Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-12-28
ROUGH RIDER HEROES.
Roosevelt Gives the Department
Graphic Account of the Dar--
ing of His Men.

Washington, D. c., Dee. 23.-The war
department has made public reports made
by Lieut.-Col. Theodore Roosevelt to hi
superior officer, Col. Leonard Wood, de-
scribing the operations of the Rough
Riders under his command in the cam
paign before Santiago. Col. Roosevelt's
reports are merely descriptive narratives
OF the lighting, and contain no criticism
whatever of the war department officials
or anybody else. In his first report, dated
from the trenches outside of Santa go,
July 4, 1898, Col. Roosevelt, after de-
scribing the fighting that took place after
the command was marched out behind
the First brigade by Col. Wood, says
TO attempt to give a list of the men
who showed signal valor would necessi-
tate sending in an almost complete roster
of the regiment Many of the cases
which [ mention stand merely as exam
pies of the rest, not as exceptions.
"Corporals Waller and Fortesque and
Trooper Mckinley of troop E; Corporal
Rhoades of troop D, Troopers Albertson,
Winter. MacGregor and Ray Clark of
troop f. Troopers Bugbe, Jackson and
Waller Of troop A, Trumpeter MacDon-
aid of troop l., Sergt. Hughes Of troop B,
and TROOPER Goiron of troop G all con-
tinued to fight after being wounded, some
very severely. Most Of them fought I'M
til the end Of the day. Trooper Oliver B.
Norton Of B, who with his brother, was
by my side all throughout the charging,
was killed while fighting with marked
gallantry.
'"The most conspicuous gallantry was
shown by Trooper Rowland. He was
wounded in the side in our first fight, but
kept in the firing line. He was sent to
the hospital the next day, but left it and
marched out to us. Overraking us, and
fought all through this battle with such
Indifference 61Oppp that I was forced
again and again to rate and threaten him
for running needless risk. Great gallantry
was also shown by four troopers whom
[ cannot identify and by Trooper Wins
low Clark of troop G."
The second report covers operations of
the regiment from July 1 to II. On this
subject Col. Roosevelt says: CATER going
about three-quarters of a mile | was
halted and told to remain in reserve near
the creek by a deep lane. The bullets
dropped thick among us while we lay
there and many of my men were killed or
wounded. We charged the blOckhouse
and entertainments on the hill against
heavy fire. 1t was taken in good style.
After capturing the hill we first of all d.
rected a heavy fire upon the San Juan hill
to our left. By the time San Juan was
taken a large force had assembled on the
hill we had previously captured. We then
charged forward under a very heavy fire
across the valley against the Spanish en-
trenchments on the hill in the rear of San
Juan hill. This we also took. We then
formed in whatever order we could and
moved forward, driving the Spanish be-
fore us to the crest of the hills in our
front which were Immediately opposite
the city Of Santiago itself Here l re-
ceived orders to halt and hold the line of
hill crest. The Spaniards attempted a
counter attack that afternoon, but were
easily driven back"