The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-30
By ELOISE.
(Kansas City Starr


An intimate account of Theodore
Roosevelt as Colonel of the Rough
Riders in the Spanish-American war
has been received by the Star from
MAJOR Fl. X. Love. now of the quarter
master corps, stationed at Paramount,
West Va, but in the war with Spain
a trooper in the regiment commanded
by Colonel Wood and Colonel Roose-
welt MAJOR Love begins his story with
the arrival of Colonel Roosevelt at
the rendezvous OF his regiment at
San Antonio, Texas.
We had been in San Antonio few
days before Colonel Roosevelt, then
our observation-disclosures, arrived. 1t was
Sunday afternoon when he reported at
the camp All that day l had been in
San Antonio with a bunch of semi-wild
horses that were being shod. Return
ing to camp about 9 p. m, the first
word heard was that Colonel RoOse-
welt had arrived, and had made talk.
1t was clear enough that the regiment
had surrendered. Internationally, and
as it proved to be, for all time. The
men sensed the virility, the comrade-
ship and the leadership Of his person
atty, and Immediately gave him their
unquestioned loyalty.
The next morning he put us through
regimental drill like a master. 1t was
said that the colonel had acquired
his knowledge of the cavalry drill on
the sleeper enroute. From the first
day to the end Of our brief service he
was the hardest working member of
the regiment.
One blistering hot afternoon in
Tampa I was standing guard on a
road leading into camp. Offensive
to regulations but quite agreeable to
comfort, my blouse was unbuttoned
OF a sudden the colonel appeared
mounted and almost upon me. With
my left hand, l brought my carbine
to a miserable present" while with
my right attempting to fit buttons in
wrong holes. | must have made a
sorry looking sentinel. The colonel
however, acknowledged my effort tC
do the honOrS of war and passed or
with the comment: That's right; be
soldier"
We disembarked in Cuba at Diquar
during the afternoon of June ~. Tina
evening, a considerable detachment O
| the Cuban army of liberation passec
through our camp. The foot soldiers
carried monstrous packs. The offlc
ers. mounted on small Cuban ponies
had difficulty in keeping their fee
and sabers clear of the ground. IL
all, this army might have been Dor
rowed from burlesque stage, eXcep
for the earnest and worn aces.
Primitive Additions.
A stream puts into the sea at ID
quart, not far down from where W.
camped. 1t flows, broad and yer!
shallow, through a sand flat. On thu
morning of the 23rd, had just finish
ed washing my face with cOmbina
ton of water and sand when the col
onel appeared, with towel over arm
He looked rather obviously at thu
shallow stream.
| ventured: "If you will wait me
ment, colonel, think conditions cal
be bettered." With this | scooped GU
a fair sized bowl in the sand about {
foot from the edge of the stream, ant
it quickly filled with a workable sur
ply of water.
While so employed. the colonel in
quired how l had enjoyed my frs
night in Cuba, and, continuing. re
ma rked, from what we saw of GU
ally last night, they have been abb
!, to hold the Spanlard IN check, w
; should not have much trouble in cor
querng, and should be glad to hel
such men to their liberty"
That morning we moved on to Sibc
ney, over a road shut off by the tropi
jungle from any breath of air. We Wer
told that the Spaniards had been lo
Gated during the day, and that mex
day we would engage them. The nigh
was passed in the open and in the rair
and the time partly employed in film
canteens at distant point for tn
, next day. The order was to move GU
at daylight.
In tropic warfare, it is PRACTICAL
impossible fully to reconnoiter a
? enemy position. The best that can b
done is to locate his general position
get in touch, and feel him out unde
| fire. This was what was done tina
day. >,
When the enemy was located by 1t