21 Great Leaders by Williams Pat Denney Jim

Author:Williams, Pat, Denney, Jim [Williams, Pat; Denney, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-63058-694-2
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2015-02-27T14:00:00+00:00

ROOSEVELT’S ROUGH RIDERS

After several harsh years as a cattle rancher in the Dakotas, Roosevelt returned to New York City. In December 1886, he married his childhood friend Edith Kermit Carow. They had five children; Theodore III, Kermit, Ethel, Archibald, and Quentin. He ran for mayor of New York City and lost, but in the 1890s he became a vigorous foe of crime and corruption as New York City police commissioner.

In 1897, largely on the strength of T.R.’s highly respected book, The Naval War of 1812, President William McKinley appointed him assistant secretary of the navy. Roosevelt used his authority to modernize the navy prior to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War.

When the war broke out in 1898, it was clear that the United States Army was still weakened and ill-prepared three decades after the Civil War. Roosevelt resigned his post with the navy and joined with Army Colonel Leonard Wood to create the First US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. Roosevelt recruited cowboys and college athletes, mostly from the American Southwest. Wood and Roosevelt put the men through intensive training and drilling. The newspapers dubbed them “Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.”

In May 1898, more than a thousand Rough Riders, along with their horses, mules, and equipment, made their way by rail to Tampa, Florida, where they shipped out for Cuba. The Rough Riders came ashore at Daiquiri, Cuba, on June 23, 1898, with Colonel Wood in command and Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt as second in command.

In their first encounter with Spanish forces, the Battle of Las Guasimas, the Rough Riders fought an enemy that was well-hidden by trenches, fortifications, and jungle brush. Early in the battle, one of the men reported to Roosevelt that Colonel Wood had been killed in action. Roosevelt gave himself a field promotion to Colonel then rallied his men and led a charge on the fortification at Las Guasimas. After a battle lasting an hour and a half, the Rough Riders won. They counted their casualties—eight dead and thirty-one wounded.

Roosevelt was surprised to find Colonel Wood among the living—the report of his death had been a case of mistaken identity. If Roosevelt had not seized command of the Rough Riders and led the charge, the outcome of the battle might have been different.

The Rough Riders’ next encounter with the enemy was the Battle of San Juan Hill. Colonel Roosevelt was given vague orders to seize and hold the San Juan Heights, which were occupied by a thousand Spanish soldiers. He was to hold his position until he received orders to advance up the hill. As time passed and no order came, Roosevelt grew impatient.

Finally, Roosevelt drew his sidearm and told his Rough Riders he was leading them up the hill. Then he went to the captain of the platoons behind them, declared himself the ranking officer, and told the captain to prepare his men to charge up the hill. Then he mounted his horse and rode off, waving his hat and calling his men to follow. The Rough Riders pursued Colonel Roosevelt up the hill.

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