The times., 1898-08-08
TWO SOLDIERS.
Sketches of the Chief Officers of the
Rough Riders

Sketches of the Chief Officers of the
Rough Riders.
Before the test of battle came a regu-
lar army officer of high rank predicted
that the regiment of Rough Riders would
not be as useful as the ordinary volun-
teers. He admitted that they had cour-
age, but he was sure they would not pay
enough attention to orders, but would
want to fight independently. His judg-
ment was disproved by their behavior in
battle. The record they have made adds
interest to the character OF their leading
spirits. A correspondent of the Chicago
Record says that outwardly two men less
alike than these chiefs of the Rough
Riders 1t would be hard 10 imag gine. Gen
Wood is quiet and undemons,ratiye i'm
perturbable beyond any man l have ever
known. l used to amuse myself some
times trying TO conceive of some event or
combination of events, train of disasters
or flood of fortune that might excite him,
but l never succeeded. He has magnii-
of one of Du Chaillu's goriIlas and his
shoulders remind one of the Farnese Her
cules He is said TO be the best boxer in
the army and the only white man who
can tire out an Apache Indian on the
trail. At the landing of Baiquiri l saw
him helping soldiers to land from the boat
to the jetty. One good ordinary-sized man
hesitated to grasp the hand extended 20
| him, whereupon Wood bent over. grab
bed him by the collar and lifted him out
of the boat as easily as though he had
been a kitten.
| His military sagacity was first proved
in warfare against the Apaches. The op-
! portunity for distinction as tactician in
the present campaign has not been great,
but such as it has been, he has made the
most of it. He certainly showed MS tai
1 ent for organization at San Antonio No
| detail was trivial in his eyes From re-
! yeille until long after the bugIes had
| sounded taps he was constantly at work
| and the light in his tent was the last to
! be extinguished Throughout the day he
/ was ofnnipresent, his long, steady stride
carrying him from point TO point. from
/ troop TO troop watching. directing every
| thing If he had a repToof 10 adm.nistc-
J he did it quietly, almost gently, but every
/ rough rider in the regiment seemed 10
I Know intuitively tina, he was the last man
/ in the world 10 be triled with.
/ AS he was at San Antonio, so he was at
/ La Quasina, moving through a storm OF
! bullets from troop to troop, Issuing his
orders in calm, even tones and now and
! then standing and looking thoughtfully
!. about him, his hands thrust in the pOek-
4 cts of his riding breeches. Roosevelt on
! the other hand was all animation and
/ eagerness- He was evidently thinking Of
! the hfteen-fOot pole" and wishing 20 get
! TO close quarters. He never once forgot
/ his duties as a leader. but il was easy TO
/ see that he was longing to do something
/ rather than order it done. Several times
he stopped in passing a troop and point
/ ed out good shot to the men. Once ne
! began TO direct troopers aim, but
( stopped half way in his direction. Lend
me your carbine," he said. He took the
weapon. laid his cheek lovingly on the
breech and pulled the trigger and little
sputter of dust below thicket on the op-
| posite hillside followed the report He
| jerked the breech pin back impatiently
! and sent the cartridge shell flying out
| 'Iu try it again." he said. and threw
| the gun to his shoulder This time lit
| tie patch of grayish white appeared at
the edge OF the thicket and stayed there
II think ! got him that time" said the
! lieutenant colonel. showing his white
/
| to be Indifferent 10 personal danger
| Wood seemed absolutely unconscious
| of Ii.
From first to last the two commanders
| have worked together in perfect har-
/ mony Wood was the presiding genius Of
/ the camp of organiZa ton. Roosevelt was
| learning to be and was not afraid that
some one would find 1t out One bond
I between them was their intense pride In
] the regiment Wood declared one day
| that he would sooner be its colonel than
/ commander-in-chief. and ] think he was
| perfectly sincere. Roosevelt has always
/ been very properly convinced that the
! American army is the best in the world.
| and that the First Volunteer Cavalry is
! the very finest regiment in that army.
! The rest of the officers have shared his
| opinion and the men have known il and
have felt place in it's ranks to be dis
tinction far beyond commissions in other
| regiments. They all knew that great
| things were expected of them.
They have been constantly and tactfully
impressed with the fact that to accom-
| plish great things they had 10 submit 10
| discipline. They were told that no move
! ment was to be made, that no finger was
10 press the trigger without orders: that
| every evolution meant something. that
| nothing that they were being taught was
in vain; and they understood.