Leonard Wood Theodore had a great deal of influence over the 1 000 men in the unit By June the Rough Riders along with 6 000 other US soldiers were on their way to Cuba The plan was to capture the port city of Santiago de Cuba the Spanish stronghold The US Navy would bombard Spanish ships in the city's harbor It would be supported by US ground troops and Cuban freedom fighters in a joint land operation Their mission was to oust Spanish soldiers from the city US fighters including the Rough Riders landed on the beaches of Daiquiri Cuba on June 22 1898 Daiquiri was 18 miles 30 km east of Santiago de Cuba The first challenge was getting ashore Waters were rough and piers were splintered and washing away but eventually they made it to land The next day the Rough Riders and their fellow troops captured a mountain pass in the battle of Las Guasimas Shortly after the battle Colonel Wood was promoted to the rank of brigadier general and Theodore was named colonel In the early morning hours of July 1 US troops in the mountain pass I am quite content to go now and to leave my children at least an honorable name w3 Theodore Roosevelt speaking about his fighting in Cuba in a letter to a friend in August 1898 around Las Guasimas came under heavy fire Theodore was hit in the wrist with shrapnel The Rough Riders traveled to Cuba to help the United States in the Spanish American
He jumped on his horse and herded his soldiers into a safe area MEDAL OF HONOR Theodore began giving orders even After the battle of San Juan Hill the rallying regiments whose leaders had fallen in the assault A Spanish soldier US Army in Cuba recommended Theodore for the Congressional Medal of Honor The recommendation was turned down ran onto the battlefield and tried to kill Many historians believe the rejection him Theodore pulled out a revolver and was politically motivated The outspoken shot him That roused his troops who were now furiously engaged in battle Theodore had sent a letter to US Secretary of War Russell A Alger in August 1898 after the fighting ended He questioned why US troops were not being sent home Alger was furious about the letter The The Charge up San Juan Hill Stunned by the US onslaught the Spanish colonel s actions got Alger to bring the troops began to retreat As Theodore troops home However Alger made sure reached the top of the hill he urged his Theodore did not get the Medal of Honor The snub was corrected on January 16 men to keep fighting Then the colonel 2001 when President Bill Clinton held saw US soldiers struggling under heavy a special ceremony at the White House to award the highest military honor to Theodore posthumously fire at nearby San Juan Hill The Rough Riders led by Theodore charged up San Juan Hill taking no prisoners 10
FINAL SURRENDER The Spanish American War went on for a fewL The conflict had lasted ten weeks As a result more weeks following the battle of San Juan of the Spanish American War the United Hill The US flag was raised over Santiago on States established itself on the world stage July 17 1898 A peace treaty with Spain was as a powerful military force US soldiers from signed in Washington DC on December 10 L both the North and the South served together 1898 and hostilities came to an end for the first time since the American Civil War The war was a serious blow to the Spanish 1861 1865 African American troops made major contributions during the war effort Empire Spain lost much of its remaining as well territory around the world including Cuba Puerto Rico Guam and the Philippines Beaten back and weary the Spaniards retreated to Santiago where they hoped to find refuge on their ships Theodore however knew those ships were not going anywhere The ships he had sent to Cuba while he was assistant secretary of the US Navy surrounded the city Within days the Spanish fleet was destroyed Newspaper accounts of the battle of San Juan Hill were breathtaking The Rough Riders became legendary Their leader Colonel Theodore Roosevelt was a national hero and suddenly the most sought after candidate for public office in the United States 11
