The Rough Riders

While Theodore Roosevelt was working as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, the USS Maine exploded in Havana.  War with Spain followed shortly.  Determined to see combat, Roosevelt immediately set about creating a volunteer force.  Speed was vital if he was to be present when the fighting started.  First, he needed a regimental commander with proven experience and respect.  He chose Leonard Wood, an active military man and Medal of Honor winner.  The 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry was recruited and reported to San Antonio for training.  A motley band, there were cowboys, Native Americans, hunters, miners, Ivy Leaguers, and others.  Many of them were already expert marksmen and skilled horsemen, so much of the training could focus on drill, military etiquette, chain of command, and general discipline.

In May of 1898, the Rough Riders boarded trains for Tampa Bay.  Once there, they boarded the transport ship Yucatan in June, arriving on the coast of Cuba a couple of weeks later.  Though a cavalry regiment, they were not allowed to bring their horses.  Thus, they were cavalry serving as infantry.  Roosevelt details Las Guasimas, the first battle where the Rough Riders saw action.  Thanks to malaria, Colonel Wood was elevated to brigade commander and Roosevelt rose to command the regiment, now Roosevelt's Rough Riders.  There follows the charge up Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill, and finally the siege of Santiago.  By mid-August, the Rough Riders were quarantined on Long Island until malaria abated.

Roosevelt offers extensive praise to the men, often using superlatives.  It is very much an on the ground account, seldom offering details of the bigger picture.  This is the war as Roosevelt saw it, occasionally reinforced with notes on the wider war if necessary.  It is sometime repetitive, giving the impression that there was not a lot of editing before being sent to print.  He does spend several pages countering the writings of other authors, notably on the number of Spanish troops in the area and the details of the Battle of Las Guasimas.  There is also extensive discussion of the lack of transport, food, and medical care.  The American logistics were terrible.  Merely noting that a cavalry regiment was deployed without horses says a lot.  Furthermore, the Spanish had superior rifles and used smokeless gunpowder.  This allowed them to quickly target US artillery and disable it.  Lastly, Roosevelt offered high praise, even pinning the largest share of credit for victory, on Lt. Parker and his Gatling Guns.

Highly entertaining account of one facet of the Spanish-American War.  It is a wonder that in a war that lasted less than 4 months, a volunteer unit was recruited, equipped, trained, and sent into the field to participate side-by-side with regular troops.  Recommended.