New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-22

rra FELLOW TowYSMrN PRESENT \ SWORD TO
THE COLONEL OF THE ROUGH RIDERS NE
PRAISES HIS TROOPERS ANp TELLS
STORIES or THE CUBAN CAMPAIGN.
oyster Bay and all the neehboring Long Island
towns took holida~ yesterday and CAV" Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt most hearty and enthusiastic
reception 70 celebrate his return from the war
The Colonel Of the Rough Riders is generally
known as a New Yorker. hut ont on Long Island
thoy insist that he Is citizen OF Oyster Bay ana
Of no other place Since returning from cuba colo
mel Roosevelt has had many invitations TO make
speechcs but he has chung 10 his promis" 10 speak
first az his country home. Elaborate preparations
had beer made for yesterdays demonstration. and
the success Of the affair wss complete
\ committee Of enthusiastic citizens had arranged
patriotic programme the chief number On which
was speech by the colonel The exercises were
held ir a grove near the railroad station whore an
Enclosure was formed by platform and grand
stand The admirers of the returned trooper out
numbered :hc seats provided FOR them -four 10 one.
hut The crowd made good Tn, deficiency by pushing
into the open space IN from; Of the platform and
hy encircllug the n.losure with teams and car
riagcs of ali criptions ton deep
Music 10y the oyster Bay Rand. singing hy big
chorus AMI repeated cheering hy the enthusiastic
crowd emphasized the hcar'iness of tho welcome.
In his speech tho Colonel avoided an illusions 70
politics and confined his words almost exclusively
TO the brave deeds Of his Rough Riders. Many II
IN, stories ne iof had been printed before. hut
they gained new interest from hts vivid recital
ON the platform IT hts sid. Color Sergeant
Wrlgh, who bore the flag of tho Rough Riders in
all The fighting the regimen; saw Sergeant Wright
is q stalwart fellow with oompicTion Ike an
Indians When the Colonel introduced IN" scr
eeani the crowd ch.er,d heartily. while tho tall
solder looked about as uncomfortable as possible.
Near Colonel Roosevelt were two moro troopers ~
the regiment who unlike the Colonel and hts
collr-scrgeanf wore their Army uniforms. Tnry
were conspicuous parsonage IN th" hig assembling.
and tho attention they received was most generous.
The afternoon exercises began 40 800 o'clock.
when after period OF cNpccaut and impatient
waitiuE the audience saw colonel Roosevelt arrive
IN his carriage. The pent-up enthusiasm broke
loose in volume Of cheers. such ~ f." men ever
hear In their own honor Tho oyster Bay band
gave overture u patriotic airs and the meeting
formally opened by Townsend -. COOK. who
presented ". l.. swan the presdins object.
The opening invocation WAS hy the Rev William
= Estes. The audience then had ts nrst oppor-
unity to ioin In the welcome in q manner provided
by the programme The star Spanrled Banner"
sung by Augustus v Smock. the audience
Joining heartily I'm the choruscs.
CHEERS FOR TEDDY BOY"
When al last Colonel Roosevelt was introduced
the band ana the crowd Joined IN Justly salute.
during which the Colonel stood patiently at the
front Of the platform waiting for silence A.
last after Three cheers FOR Teddy Roy the
! Coone began mis- speech
Next to the g-ec,lne that my regiment gave me-"
/ he said. Il could appreciate nothing much
this from you. my fellow -townsmea. Up 10 now
| have refused al invitations to speak. but have
| told my friends that there must bc one exception
! for You. my nelenbors. with whom have lived
! and who know In many capacities. and who
! know al the evil and ! hope all the good that's
! about me. ! want express my appreciation or
! the way tnis meeting arranged how u comes
! from all without political Significance from those
with whom agree and those with whom dis
| agree A. with the regiment we did not have any
! politics any religion IN a. GaughterJ Wait a
nute-lei put In the provso. except that We
were all COCO Americans and. according TO our
several crecds. tried serve the Lord well as
our country.
SAMPLE or THE REGIMENT
Tie Colonel then compared himself 10 the man
| who wanted to sell house ana who carried bricks
around in his pocket TO show what the house WIS
! like and said that he had with him d sample 81
his regiment. the colOr-sergean; who bore the
| flag Of the regiment IN all IT'S fighting the man
VINO by carrying the flag more exposed 10
danger and who. except my Orderly. closer
! TO in the hghi Than any one else. And now
am going cause him agony than the
| Spaniards ever did by asking him to stand up"
Sergeant Wright arose and bowed while the
| crowd gave several rounds Of hearty cheers The
Colonel then told how he had enlisted the regiment
| IN the West
|
| ever "A finer body of men IN any nation upon
vhom 10 draw for soldiers. | was proud of the
Jcginleut especially because II did not come from
any on" stat" pr section 1here were men who
were born In Maine ana men who were born IN
| Others from places wnere they never saw great
city. We had with Us men who had left jobs which
in wealth and luxury; but All were anxious to
snow that TINS should not br q Iicn man wal and
a poor man fight and ANXIOUS that thcy should
hc judged exactly and precisely on their merits and
50 they were oar regiment was American through
! and through both because 81 It's members Of IA
tive birth and because 1t had representatives. Of
those who are Americans by choice instead OF by
inheritance. We also had many oriSinal Amcri-
cans. about nifty Indians bat all treated well as
fighting TO have on our right and left the sth AMI
70 Cavalry-thc colorcd cavalry whom the span
found 10 be- a very good breed Of Yankee. indeed
when enlisted We all had thing in com
lief that knew II all We were able 10 get the
regiment into shape because ia" members wen,
drudgery as well as danger. and II was because
tho regiment went to work a business basis
thar we were able to make the record we did 10.
DO not pretend to say mar am not proud OF
what it DID for ! an We had that regiment
put on transports. landed In Cuba and through 1--WE
victorious fights inside OF fifty days. We had los
onc-quarler Of our men who were landed in Cuha
from bullets one-quarter through disease. and still
had one-half ready for any call that might be
made
INCIDENTS IN CUBA
Colonel Roosevelt then told the story OF tbs
Roush Riders campaign 10 Cuba from beginning -
end relating many little ncidents-hcw an orderly
fell dead upon the Colonies knees just after re
'Bucky' O'Nein shot dead by n Mauser jus
after replying to a warning to keep out Of unneces
sary danger THE Spanish bullet that could xii
Sergeant Hamilton Fish We're killed IN ;he frs
skirmish.
lie paid eloquent tributes to General Young
other heroes Of the campaign. Laughter and cheer