A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 146

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 146

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Memories of his childhood days at Oyster Bay clung to him 'long after he left home to prepare for his great life work, and not long after his graduation in 1880 he purchased one hundred acres, mostly woodland, to which he gave the name of "Sagamore Hill"-a name at the time having no particular significance- but, associated with his subsequent achieve- ments, it is fitly named.

Politics seemed to have a fascination for Colonel Roosevelt from an early age, but be- fore entering the field he called on his Uncle Robert and said, "Uncle Bob, I want your ad- vice. Shall I run for the Assembly?" "I

943

OYSTER BAY ..

can't say," replied his uncle. "Here is Colonel Charles Hutchinson, of Utica, who may an- swer the question." "Take it," said Hutchin- son ; "there's an opening for young men of in- dependent fortune and good education in pub- lic life. You ought to make the experiment." Young Roosevelt "made the experiment" and succeeded, as he has in every subsequent "ex- periment" of his life. The word "fail" is not a part of his vocabulary. He literally "batters down" all opposition as he did on the famous field of San Juan, and then quietly surveys the situation and sums up the cost preparatory to a second onslaught if necessary.

A writer in one of the New York dailies gives his impressions of the young man as he saw him at a State convention some time after his first election to the Assembly. "Mr. Theo- dore Roosevelt in the convention seemed to be a light-footed, agile, nervous, yet prompt boy, with light brown, yet slightly curling hair, blue eyes and an eye-glass, and ready to rise and speak with a clear, sharp boyish voice, a manner more of the undergraduate than the finished orator, but unmistakable, candid, un- trifling and withal kind and chivalric. He has a slight flush of the countenance and resolute expression of the head, well adapted to start sympathy and possibly enthusiasm. I was a little reminded of Blanche Roosevelt, the singer. He applauded Warner Miller with his hands when the latter was applauded in rising to make a counter nomination. George Bliss applauded Roosevelt with his feet but did not applaud Miller. Roosevelt sometimes turned and conferred with Robert McCord behind him. He set the conciliatory, yet manly tone in much which characterized the whole con- vention, and I never saw a State convention anywhere in the Union, though I have seen them from Massachusetts to Michigan and South Carolina, equal in modesty, intelligence and appearance to this."

Young Roosevelt was elected to the As- sembly as a Republican. He led the minority during the session of 1882, was active in re- form measures, and on his re-election in 1883

was largely instrumental in carrying out the State civil-service-reform law and an act for regulating primary elections. As chairman of the committee on cities in 1884 he succeeded in abolishing the fees of the county clerk and register and in providing for their payment by salaries; curtailing abuses in the sheriff's and surrogate's offices ; and securing the pass- age of a bill that deprived aldermen of the power to confirm appointments to office, and centered in the mayor the responsibility of ad- ministering municipal affairs. He was chair- man of the New York delegation to the Na- tional Republican Convention in 1884, and an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of New York in 1886. He was nominated as an inde- pendent but was endorsed by the Republicans. In May, 1889, President Harrison appointed him Civil Service Commissioner, and he served as President of the board until May, 1895. He succeeded in changing the whole system of public appointments and in establish- ing important reforms. He. resigned in May, 1895, to accept the position of presi- dent of the New York Board of Police Commissioners, and with characteristic ener- gy and vigor he began the work of reform by the application of civil-service principles in appointments to and promotions on the force. He rigidly enforced the excise law and suc- ceeded in closing the saloons on Sunday, and in purifying the city of many corrupting in- fluences which then existed.

Colonel Roosevelt's life on his ranch on the borders of the Little Missouri river in the far West, with all of its exciting adventures, has been given in his Hunting Trips of a Ranchman. He went out as a "tenderfoot," but he was soon able to give the cowboy and the ranchman points that they little dreamed of.

