The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-07
Roosevelt as a soldier

nominated for the Vice-Presidsncy
this year by the same token. He is
held up 10 public admiration as a m-.i-
tary genius. the hero of San Juan Hill.
He poses as the central figure OF the
the irrepressioie, the blazing. foming
incarnation OF battle He has been
represented as an eXalting force, heav-
en-born leader. II is claimed for him
indeed, in his book, The Rough
Riders" he claims il for himself-that
he was always the master OF every
crisis that he invariably appreciated
the Situation WIIn unearing accuracy;
that his presence dispelled the clouds
of timidity or hesitation and filled all
beholders with a age for deadly COM
bat; that his mere example made the
army irresistible. There is & general
impression which Roosevelt has at
least done nothing to discourage; that
he saved the day at GuasimaS; that he
led the charge on San Juan Hill and
o~lockhouse, and that, generally, he
furnished the brains, the valor, and
the inspiration Of the whole affair.
Upon the strength Of this hypothe-
sis, carefully built up and Industrious
ly disseminated, Roosevelt is now a
candidate for the vice presidency. the
idle of the hero-worshipers and the
pride and glory of the multitude. He
represents to the rural districts the di
recting spirit of the war with Spain.
and his rumpled old COW boy suit and
Weather-beaten sombrero are the SYM
bols of material pomp and devastating
onslaught.
Certainly it is fair 10 examine the
basis of p~retentions so vast as these.
n surely We may be acquitted of all
hostile prejudice when we confine our
inquiries TO Roosevelt's own state
mentS as they are carefully and de-
llDerately conveyed TO an eager world
through the medium Of his copyrighted
book, The Rough Riders" We have
made a reasonably sincere study of
this great work and fine that il fur
nlshes all needed Illustration of Roose-
VeltS military spirit and intelligence.
Roosevelt, like all men who have risen
TO dizzy attitudes of fame. has his en-
viouS detractors. We scorn them. We
accept Roosevelt's personal testimony
to Roosevelt's genius for leadership.
He is high authority for US. We be-
gin, therefore,, with the battle of Las
Guasimas. This battle has been re-
garded, very enormously as a lunde
Captious persons nave declared that
Roosevelt fioundered into an ambush,
and that, but for the colored regulars,
he woul have been injuriously trim
med. The fact is that the movement
was carefully planned by General
Young, with the knowledge and per-
haps the advice of Colonel Wood. Our
attack was made by two bodies stimuli
taneously, which had advanced by diff
ferent paths upon the Spanish works.
1t was a thoroughly organized recon-
noissance in force, and the only officer
concerned in it who seems to have
been at all bewildered was Roosevelt.
On page SO of his book, after descrih
ing the skirmish in a most spirited
manner n bringing himself to some
frequently, he adds: 1.-The firing
had now died out, but 1
was still entirely uncertain as to
exactly what had happened. 1 did not
know whether the enemy had been
driven back, or whether it was merely
a lull in the fight and We might be at
tackled again; nor did 1 know what had
happened in any other part of the line,
as 1 occupied the extreme left, 1 was
not sure whether or not my flank was
in danger" OF course. it is quite evil
dent that Roosevelt won this fight.
His language is not altogether CO.
herent, but the greatest Of men are
sometimes dazed by the magnitude of
their own achievements. RooseveltS
trance did not last long however. for
on the very next page-1G0-he says:
Then I started over toward the main
body, but to my delight encountered
Wood himself. who told me the fight
was over and the S~paniardS had re-
treated"
RoOsevelt's part in the assault on
San Juan Hill, as related by himself,
contributes with still greater force to
the establishment Of his pr~e-eminence
in the Santiago campaign and especial
ly to the claim that he led the charge
in that glorious and brilliant action.
In his book will be found two stirring
pictures, n entitled Charge of the
charged over the hill at San Juan
the other, Colonel Roosevelt and the
Rough Riders at the point where they
chra rPp6 nvar the hill ar San In9n -
And mighty fine pictures they are, es-
pecially the first mentioned, which
shows Roosevelt galloping furiously in
the lead with outstreched sword and
flaming at each nostril. Nevertheless
we prefer the text as being more com
prehensive while quite as brilliant
Describing his own movements On the
tragic occasion, July /, 1898, he thus
begins-page 1913: The Ninth regiment
was Immediately in IRON of me, and
the First on m left, and these went UT
Kettle Hill with my regiment" OBJ
serve the with if you please. Al
first reading, we told ourselves that the
intelligent compositor had been playing
tricks with Roosevelt, sending him of
to an obscure engagement and cruelty
eliminating him from h great affair
Of the campaign-San Juan Hill. But
after p%icturing the assault on Kettle
Hill-which seems to I've been at
tended by very little trouble-and tell
ing how Ibis men" found cover there
he adds-page 1874: I'VE had a splen-
did view of the San Juan blockhouse t.
our left, where the infantry of Kent
led by Hawkins, were climbing the
HILL" And then, giving a finale as he
. observed it from Kettle Hill, about on
third Of a mile distant, ne says-pagt
: 1876: The infantry got nearer and
, nearer the crest of the Hill (San Juan)
! At last 1 could see the Spaniards run
ming away from the rifle pits as the
!. Americans came on in their fina rush.
: 1t appears from a further reading O
> the book, Rough Riders" that, aftel
, KEN had taken and occupied San Juar
Hill, Roosevelt exhibited a great dea
? of fury, charging and whooping in va
: riouS directions, and doubtless fright
? ening the then routed Spaniards out o
!. their remaining wits. The fact re
, mains, however, that Roosevelt's owl
: book shows that he didn't know wher'
{ he was at in the GuaSimas affair, an,
that his knowledge Of the successful as
, sault on San Juan Hill and blockhous
I was acquired wholly through long
. distance observation.
I C,@l & 11oS~, - L---.-