The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-08
RECRUITS FOR ROUGH RIDERS.
A NEW COMPANY FOR ROosEVELT's
REGIMENT ARRIVES.

Cow Punchers and DronchO Riders
Make Things Lively Around the
Central Depot for Some Hours.
Thought Transports would BE
Awaiting Them interchangeable
ed When. They Found They Were
Not Going Direct to Cuba-They
Were Sent to Tampa in the After
noon.
The recruits for Roosevelts Rough
Riders from Santa Fe, N. NJ arrived in
the city yesterday via the Central Rail
road, and for the greater part of the day
were quartered at the Central depot on
West Broad street
There were 102 of them. an interesting
characteristic lot OF Western COW punch
ers, and brocho riders, eager for a scrap
and anxious to get to the front. Consid-
cradle disappointment was expressed
among the men when they arrived and
learned that there was no transport here
read to carry them 10 Santiago. In fact
they did not know what to do, nor did they
have much idea then where they were go
ing.
It appears they were sent to Savannah
by mistake. They left Santa Fe on Sat
urday night and were on the road at the
time when the troops at Tampa were ex-
pected TO come here to embark on the
Atlantic transports. That probably ac-
counts for their having been sent to Sa-
vannah instead Of going direct TO Tampa
from Birmingham, their last stop of i'm
portance before they arrived here.
The troops were III charge of Sergts. w.
T. Condit and o. ". Nesbitt of Santa Fe.
The sergeants, too, were at a loss on their
arrival here. and did not know just what
to do with the men. Sergt. Condlt contem-
plated taking them oLt for an encampment
some distance from Savannah in case of
the receipt of no orders. He began to use
the wires, however, shortly after his ar
rival here with the result that his men
were ordered 10 Tampa at once. They left
the city about O'Clock in the afternoon IN
their four coaches and viii arrive there
this morning, where they Will join the rem
nant of RooseVelts Rough Riders left there
when the first expedition embarked for
Cuba.
The wild westerners made things pretty
lively in the neighborhood of the depot
while they We're here They We're all tall
'iNtAFJ 4Ai'4As SAOWlliS liidl Nll6g were DC
customed TO a rough life, and as one gen
tcman put 1t You could hardly cut q
hole in one Of them with an AK
They are just the stuff for the Rough
Riders, and Will make an excellent addi-
ton to the regiment. They carried with
them number of mascottes, including a
siK-months old American eagle which bore
the appropriate tide of Teddy Roosevelt.
Another of the mascottes was a coyote,
and still another was an ordinary dog The
people around the depot were interested in
the mascottes, but they were more inter
ested In the men and their antics.
A number OF the big fellows in the crowd
got out on the sidewalk and began las
soluS all the negroes who passed that way
and hauling them down. Several of them
were playing the game while the others
watched the fun. It got so after a while
that the negroes gave the Rough Riders
wide berth, and they had the street in that
netghborhood practically to themselves.
Some of these rough riders, il is said,
handled Baggage Master Matthews rather
roughly with the result that he was in
jured, and had to leave his work tempo
rarily, They took rope and tied him to
the railroad track, presumably in a spirit
of fun, but 1t was little rougher fun
than he cared TO experience
There was not a uniform in the crowd.
The men were dressed some of them, in
the characteristic fashion of this class of
people in the West, while others had or
binary citizens clothes. All of them.
however, wore the large gray wooden hat
bent in the middle, which told the story
pretty wen.
The rations for the crowd were getting
pretty low when they struck Savannah,
and when they got ready to leave for
Tampa they had just about two rounds
apiece left. That viii keep them going
until they arrive there. They all want
60 get to the scene of the fighting at
once, but from the present outlook 1t may
be some time before they are sent to
Cuba.