Colonel Roosevelt is as modest as he is brave, and his most intimate friends could never succeed in drawing from him any inci- dent of his life the description of which neces- sitated any reference to himself as the hero. The following incident would probably never

944

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

have found its way into print but for the fact that the local editor considered the joke on the "profession" too good to be suppressed : It appears that the Colonel, while stopping at a hotel in a border town, was approached by a typical western · "tough," who with accus- tomed Western politeness invited the "tender- foot" to take a drink. The invitation was politely declined with thanks. It was re- peated, and this time pressed by the "tough" with his finger on the trigger of his gun. Sud- denly he felt something between his eyes and the ball struck wide of the mark and entered the ceiling above. He fell backward and went to sleep. When he awoke he was not certain whether he had been struck with a cannon ball or the heels of a mule; he concluded, how- ever, that it was not always safe to meddle with a "tenderfoot."

Colonel Roosevelt first became known to the general public outside of his own State when he accepted the position of Assistant Sec- retary of the Navy in 1897. Shortly after he assumed the duties of office he asked for an apropriation of eight hundred thousand dol- lars for ammunition for practical target-shoot- ing in the Navy, and a few months later for another appropriation of five hundred thiou- sand dollars for the same purpose. The rc- sults at Manila and Santiago justified what was considered at the time reckless extravagance. His connection with the Spanish war which followed is best told in the language of Col- onel Watterson in his History of the Spanish- American War. He says :

"It is the nature of Americans to welcome bold experiments and to applaud success. There was no volunteer body of the war that received as much attention and invited as much interest as the regiment of cavalry known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. That was its pop- ular name although Lieutenant-Colonel Roose- velt was but second in command. His was the resolute spirit that prompted its organiza- tion and fixed public interest upon it.

"The Hon. Theodore Roosevelt was As- sistant Secretary of the Navy at the opening

of the war, one of those characteristic per- sonalities in the public and private life of the United States that represent the vigor of de- mocracy without regard to difference of opin- ion. Of the old Dutch stock of New York's oldest settlers, he was born to great wealth and with determined character. Carefully edu- cated in universities, he made his entrance into politics early, with vigorous ideals and prac- tical methods. Greeted with the epithet of the 'dude politician,' he received the epithet with the good nature that an athletic, courageous and good natured man would naturally ex- hibit. He was soon a representative in na- tional conventions, was the forlorn hope of his party for the Mayoralty of New York, was appointed President of the Civil Service Com- mission, was Police Commissioner of New York and became Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897. Recognizing then the prob- abilities of the war with Spain, he began to encourage the system of State naval reserves, and made many addresses in which he upheld the manful necessity of war to compel peace and secure justice. The good condition of the navy at the outbreak of war was largely due to his labor and enthusiasm. When war was inevitable he resigned his position as Assist- ant Secretary and asked for a commission to organize a regiment of cavalry of which Dr. Wood was to be commissioned Colonel. Great was the public surprise. His friends remon- strated with him and urged that he was jeopar- dizing his career. The authorities suggested that he would be invaluable in the Navy De- partment. 'The Navy Department,' he an- swered, 'is in good order. I have done all I can here. There are other men who can carry it on as well as I; but I should be false to my ideals, false to the views I have openly ex- pressed, if I were to remain here while fighting is going on after urging other men to risk their lives for their country.' He declined a Col- onel's commission and asked it for his friend Dr. Wood. There was his answer in this self- reliant`courage of American manhood. Mr. Roosevelt had written admirable historical

945

OYSTER BAY.

works, exciting stories of adventure in hunt- ing 'big game' while he was leading the life of a ranchman in the far West. He was at once at the beginning and end of the Amer- ican type, rich, intelligent, thoughtful, cul- tured, and had 'sand.'"

Referring to Colonel Roosevelt's participa- tion in the battle of San Juan, Hon, Henry B. Russell in "The Story of the Two Wars" said : "A little before 4 o'clock occurred the second thrilling episode of the day. Under the brow

THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

of the little hill a council of war was held, the question being whether they should push on and take the main hill where the Spanish block-houses were. Colonel Roosevelt volun- teered to head the charge. It seemed a mad rush. A foreign officer standing. near the position when the men started out to make the charge was heard to say: 'Men, for heaven's sake don't go up that hill. It will be impos- sible for human beings to take that position. You can't stand the fire.' But with a terrific vell they rushed up to the enemy's works, and the Spanish, whose courage had fled after the 60

first charge, retired, and when night came they had been driven back upon the city."

