The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-01
Another Rescue OF the Rough Riders,

1t would be a great relief to encounter
at least one military squabble which
developed no revival of that threadbare
Riders at Guasimas, or during some other
%sanguinary conflict of the Spanish war.
and their rescue by some daredevil COM
mand under circumstances of the most
appalling slaughter. More than nine
years have elapsed since the first appear
ance of this maudlin claptrap, with the
result that the ambush has been located
az every point on every road, trail and
bride path leading away from Siboney
in the general direction of Santiago.
The Rough Riders have been in des-
perate straits all over the territory in
Guided in the campaign of 1905 and have
been saved by half Of the regiments in
the Shafter expedition at enormous cost
Of blood and through miracles of hardi-
hood and valor. To accept all the sto-
ries that have been set afloat would he
to believe that the Rough Riders spent
half of the time between June % and
August rs, 1898. in getting ambushed by
IIlt t1tt1N dflu lie otflt ldl III nav llG
themselves rescued by their friends.
The fact is that the Rough Riders were
never ambushed, either at Guasimas or
elsewhere. In his history of the Spanish
war. based wholly upon official reports Of
United States Army officers who were
actually engaged in field operations
around Santiago, General r. A. ALGEB
makes it entirely clear that the Original
story was c~oncocted out Of whole cloth
and that it was without the ghost Of a
shadow of substance. Guasimas was the
merest outpost skirmish. Much more
homicidal events occurred daily, If not
hourly. during the civil war without
attracting serious attention. Our losses
at Guasimas speak for themselves.
They are given by the records as one
officer and fifteen men killed and six
officers and forty-six men wounded.
The average labor union in the average
provincial town must be sadly destitute
Of "sympathizers" when a much larger
list of casualties does not attend the
base and p~usillanimous effort of a lot of
"scabs" TO take the bread out Of the
mouth OF honest toilers. Almost any
little race riot in Kansas or Ohio makes
a better mortuary showing.
The latest version Of the ambush and
rescue fairy tale stages the ~melodrama
on San Juan Ridge, time after midnight,
July ?. Here again the Rough Riders
were surrounded, helpless and in momen-
tary peril of their priceless lives until
Major CHARLES G. AYREs of the Tenth
Cavalry flashed upon the scene, R. L. E.,
and in one hysterical paroxysm the
Rough Riders were again whisked away
TO safety and soothing ministration. The
same old story in a new dress and with
entirely new properties and setting!
On page III of ALGER's history of the
Spanish war the earnest searcher will
md rnis pregnant paragraph:
" During the entire day of July : the Spsniards
kept UP a severe nre. But neither our own troops
nor those OF the enemy changed the positions they
occupied on the night OF July /. The Spsnlards
made no attempt 20 ~recspture San Juan Ridge. and
AVS own men were too exhausted to make any
further advance"
Moreover, by noon Of July > all of
General SKATERS army was on the
Ridge. The weak spots had been
strengthened. The thin lines had been
padded. Evidently, therefore, the sur
FOUNDERS must have come in buckram
from Gad's Hill. II may be well to add
that SKATERS demand for ToRAL's sur
render was delivered on the morning of
July 3, before the Spanish fleet went out
Of Santiago harbor, and there is per-