The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-03


guy rig GENUINE MAh'F'o eT
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W yxirts g" t e1t. ssTn .yxose
Foa sall sy lu oEceesTs pRcs SOC PsR sgrnL
yet it was no homogeneous nixture-and
none knew it better than its gallant or
CAREER. Across all the barriers of So
cial customs and convention which lay
between the eastern and the western men,
of daring and adventure and enterprise,
a common love of grit and courage,
common love of fortitude and endurance,
a common love of genuine manhood, a
common love of flag and country. Roose-
welt knew this well. And~ how fit that
ne Illustrating in dis own person every
type Of true manhood in the ranks OF MS
regiment should be their leader-born to
an Aoncred name, rearer in plenty, edu-
Gated, and yer, saturated with the eager,
glorious lie Of the west, versed in the
occupations intimate with her vast
plains, at home, in her mountain solitude,
loving and understanding her people. It
vas a great combination, leader and led,
officer and men.
But there will always be critics, and
the critics Will say that the Rough
Riders reaped more than their fir share
of glory-because they had a name and
not number; because it was 50 easy to
pick them out by name and record their
valor step by step. All, yes, that is true.
But then, the Rough Riders had a name
to be damned by, toe, If they had falt-
cred once ar Wayered once or broken
once, or failed once, how that same name
that was in everybody's mouth would
have rung with their shame. But never,
never once. did they falter. or waver, or
break. or fail. Edward Marshall the cor
respondent relates that once during the
battle of Guasimas, he thought ne had
found a coward. A man came running
wildly to the rear Marshall stopped him
and asked him what he was running
away from-and nearly got a. Draining for
his question. The soldier had torn off
the sole of his shoe. and the accident
hampered his movements. He was hunt
ing a dead man from whom TO borrow
shoe They found the man and the she,
and with his foot again protected the ex-
cited Soldier went back on the double
quick to the firing line.
Il shall not attempt to tell again the
story of the Rough Riders. Tt VIII be
told to you by the one best fitted q al
men to tell it. But in telling It be VIII
leave out one part-that part that speaks
of the peerless courage and lea leGship Of
the man whose foresight, enthusiasm, ard
patriotism brought the organization into
being. whose determination pushed it 10
the forefront Of the fight, and whose in
spring presence led 1t to victory. With
all honor to General Wood, splendid as
soldier and as administrator. and TO the
gallant Brodie, and to Capron aud Fish
and Kane and O'Neil and enkins, magni-
fcent fighting men and leaders f:om east
and west and south, the central :i5urs Of
the Rough Riders, whether tea ling Them
on in the thickest danger, or looking to
their comfort in trenches, or miaistering
to their wants in sickness, or forcing
their removal at last from the poisonous
Cuban camp that was sapping the:- lives
away, to the health giving rorth the
central figure of this all was Theodore
Roosevelt,
"And some had to die Great glory
comes only where great danger is Some
had TO die. Every Man of them knew
that, whenever the bugle called 10 ac-
ton. Through the mind OF every one Of
them when the advance was sounded
passed the thought that perhaps he was
one of the men that had to die But not
for moment did that thought give them
pause. on they went loyalty, grsndly
gaily, as to carnival of pleasure, in
stead of carnival Of death. And 50,
with their face to the. foe. fell the splen-
aid Capron. the cool and defiant Bucky
O'Neiu, the noble Russell our own boy.
Cashion the brave and stai3wrt Hamilton
Fish and the others. whose glory viii Be
sung as long as human valor has a
friend. And many more were wounded
almost unto death; for over oue-f0urth Of
al that gallant regiment was killed orr
wounded
And pause here to say one word for
these who were nor permitted 20 so TO
the fr1nt. In all the story Of the Rough
Riders. nothing seems 70 me- more touch
ing that tie fncouso1able grief of the 800
men left behind az Tampa They Pleaded
they begged. they inpl1red. to SO. Strong
men we9t Ike children. L is not to he
doubted for a moment that those men
we've made Of the self same material that
repeatedly carried the 6ag 70 victory be-
fore Santiago. Shall they Se quite for
gotten when We make up sur Jewels
No. NJ: am sure the fortunate ones
who wen 70 the front would not have e
81. I am sure they would have It that
these comrades wh1 were compeIed to
step short q the places where danger ard
glory waited should he known as hcn9re3
a Of the Rough Riders too These men
al of whom enlisted but cid nor see The
fighting service-id what ;hey eonla
5 They placed their lives az the disposition
{ Of their eoun,ry-and that. after al. IS
The Crucial test and The utmost that pa
tzi9iism can d.
eAnd SO, in closing salute again sac
guests II this period ~ reEnlra and fes-
3 -fr-frtr ~-ass- ,7ss