Durfee was commissioned into the
17th Infantry Regiment and was stationed at
Fort D.A. Russell in
Wyoming. He served on border duty until 1893, and he participated in the
Ghost Dance War. Durfee served with distinction during the
Siege of Santiago as a
first lieutenant, and he received a
Silver Star for his role in the
Battle of El Caney. Between 1899 and 1905, Durfee went to the
Philippines three times and served on several minor campaigns as well as the Third Sulu Expedition. Durfee served in several locations in the U.S., including at
Fort McPherson,
Fort Brady,
Fort Wayne, as well as on the border with
Mexico. After graduating from the
United States Army War College, Durfee remained at the institution as an instructor, and in 1918 he became part of the General Staff and became chief of staff for the Southern Department. Durfee was promoted to the rank of
brigadier general on June 26, 1918, and he took his brigade to
France later that year due to
World War I. While in France, the country's government awarded him the
Croix de Guerre and the
Legion of Honour. After returning to the U.S. in June 1919, Durfee commanded the
6th Infantry Division at
Camp Grant in
Illinois. In November 1919, Durfee caught flu and pneumonia, and he never fully recovered. He retired from the army on April 14, 1920. After living in
Zanesville, Ohio, for five years, Durfee moved to
Los Angeles, and two years later he moved to
Riverside, California. He died in Riverside on March 19, 1933, aged 62. ==Personal life ==