Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-19
Fun and Fiuht.

III mas been stated numberleSS times
that the Rough Riders" are the most
picturesque body of armed men ever
organized for service in war. They have
proved themselves fearless in battle,
capable of offering themselves, and
equal to any emergency in the field.
The world has rung with their praises,
and for all these things they have not
gotten that American disease known as
1.-THE big head"
Stories of the many p~eculiarities of
the men are filling the columns of the
newspapers, and Judging from the tenor
of many of these ''Teddy's Terrors'
have demonstrated that they were able
to care for themselves under any and
all circumstances. The creed of the
regiment seems to have been to steal
everything in sight, so long as it be-
longed to a comrade of the regiment,
and the men who could not supply his
needs by this means was not a true
Rough Rider Their depredations
were never allowed to extend beyond the
borders of their own company-uniess
some other command had something
particularly choice, and ever then a
very plausible excuse has always been
found for the appropriation of the good
thinr ThaSn ct0rinS nav hi hnSn
calumnies, but the public evidently en-
joys them, and since the people have
paid for all the articles thus seized upon,
and they have been used while fighting
the country's battles, there has not been
any loss in the end. 1t has been Il
"rustling among themselves" carried on
good naturally and no one cares for the
apparent infraction of the teachings of
one of the commandments. 1t is a fact
that General Wheeler said to one OF the
troopers of the Trough Riders $50
you are one of the Rough Riders?
Well, you may be good fighters-in fact
you have shown yourselves to be good
fghters-but for down right thievery
you are the worst | have ever known.
Why, your camp is known all over the
army as a den of thieves. 1t is Il won
der that some of you ever managed to
get out here unhung." The cause of
this little recommendation for the regi-
ment was that some enterprising cow
boy had stolen the generals favorite
saddle horse, and the general had failed
to make his claim good. Colonel Roose-
welt of course was not a party to the
theft of the horse, but-well, he saw to
it that the animal remained in the camp
of the boys who stormed San Juan hill.
The truth of the story is not vouched
for, but some of the New Mexico boys
be able to tell all about it when
they return home.
In the regiment are a number of
young men who are counted among the
of the country, but they
have performed the duties of private
soldiers as faithfully and unflinchingly
as the poorest westerner in the ranks,
and seem to have accepted conditions as
and joyouslv as the worst scat
ter brain among them. They have dug
trenches, curried horses and carried
wounded companions from the battle
field as if they never expected to do any
thing else. No matter from what part
of the country a "Rough Rider came
his only ambition has been to fight,
make a reputation tor the command and
incidentally get as much fun out of the
war as possible. The uppermost idea
has been patriotic, but the men evident
ly believed that "all work and no
play makes Jack a dull boy, and have
conducted themselves accordingly.
There is no doubt that this one char
acteristic has had much to do in en-
the boys to stand the hardships
they have, do the fighting and retain
their health, or rather prevented the
way to the enervating effects of
tropical climate. They are entitled to
MI the fun they may have had since they
eft Tampa, and no regiment eve re-
a warmer welcome than they have
had since landing in New York.
The stories now being told of the fight
ing, fussing and stealing done by the
Trough Riders" will become q part of
the history of one of the. most remark
able regiments in the war, and the coun-
try at large will boast of the first, joke
about the second and laugh heartily
the third, and point with pride to
the achievements of the New York dudes
and the western cowboys, while sta
Toned in Cuba.