12. Not all of the Rough Riders were sent to Cuba
When the Rough Riders were assembled in Tampa, Florida, for shipping to Cuba there was insufficient transport available to carry all of the men, their horses, and their equipment. The regiment was already weakened from its original strength through the loss of approximately 25% to disease and accidents. Only eight of the twelve companies arrived in Cuba, and very few of the horses, meaning the men who had trained to move on horseback were relegated to marching, in boots designed for riding rather than walking. They also lacked the means of carrying provisions for more than a few days. They had also not been trained to operate in the thick jungles they encountered.
The Rough Riders saw their first combat during an attack on a Spanish position at Las Guasimas, supported by a regiment of regular cavalry and another regiment of black troops known as buffalo soldiers. They assaulted a steep hill, though according to Roosevelt, “Many of the men, footsore and weary from their march of the preceding day, found the pace up this hill too hard…” Colonel Wood was reported killed (inaccurately) and Roosevelt assumed command, which he later relinquished when Wood was found uninjured following the battle. The Americans were encamped on the battlefield for the following six days, with many being stricken with tropical diseases.
