded the U.S. contingent of the relief expedition sent to China during the Boxer Rebellion (1900) and U.S. forces in the Philippines (1901–02). He was promoted to lieutenant general in 1904 and served as chief of staff of the U.S. army (1904–06).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.