Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-07-20
DARING TROUGH RIDERS"
Their Charge at San Juan Hill a
Marvel Of Pluck and Courage
Colonel Roosevelt at
the Head.
New Mexico Volunteers Helped to Win
That Victory.
CBy Richard Harding Davis.)
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY,
Snn Imam Cnhn Inly A 1909

San Juan, Cuba, July a, 1898.
Since Colonel Wood was promoted to
the command of IA brigade Lieutenant
Colonel Roosevelt has had complete
control over the regiment of Trough
Riders" He is, in consequence, very
happy, and the devotion of his men to
him is something fine to see.
Roosevelt in the last Is years has
played many parts-cowboy, big game
hunter. civil service commissioner, police
commissioner, assistant secretary of the
navy and writer of American history.
He is now making American history and
making it very well.
On Friday, when he was ordered to
take his regiment into the open, he
found the regiment lying in the grass
under a heavy fire. They were being
shot without being allowed to make any
| return.
Roosevelt's Gallant Charge.
This did not seem good enough, and
Roosevelt led his regiment through their
lines and rode up ahead of his men to-
ward the block house on the hill. The
Younger officers and the colored soldiers
of the 10th followed instantly.
No one who saw Roosevelt take that
| ride expected he would finish it alive.
AS the only mounted man he was the
most conspicuous object in range of the
rifle pits, then only 200 yards ahead.
1t looked liked foolhardiness, but, as u
matter of fact, he set the pace with his
horse and inspired the men to follow.
| He reached the block house with four
troopers before all the Spaniards had
abandoned it, and killed one of them
who was still firing with his own re-
volver.
The charge was followed almost imme-
| diately by another to the hill ON the
right, which he occupied with 800 men,
| the scattered fragments of six dismount-
ed cavalry regiments.
Only Half Left.
The Trough Riders" have remained
| in this position aver since. When l saw
them yesterday only half of the men
were left of those with whom l started
from Siboney ten days ago. Six of the
| eight troops have lost their captains, the
rest are commanded by second lieuten-
ants and sergeants. But the spirit of
the men was high, and they were as
| cheerful and content as in the rocking
chair days at Tampa
Sharpshooter and cowboys were pot
ting at Spanish guerrillas in the trees at
the real as impassively as though they
were contesting for badges in a rifle
range. One man-Corporal Goodwin, of
Arizona-shot six. The other men were
! lying on their backs watching him.
| Bullets were passing over them con-
t%inuously, and so close to the crest that
they moved about on their knees.
Woodbury. Kane, who Is now first lieu
tenant of X troop, showed me a spoon
full of tobacco in the palm of his hand
and begged the loan of my pipe. This
was his last bowlfnl of tobacco, and he
accepted the fact with the most unrufied
good humor.
This regiment when it was first organ
lied vas criticised and ridiculed. 1t was
compared to the regiments of Bowery
boys and volunteer firemen who ran
away at Bull Run. But the difference
lay in the fact that the personnel of the
men of this regiment Is somewhat higher
than that of the men who rob drunken
| sailors and administer knockout drops to
the countrymen who 60 sightseeing on
the Bowery.
The "Rough Riders" as they are now
universally called, have been in the two
hardest fights of the war, and in the
front of each. They have lost in killed
and wounded half their number, and be-
tween the western man and the eastern
man there is nothing to be said of either
except of praise.
True American Grit.
The grit of the %cowpuncher has never
been doubted, but whenever we have
wished to Illustrate the fact that the
swell will fight we have had to refer to
the bravery of the English guardsmen
and handles at Alma and Balaklava.
Now we can refer instead to the cour
I age of the young men of the UNIVERSE
ties and of the Knickerbocker club
when they forced the pass at Quasina
and charged up the hill of San Juan
It is a more up-to-date example and the
men are Americans.
Colonel Roosevelt has been recon
mended for the medal Of honor for gal
liant conduct in action during the charge
of San Juan.
Captain O'Neill, of Troop A, Trough
Riders" was also recommended for this
honor, the highest in the gift Of the
American government. Had he not
been killed on Friday the medal would
undoubtedly have been conferred.