Colonel Watterson in describing the charge said: "After a moment's pause for forma- tion, the volunteers, with Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt marching in front of the line, made a dash for the block-house, the men raising the terrible yell of the Western Indians as they went. A murderous fire poured from the block-house. Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt turned and waving his sword called on his command to follow him up the hill. The Spaniards poured a steady fire and for a sec- ond the volunteer fighters hesitated under the shock of it. At that critical moment the Tenth Cavalry on the valley road to our left and the First Cavalry in the rear that had been ordered against the wings of the enemy had made their attacks and charged up the slopes with the in- trepidity of disciplined veterans. The sound of the guns was echoed by cheers from the Rough Riders, who dashed against the block- house with cyclonic force. At the sight of such impetuous daring the enemy burst from the fort and ran to the cover of the woods be- hind, leaving seventeen dead on the ground as they fled. Then they gave way on both wings and three thousand Spaniards were in full flight before nine hundred and fifty Americans that had fought against enormous odds and disadvantages. No pursuit was possible, and our victorious troops camped on the ground and held it."

The most authentic as well as the most graphic of the famous charge of Colonel Roosevelt is that given by himself in his vol- ume on "The Rough Riders." He says : "The infantry got nearer and nearer the crest of the hill. At last we could see the Spaniards run- ning from the rifle pits as the Americans came on in their final rush. Then I stopped my men for fear they would injure their comrades, and called to them to charge the next line of trenches on the hills in our front, from which we had been undergoing a good deal of pun- ishment. Thinking that the men would all come, I jumped over the wire fence in front

946

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

of us and started at the double ; but, as a matter of fact, the troopers were so excited, both with shooting and being shot, and shouting and cheering, that they did not hear, or did not heed me; and after running about a hundred yards I found I had only five men along with me. Bullets were ripping the grass all around us and one of the men, Clay Green, was mor- tally wounded; another, Winslow Clark, a Harvard man, was shot first in the leg and then through the body. * * There was no use going with the remaining three men, and I bade them stay where they were while I went back and brought up the rest of the brigade. This was a decidedly cool request, for there was really no possible point in letting them stay there while I went back; but at the mo- ment it seemed perfectly natural to me, and apparently so to them, for they cheerfully nodded and sat down on the grass firing back at the line of trenches from which the Span- iards were shooting at them. Meanwhile I ran back, jumped over the wire fence, and went over the crest of the hill, filled with anger against the troopers, and especially those of my own regiment for not having accompanied me. They, of course, were quite innocent of wrong doing; and even while I taunted them bitterly for not having followed me, it was all I could do not to smile at the look of injury and surprise that came over their faces, while they cried out, 'We didn't hear you ; we didn't see you go, Colonel ; lead on now, we'll sure follow you.' I wanted the other regiments to come too, so I ran down to where General Sumner was and asked him if I might make the charge, and he told me to go and that he would see that the men followed. By this time everybody had his attention attracted, and when I leaped over the fence again, with Major Jenkins beside me, the men of the vari- ous regiments which were already on the hill came with a rush and we started across the wide valley which lay between us and the Spanish intrenchments. * * Long be- fore we got near them the Spaniards ran, save a few here and there, who either surrendered

or were shot down. * Lieut. Davis' first sergeant, Clarence Gould, killed a Span- ish soldier with his revolver just as the Span- iard was aiming at one of my Rough Riders. At about the same time I also shot one. I was with Henry Bardshar, running up at the double, and two Spaniards leaped from the trenches and fired at us, not ten yards away. As they turned to run I closed in and fired twice, missing the first and killing the second. My revolver was from the sunken battle-ship Maine, and had been given me by my brother- in-law, Captain W. S. Cowles, of the Navy. At the time I did not know of Gould's ex- ploit, and supposed my feat to be unique ; and although Gould had killed his Spaniard in the trenches not very far from me, I never learned of it until weeks after.

