The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-06-29

ROOsevelt's Rough Riders.
Ia the expedition which sailed from
Tampa for Santiago some time ago to
cooperate with Admiral Sampson in
the attack upon Admiral Cervera were
two squadrons Of unattached cavalry.
These squadrons consist OF volunteers,
and it is safe 10 say that when the time
arrives they will make the regulars
look alive to keep up their reputation.
The squadrons are composed Of men
who have lived in the saddle and have
slept on their firearms nearly all their
lives. They are known as Roosevelt's
Rough Riders, and are probably more
accustomed to the habit of dashing pell
nell through the underbrush and OBJ
strustions to lie encountered in Cuba
than the regulars.
The writer recently witnessed the
manoeuyres of the Rough Riders at
Tampa. The men for the most part
are big, brawny frontiersmen, who
have left cowpunching and the ranch
to follow Colonel Roosevelt in the Gu
ban campaign. They are ali expert
horsemen, crack shots with both re-
volver and rifle, and handle a machete
with dexterity that would make
Cuban envious. Not one of them
knows what fear is. While in the
camp the troopers were assembled for
drill. At the command of forward"
the horses leaped out at a gallop and
fairly charged to point within half
score of yards from the position of the
spectators, when the line halted ss sud-
denly as If it had encountered stone
wall.
Another command, and with wheel
as sudden as it was unexpected, the
line charged fairly at the spectators,
who were seated and standing among
the trees The broad, heavy blades of
the machetes flashed from their sheaths
and circIed the air with "A thrilling
swish that was really dramatic. The
women screamed, and were about to
take flight, when the plunging steeds
reined up with a jerk at their very feet,
the rough riders saluted with their ma
chetes, and gracefully bowling, turned
like flash and were off like the wind.
Through the trees they went, form
ing into two squadrOns rs they rode.
One bore Off toward the south, and the
other toward the north. They were
too far away to hear the command, but
turned suddenly and dashed at each
other, riding like eentaurs. The ma
chetes leaped out rs the lines closed in,
and when they came together there
was clash OF steel that was positively
fierce.
1t was real, too, for the men wore no
masks or other protection, and one Of
them had the end of his nose split as
neatly as a surgeon could have done it.
The wounded member was plastered
up by skilled hands, and the incident
was dropped with an officers remark:
"He should have remembered his in
struetions about guarding, and he
wouldn't have been touched. He
won't be again"
Wheeling, circling, yelling and rid
ing with positive abandon that can
be seen nowhere else, the men showed
how practically impossible it would be
for foot soldier to defend himselffrom
machete charge. No one who has
never seen it can form any idea Of its
impetuous dash and irresistible fierce
ness.
The fatal machete blow is delivered
downward, at an angle Of about forty
five degrees, and usually lands on the
side and back OF the victims neck. He
may be a superb feneer with rapier or
sabre, but he knows no guard that will
avail against this blow.
at is a remarkable fact, - said an Otii-
Ger, who has seen many a Spaniard
after the maehete has done its work,
"that almost every one struck at all is
struck on the side and back Of the neck.
The blow almost sewers the head from
the body"
had little regard for the machete as
a soldiers weapon until | saw it used
by these men. Army officers who have
seen 1t have, to a considerable number,
armed themselves privately with the
murderous cornknife OF the Cubans.
Strange to say, the maehete is not
made in Cuba or Spain, but in Hart
ford, Conn. Aside from these wesp-
ons, this force is armed with six-shoot-
ers, and either 45-ealibre carbines, Win
chester 1910 rifles or the Mauser rifle
They are all crack shots and experts
with the pistol.
The Sixth United States Cavalry is
also a part Of this expedition. This reg
iment includes among its troopers those
marvellous COssack riders who electri-
fled New York audiences some months
ago at Madison Square Garden at the
military tournament. 4 Troop, in COM
mand Of II. p. Kingsbury. ably sec
onded by Lieutenant w. c. Short, is
famous throughout the army for the
daring Of its riders. f Troop, Of the
Third Cavalry, Captain G. A. DOdd, Is
another equally noted troop OF Cossack
riders; 80 the rivalry between them is
marked TO degree.
Lieutenant Short kindly ordered out
several of his men to show what could
be done in the way Of Cossack riding
in rough ground, where underbrush
and palmetto sprouts made it more diff
cult than i'm a tanbarked arena.
Such little trifies a. picking up bits
Of paper from the ground from run
ming horse, leaping high obstacles,
mounting and dismounting at a charge,
vanlting entirely over a running horse,
or vauIting from the ground, alighting
on the horses back and facing to the
rear, wheeling on fore feet, wheeling on
hind feet, etc, were rapidly executed by
these men, and they appeared to en-
JOY IL.
The drill, when completed by a troop
er, gives him entire and absolute COM
mand Of his mount. The horses are
trained 10 do everything, and the en-