Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt
On April 25, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt resigned as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy and together with Army Colonel Leonard Wood, formed the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment; the newspapers called them "The Rough Riders." Like many other volunteer units, it was a temporary organization for the duration of the Spanish-American War.
The regiment trained for several weeks in San Antonio, Texas; after securing modern multiple
round Krag smokeless carbines, Roosevelt arrived on May 16. The Rough Riders used some standard
issue gear and some of their own design, purchased with gift money. Diversity characterized the
regiment, which included Ivy Leaguers, professional and amateur athletes, upscale gentlemen as
well as cowboys, frontiersmen, Native Americans, hunters, miners, prospectors, former soldiers,
tradesmen, and sheriffs. The Rough Riders were part of the cavalry division commanded by the
former Confederate General Joseph Wheeler. It was one of 3 divisions in V Corps under Lt General
William Rufus Shafter. Roosevelt and his men departed Tampa on June 13, landed in Daiquiri, Cuba,
on June 23, 1898 and marched to Siboney. Wheeler sent elements of the 1st and 10th Regular
Cavalry on the lower road Northwest and sent the 1st USV "Rough Riders" on the parallel road
running along a ridge up from the beach. To throw off his infantry rival, Wheeler left one
regiment of his Cavalry Division, the 9th, at Siboney so that he could claim that his move North
was only a limited reconnaissance if things went wrong. Roosevelt was promoted to Colonel and
took command of the regiment when Wood was moved up to command the brigade. The Rough Riders
had a short, minor skirmish known as the Battle of Las Guasimas, then fought their way through
Spanish resistance and together with the Regulars forced the Spaniards to abandon their
positions.
Under Col. Roosevelt's leadership, the Rough Riders became famous for dual charges up Kettle
Hill and San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898. Roosevelt had the only horse, and rode back and forth
between rifle pits at the forefront of the advance up Kettle Hill, an advance that he urged in
absence of any orders from superiors. He was forced to walk up the last part of Kettle Hill on
foot after coming across a barbed wire entanglement. The victories came at a cost - 200 soldiers
were killed and 1,000 wounded.
Roosevelt commented on his role in the battles: "On the day of the big fight I had to ask my men
to do a deed that European military writers consider utterly impossible of performance, that is,
to attack over open ground an unshaken infantry armed with the best modern repeating rifles
behind a formidable system of entrenchments. The only way to get them to do it in the way it had
to be done was to lead them myself."
In August, Col. Roosevelt and other officers demanded that the soldiers be returned home.
Roosevelt always recalled the Battle of San Juan Hill as "the great day of my life" and "my
crowded hour." In 2001, then President Bill Clinton posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt for his actions during the Spanish-American War ; he had been
nominated during the war but Army officials, annoyed at his grabbing the headlines, blocked it.
After return to civilian life, Roosevelt preferred to be known as "Colonel Roosevelt" or "The
Colonel." However, the "Teddy" name remained much more popular with the public, even though
Roosevelt openly despised it. Men working closely with Roosevelt customarily called him "Colonel"
or "Theodore".
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The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment...
The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment "Rough Riders", Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit...
The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment - Rough Riders, Inc. was formed for the...
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On April 25, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt resigned as Acting Secretary of the U.S...
The Spanish-American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States...
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