Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-30
f0QGH RIDERS TRIO
Lyme IN DISTRICT
San auan Hill Veterans Re-
thin Vivid Memories
| of Teddy"

AAh w dSLlIlSpOI IIlBll, lIlCu
still f1liH with vivid memories of the
days VII In they rode high, wide ard
handsonk" as fighting members of Col.
TheodorH Roosevelts famous regiment
OF RoucW Riders. are living today in
the NatJbn's Capital. engaged in the
routine @lsireSs of earning a living.
These hree. of graying hair. are be-
lieved t. be the only members of the
noted regiment now living in WASH
incton. 7
One Of 81e trio. Capt. William L. Mat
tccks. 1914 Taylor street, will 60 back
to Havana during the week of October
z to att hid the encampment of the
United 81 hnish War Veterans and to
brush urvld friendships with some Of
his war-t he buddies.
Life siiEe the day when they were
mustered fout of the regiment three
decades sto has led each of the three
into diffc fnt paths, but all have one
thing in kmmon-they still remember
the strict discipline demanded by the
colonel"
Capt. NXttocks is editor of the Ma
tional TriTlne. a veterans publication.
Rufus w. Pearson. the second of the
trio, is le9yer with Offices in the Barr
building. Ehe third member Eldridge
E. Jordan Is engaged in the real estate
business with offices at 1912 Seven
tenth strelt.
W al Attend Reunion.
Only M$etocks will attend the re-
union, the iothers being held here by
press of tAsiness. but in spirit. they
said. they twill be with their former
buddies on Rhc Caribbean island.
One Of he most distinct memories
in Mattockas mind is of the day 80
years ago when he lay fiat on the
ground in / front of San Juan Hill,
awaiting TIM signal to advance.
Col. Wood came along the lines and
said Steady. boys! Steady!' Right
after him tbllowed Roosevelt He was
planting hiI feet down hard and boil
ing for a Aght. And he kept telling
us Give i'm hell. boys! Give 'em
hellr"
Capt. Maktocks. then sergeant of
F troop. wis an eye witness to some
of the mostf diScussed differences" be-
tween Roosevelt and his Superiors dur
ing the war; He witnessed the incident
between Roosevelt and Gen. Shafter
when the doughty colonel refused to
obey an order to retreat from San
Juan Hill.
"Of course We didn't want to retreat"
Mattocks sad why should We? We
were there IN the hills, why go back?
Gen. Shaftef was afraid We CJulu not
hold San JlSan. He wanted us to re-
treat until VIE could get reinforcements,
but the Officers all backed Teddy and
signed a roland robin, declaring their
intention toi stay. And stay we did!
The battle lasted from July until July
3. when the Spanish flag of truce went
I'D. It cam{ down on the eleventh IN
Official surreAder.
Il can still see those junghs and
plains and loN-lying hills and tno Day"-
net cactus through which we had to
chop our way. It rained every after
noon at 2 o'clock The dew at night
was as heav9 as rain and more per1e-
trating. and The rest of the time it was
so hot we wGre wet with sweat.
Recalls contradictory Orders.
II was at the battle of Las Gua5imas,
nm the way til San Juan, that Roosevelt
followed VIC i'll along the line contra
dieting his brders. Mattocks recalls
Hamilton Fish, father of Representative
Fish of New York, and Allen Capron
u,ere killed ia that battle, the first in
which Amer ian troops TOOK part IN
C,lha. The Americans went into am
hush. with .slOO Spaniards an front and
tn the sides ii: the jungle growth and on
the ridges. the advance guard cleared
the enemy only after suffering heavy
Mr. Pearson has been a close fol-
lower of the fortunes of the Rough
Riders. MANI of them, he said, went
into foreign cbuntries after the close of
Festivities ind Cuba and were killed
fighting othe4 nations wars.
Ths rnenbefs of Rocsevelt's regiment,
he said. were Though" and we're picked
IN the strength of their ability to shoot
straight and hide hard and well. One
of the men i1f his squad was nephew
If Cole Younker. famous Western out
law of the off days.
Mr.. Pearson was very fond OF Col.
Roosevelt. oneE of the reasons being that
even after TIN latter became President
he never forAot his men of the old
regiment. ..
After the war" Pearson SAID,
came back III Washington and got a
lob in the War Department and en-
rolled in tna night law school at
Georgetown University. / was standing
in front of tile department one after
noon ioking with some other fellows
when the Prefdent came walking down
the street. I knew he was nearsighted
end didn't thhk he would see me, but
INST as he eel abreast l saw his eyes
l-ant on me.
Roosevelt Greeted Veteran.
"'Pearson.' lie said, what in the devil
are you doingihere? Why haven't you
been over to Zee me?'
He talked p me for several minutes
while nv frie Ids looked on with their
mouths hanging open, and when he left
he insisted th3t come to see him."
Mr.. Jordan has not kept as close
tab on his olc' regiment as the others.
His recolIectiolks of the "old days." how
ever, are JUST as keen. one OF the
things he remembers best is the DAY
when a group iof the old Rough RIDERS
were assembled to act as special body
guard to Roo! evelt on the day OF MS
Inauguration. [
So far as COLD be learned only about
200 of the original 1900 members of
the regiment isre still alive. They are
scattered all eyer the world Many of
the other 1.1GA died in battle and. &C
cording to Mr. Pearson nealy all died
with their boPts on
WILL SPEAK AT MEETING,