"There was a very great confusion at the time, the different regiments being completely intermingled-white regulars, colored regulars and Rough Riders. General Sumner had kept a considerable force in reserve on Kettle Hill, under Major Jackson of the Third Cav- alry. We were still under a heavy fire, and I got together a mixed lot of men and puslied on from the trenches and ranch houses which we had just taken, driving the Spaniards through a line of palm-trees and over the crest of a chain of hills. When we reached these crests we found ourselves overlooking Santiago.

"While I was re-forming the troops on the chain of hills, one of General Sherman's aides, Captain Robert Howze-as dashing and gal- lant an officer as there was in the whole gal- lant cavalry division, by the way-came up with orders to me to halt where I was, not advancing further, but to hold the hill at all hazards.

"I now had under me all the fragments of the six cavalry regiments which were at the extreme front, being the highest officer left there, and I was in immediate command . of them for the remainder of the afternoon and that night. * * * The Spaniards who had been holding the trenches and the line of hills, had fallen back upon their sup-

947

OYSTER BAY.

ports and we were under a very heavy fire both from rifles and great guns. Our artillery made one or two efforts to come into action on the firing line of the infantry, but the black powder rendered each attempt fruitless. The Spanish guns used smokeless powder, so that it was difficult to place them. As night came on the firing gradually died away. Before this happened, however, Captains Morton and Boughton, of the Third Cavalry, came over to tell me that a rumor had reached them to the effect that there had been some talk of retir- ing, and that they wished to protest in the strongest manner. I had been watching them both, as they handled their troops with the cool confidence of the veteran regular officer, and had been congratulating myself that they were off toward the right flank; for as long as they were there I know I was perfectly safe in that direction. I had heard no rumor about retiring, and I cordially agreed with them that it would be far worse than a blunder to abandon our position.

"Soon after dark General Wheeler, who in the afternoon had resumed command of the cavalry division, came to the front. A very few words with General Wheeler reassured us about retiring. He had been through too much heavy fighting in the Civil War to regard the present fight as very serious, and he told us not to be under any apprehension, for he had sent word that there was no need whatever of retiring, and was sure we would stay where we were until the chance came to advance. He was second in command, and to him more than to any other one man was due the prompt abandonment of the proposal to fall back- a proposal, which, if adopted, would have meant shame and disaster. Shortly afterward General Wheeler sent us orders to intrench. We finished digging the trench soon after midnight, and then the worn-out men lay down in rows on their rifles and dropped heavily to sleep. * *

* Before any one had time to awake from the cold, however, we were all awakened by the Span- iards, whose skirmishers suddenly opened fire

upon lis. * At the alarm everybody jumped to his feet, and the stiff, shivering, haggard men, their eyes only half opened, all clutched their rifles and ran forward to the trench on the crest of the hill.

"The sputtering shots died away and we went to sleep again. But in another hour dawn broke and the Spaniards opened fire in good earnest. **

* * In this fight our regiment had numbered four hundred and ninety men, as, in addition to the killed and wounded of the first fight, some had to go to the hospital for sickness and some had been left behind with the baggage or were detailed on other duty. Eighty-nine were killed and wounded, the heaviest loss suffered by any regiment in the cavalry division. The Span- iards made a stiff fight, standing firm until we charged home. They fought much more stubbornly than at Las Guasimas. We ought to have expected this, for they have always done well in holding intrenchments. On this day they showed themselves to be brave foes worthy of honor for their gallantry.

