Chapter 24, The Rough Rider Summary and Analysis

Roosevelt's regiment, nicknamed the Rough Riders, consists of both men from Ivy League schools and cowboys from the western states. He quickly learns all their names and, despite their early reservations, gains their respect. They train hard and leave San Antonio on May 30. Roosevelt observes that many of the men riding with him fought for the confederacy just a few decades prior.

When the train arrives in Tampa, Edith visits for three days. There, Brigadier General William Rufus Shafter commands the army bound for Cuba. When Shafter tells the Rough Riders that there is no room for all their horses, more than half of them agree to go on foot. On June 7, the troops receive the call to deploy immediately. However, delays hold the troops, packed into transport vessels, for seven days. Roosevelt agrees to...