Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-09-21

rs pient fer it, He
piSi'eu repairs on the ships
M"fNe" earnestly for the NAVY
Personnel bill ana visited the varions
haNai reserves throughout the conn
Try. He left nothing undona th.t
would IN his opinion secure tha bictas,
efficiency III the service when tho ,i,ne
for action came. 1t is said ,bat he
il was who first realized fine ,ron,an-
douS opportunity that the wa v,o,,Id
open III the East, and who had Dewey
III whom he recognized the riaht man
Tor the place, appointed to command
the eastern squadron. MANY naval
experts agree that the remarkable
skill III workmanship displayed III
the American gunners was due ,o his
foresight. He saw the necessity ot
practice and ne thought il the hest
kind Of economy to burn uraan1mrn.-
ton in acquiring skill.
characteristic story is told regard
ing Roosevelts insistence on Droctic,
iii the navy. Shortly after his an
pointment h asked for an aDpronria
ton of $500, 0nO for ammunition TIL
appropriation was made. and q few,
months later he asked for another an
preparation Of 100000 for the same
purpose. When asked what had be-
come Of the first approximation he re-
piled: Every cent Of it was spent fol
powder and shot. and every bit of
powder and shot has been fired"
W hen he was asked what he was 90
ing to 90 With the soc. coo he reulied:
Use every dollar Of thar. too. within
the next thirty days in practice shoot
ing When the Maine was blown up
Roosevelt mad 40 doubt it is said. that
war would follow. and his energies
We're bent with redouble,I force to
getting the navy ready. When war
did finally break out Roosevelt is
credited with plan for taking Hava-
na at once and debating terms from
thcre.
COLONEL OF ROUGH RIDERS.
Of course he could not sit still be
hind desk after war had been ac-
tually declared. He submitted his
resignation to the President on April
u. ana tried to get an appointment on
General Lees staff. Then came the
Rough Rider idea, hardly thought of
before realized. 'Roosevelt's Rough
Riders the name struck the popular
fancy. and the regiment became IA
nous before ii was organized. During
HOoseNelt's summer months upon his
ranch in Dakota he learned to know
cowboys. not simply as the picturesque
objects who appear III Wild West
shows, but as Courageous men. strong
TO bear the hardships OF warfare.
From such uren the famous Rough
Riders We're chiefly recruited. Four
years membership in the Sth Regi-
ment Of the New York State National
Guard. 10 which Roosevelt belonged
from 1881 to 1SS>. and in which he was
for time a captain. furnished at
least a basis for his brilliant military
career. But more than all else that
induced him 70 go to the front We're
his devotion to the cause for which the
war was fought and his love for an
active life. These same reasons
drew to him scores of young men OF
prominent families from all parts of
the country. who joined the Western
cavalrymen to go and fight the Span
iards. The regiment thus formed was
known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders.
although it was commanded by colo
mel Wood Of the regular army. Colo
mel Roosevelt being second i'll COM
mand, with the rank. until promoted.
of lfeutenaut-colo His conduct at
tAc jungle fight Of Los GuaSimas and
in the bloody charge up San Juan
Hill made him popular hero. and
gave rise to a large number Of most
interesting stories concerning his per
sonal bravery and his influence over
tha men he led. ~ the very start
he licked this band of independent.
high spirited ranchers, CoWpunchers
ana athletes into reSimental shape
with no uncertain hand. In one Of his
first speeches to them he said.
You've got to perform without ilinch-
ing whatever duty is assigned YOU.
regardless Of the difficulty or danger
attending il. No matter what comes.
YOU must not squeal." These words Of
Roosevelt became almost a religion
with his men. TO do anything with
out finching ana not to squeal was
their aim. and to hear the colonel say
Good" was reward enough. one OF
his troopers. who was invaded home,
thus answered a Tribune reporter who
had asked concerning the colonel.
He is a fighter. isn't he
"A fighter. You'd give lifetime
10 see that man leading a charge or 70
hear him yell. Talk about courage
md crit and all that-he's got it.
Why. | used to keep my eye on HIM
whenever | could, ana I've seen him
dash into hail Of bullets. cheering
md yelling all the time. as if possess
4 He doesn't know what fear il.
and seems to bear 4 charmed life.
All The Rough Riders adore him.
Another told Of how Colonel Roose-
elf acted when slightly hurt by a
fragment of Spanish sheri on san
rIan Hill. H. said
Teddy was with four or five other
Ulcers just below the brow Of hill
mon which one of our batteries was
olaced. when Spanish shell. well
! aimed flew over the crest and eN-
njoded lust above the heads Of the
group. Two of the officers were pain
fully wounded. but Teddy. with his
usual good luck escaped with Craze
If the back OF his right hand. 1t was
trivial but the scratch bled. | shall
| ,ot forget the delight on Teddy's face
,s he saw his own blood leak out.
| winning out his handkerchief after 4
| moment he bound it around his hand.
4 little later. when he WAS near our
1 i