ROUGH RIDERS

ROUGH RIDERS, officially the First U.S. Cavalry Volunteers, fought in the Spanish-American War and became the most widely publicized regiment in American military history. Its members came from the cattle ranges, mining camps, and law enforcement agencies of the Southwest. Such personnel offered brilliant copy for war correspondents and the unit's inexperienced but colorful commanding officers, particularly Theodore Roosevelt, enhanced its swashbuckling image. Although only half the regiment actually fought the Spanish, the fragment that reached Cuba lived up to its advance publicity. From Las Guásimas to San Juan Hill, the Rough Riders' attacks were often unconventional, but usually successful and helped romanticize the war in the United States.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hoganson, Kristin L. Fighting for American Manhood: How Gender Politics Provoked the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1998.

Samuels, Peggy, and Harold Samuels. Teddy Roosevelt at San Juan: The Making of a President. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1997.

Walker, Dale. The Boys of '98: Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. New York: Forge, 1998.

Jim DanHill/e. m.

See alsoSan Juan Hill and El Caney, Battles of ; Spanish-American War ; War Memorials andvol. 9:A Soldier's Account of the Spanish-American War .

rough·rid·er / ˈrəfˈrīdər/ (also rough rid·er) • n. a person who breaks in or can ride unbroken horses. ∎  a person who rides horses a lot. ∎  (Rough Rider) a member of the cavalry unit in which Theodore Roosevelt fought during the Spanish-American War.

Rough Riders ★★½ 1997

Miniseries covering the adventures of the Volunteer Cavalry, led by a prepresidential Teddy Roosevelt (Berneger), and their travails during the Spanish-American War in 1898. Fighting in Cuba, the Calvary were a mixture of western outlaws and cowboys and eastern bluebloods—all of whom would have to learn to fight together. Filmed on locations in Texas. 240m/C VHS, DVD . Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, Gary Busey, Brad Johnson, Christopher Noth, Brian Keith, George Hamilton, R. Lee Ermey, Nicholas Chinlund, Dale Dye, Holt McCallany, Illeana Douglas, Geoffrey Lewis, William Katt, Adam Storke, Dakin Matthews, Francesco Quinn, Titus Welliver, Mark Moses; D: John Milius; W: John Milius, Hugh Wilson; C: Anthony B. Richmond; M: Peter Bernstein. CABLE