t what
{92} little preparation was made in 1915 and 1916 in advance of the
United States declaring war was made at all. It was the lessons
acquired in the Spanish War and in the study of other wars that made
of him the great prophet of preparedness.

For several days the troops remained aboard the transport in Tampa
harbor awaiting orders. The heat and discomfort told upon the men, but
on the evening of June 13th orders came to start and the next morning
found them at sea. On the morning of the 20th the transport came off
the Cuban coast; but it was not until the 22d that the welcome order
for landing came. The troops landed at the squalid little village of
Daiquiri in small boats, while the smaller war vessels shelled the
town.

In the afternoon of the next day, the Rough Riders received orders to
advance; and Wood, leading his regiment, pushed on so as to be sure of
an engagement with the enemy the next morning. It was due to his
energy that the Rough Riders did not miss the first fight. Under
General Young's orders the Rough Riders took up a {93} position at the
extreme left of the front. The next day the action of "Las Guasimas"
began.

"Shoot--don't swear" growled Wood as the fighting began. He strolled
about encouraging his men and urging them to action. Under his quiet,
cool direction they advanced slowly, forcing the enemy back, and
finally driving him to his second line of defense. Soon the Rough
Riders' right joined the left of the main body and in a concerted
attack the Spaniards were routed, leaving much of their equipment in
their hasty retreat.

At this juncture it was reported to Roosevelt, whose detachment was
separate from that of Wood, that Wood had been killed. Roosevelt
immediately began taking over the command of the entire regiment,
since it naturally devolved upon him. As he was consolidating his
troops he came upon Wood himself very much alive.

Major-General Joseph Wheeler made the following report of the Rough
Riders:

"Colonel Wood's Regiment was on the extreme left of the line, and too
far-distant for me to be a personal witness of the individual conduct
of his officers and men; but the magnificent and brave {94} work done
by the regiment, under the lead of Colonel Wood, testifies to his
courage and skill. The energy and determination of this officer had
been marked from the moment he reported to me at Tampa, Fla., and I
have abundant evidence of his brave and good conduct on the fie