Tag Archives: Spanish-American War

Triumph After the War

Roosevelt and Rough Riders, 1898, courtesy Library of Congress

Theodore Roosevelt held an important position–assistant secretary of the Navy–before the Spanish-American War, but his dashing exploits with the Rough Riders gave him an aura of adventure and excitement which no government position could impart (see last two posts). His citation for the Medal of Honor encapsulates the drama associated with his exploits: “Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt distinguished himself by acts of bravery on 1 July, 1898, near Santiago de Cuba, Republic of Cuba, while leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill. Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt, in total disregard for his personal safety, and accompanied by only four or five men, led a desperate and gallant charge up San Juan Hill, encouraging his troops to continue the assault through withering enemy fire over open countryside.”

After the war was over, Roosevelt accepted the Republican candidacy for governor of New York. He won the office, and served its two-year term before accepting the vice-presidential nomination. He became president upon the death of William McKinley, and then served another four-year term after winning the 1904 election. In 1906, two years into his term of office, Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work surrounding the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt was a passionate conservationist; during his presidency, he created the U.S. Forest Service and established 51 Federal Bird Reservations, four National Game Preserves, 150 National Forests, and five National Parks.

Teddy Roosevelt with John Muir at Glacier Point, Yosemite, courtesy Library of Congress

Teddy Roosevelt with John Burroughs, courtesy Library of Congress

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The Rough Riders

Lt. Colonel Theordore Roosevelt

When hostilities began between Spain and the U.S. concerning Cuba’s independence (see last post), the U.S. did not have a large standing army. Many men volunteered their services in the subsequent Spanish-American War, but most were not well-trained enough to be allowed into combat. One unit did have sufficient training and expertise:  the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, or Rough Riders, recruited by then-Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt resigned his position to volunteer in this company, and originally envisioned it filled with men from the Indian Territory. Instead, the unit filled with a whole range of  eager men from such diverse backgrounds as Ivy League athletes, glee-club singers, and Texas Rangers. Native Americans also joined the Rough Riders.

William Pollock (Tay-loo-wah-ah), a Pawnee, joined the Rough Riders and earned Theodore Roosevelt’s highest regards. Pollack fought in the battles of Las Guasimas, San Juan Hill, and Santiago with distinction, and Roosevelt said, “Among the men I noticed leading the charges and always nearest the enemy were Pawnee Pollock, Simpson of Texas, and Dudley Dean.” Pollack did not live long after the war; he died in 1899 and was buried with military honors in an Oklahoma Pawnee cemetery.

William Pollock, Rough Rider, from Theodore Roosevelt's book, The Rough Riders

A Group of Rough Riders in Camp, courtesy Library of Congress

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Closing the Century

Secretary of State, John Hay

The end of the nineteenth century brought about the beginning of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians. Indian agent Peter Couchman had suggested a separate facility for Indian patients in 1897, Senator Richard Pettigrew had endorsed the suggestion, and the Indian Bureau had cooperated in forwarding his cause.

The asylum, however, was a relatively minor matter for most of the country’s population, who focused, instead, on the Spanish-American War. Continue reading