that war with Spain, which he felt was imminent. He planned and insisted upon that expansive target practice with the great guns of our navy, which made our battleships instruments of precision in the hands of the best gunners the world has known. He has credit for selecting Admiral Dewey for that service in the East for which he of all men in the world was best fitted.
But as soon as the war with Spain was declared Theodore Roosevelt made it evident that what he had said and written about patriotic service of the country in time of need, he meant. Resigning an official position where he had great opportunity for usefulness, he proceeded to recruit the First U. S. V. Cavalry, the "Rough Riders," made up of many of his acquaintances in the West, including cowboys and miners, with personal friends of his own from wealthy families in New York and Boston—all men accustomed to athletics, riding, shooting and hunting. He was appointed lieutenant-colonel, May 6, 1898, and was promoted colonel after the battle of Las Guasimas, San Juan, when Colonel Leonard Wood was commissioned brigadier-general and appointed Governor of Santiago. The capture of the blockhouse on the hilltop in the battle of Santiago was made by a heroic charge of the Rough Riders. "When they came to the open, smooth hillside, there was no protection," says a war correspondent. "Bullets were raining down on them, and shot and shells from the batteries were sweeping everything. There was a moment's hesitation and then came the order, 'Forward! Charge!' Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt led, waving his sword. Out into the open the men went, and up the hill. Death to every man seemed certain. Up, up they went in the face of death, men dropping from the ranks at every step. The Rough Riders acted like veterans. It was an inspiring and an awful scene. Roosevelt's horse was shot from under him while he was shouting to his men to advance, and he charged up the hill on foot himself. They went on firing as fast as their guns would work. The Spaniards were dazed by such daring and turned and fled. The blockhouse was captured, but in the rush more than half the Rough Riders were killed or wounded."
When the war closed Colonel Roosevelt was elected Governor of New York over the Democratic, Prohibitionist, Social, Labor and Citizens' Ticket candidates, by a plurality of 17,786 votes in a total of 1,343,968. It is interesting to compare with this his plurality in this State of 175,552 votes in a total of 1,617,770 for President, in