"In the attack on the San Juan hills our forces numbered about 6,600. There were about 4,500 Spaniards against us. Our total loss in killed and wounded was 1,071. Of the cavalry division there were, all told, some 2,300 officers and men, of whom 375 were killed and wounded. In the division over a fourth of the officers were killed or wounded, their loss being relatively half as great again as that of the enlisted men,-which was as it should be. I think we suffered more heavily than the Spaniards did in killed and wounded, though we also captured some scores of pris- oners. It would have been very extraordinary if the reverse was the case, for we did the charging; and to carry earthworks on foot with dismounted cavalry, when the earthworks are held by unbroken infantry, armed with the best modern rifles, is a serious task."

The city surrendered on the 17th of July, and soon after this the men, being relieved from the constant strain and excitement, be- gan to feel the effects of the climate. Colonel

948

HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.

Roosevelt says : "Every officer other than myself except one was down with sickness at one time or another. Very few of the men, indeed, retained their strength and energy, and though the percentage actually on the sick list never got over twenty, there were less than fifty per cent. who were fit for any kind of work. Yellow fever also broke out in the rear, chiefly among the Cubans. It never be- came epidemic, but it caused a perfect panic among some of our own doctors and especially in the minds of one or two generals and of the home authorities. The Wash- ington authorities seemed determined that we should stay in Cuba. They unfortunately knew nothing of the country nor the circumstances of the army. Several suggestions were made, and among others it was proposed that we should go up the mountains and make our camps there. * * * The soil along the sides of the mountains was deep and soft, while the rains were heavy. We could, with much diffi- culty, havegot our regiments up the mountains ; but not half the men would have got up there with their belongings; and once there it would have been an impossibility to feed them. About the last of July General Shafter called a conference in the palace of all the division and brigade commanders. * ** It was deemed best to make some record of our opin- ion in the shape of a letter or report which would show that to keep the army in Santiago meant its absolute and objectless ruin, and that it should at once be recalled. At first there was naturally some hesitation on the part of the regular officers to take the initiative, for their entire future career might be sacrificed ; so I wrote a letter to General Shafter, reading over the rough draft to the various generals and adopting their corrections. Before I had finished making these corrections it was de- termined that we should send a circular letter on behalf of all of us to General Shafter, and when I returned from presenting him mine I found this circular letter already prepared and we all of us signed it. Both letters were made public. The result was immediate. Within

three days the army was ordered to be ready to sail for home. This letter was known as the famous 'Round Robin.'"

Colonel Roosevelt with his Rough Riders was encamped at Montauk Point, Long Island, and in the following autumn, peace having been formally declared, he bade farewell to his men, every one of whom was devoted to him, and returned to his home at Oyster Bay.

On September 27, 1898, Colonel Roosevelt was nominated for Governor of New York State. He conducted his own campaign, vis- iting every important town in the State. His brilliant military record gave him great pres- tige, and he was enthusiastically received wherever he went. . He carried the State by a plurality of 18,079. As Governor he encour- aged honest legislation and carried through every reform measure to which he had pledged himself. He carefully scrutinized every bill and withheld his signature from all that had the least taint of irregularity, regardless of party obligations. No man ever had a more diffi- cult task to carry forward the work of reform which he had planned than did Governor Roosevelt at this time. The political pressure brought to bear upon him by the leading men in his own party was very great, but he re- mained firm and true to his own convictions, even at the risk of losing the influence of those on whom he relied for support. Above all, he put in office as high-minded and able a set of public officials as the State has ever had since its foundation. It was his wish to be elected for a second term that he might com- plete the work he had begun, but circum- stances beyond his control and, that of his friends changed all his future plans.

Governor Roosevelt was a delegate to the Republican convention held at Philadelphia in the summer of 1900. The re-nomination of President Mckinley was a foregone conclu- sion. Two or three candidates were brought forward for the vice-presidency, but from the very beginning a pressure was brought to bear by those who sought to defeat his aspirations for a second term as Governor to force on him

949

OYSTER BAY.

the nomination for Vice-President. They failed, however, to accomplish their object, and Governor Roosevelt compelled the New York delegation to definitely abandon its ef- forts to put him forward, and at the same time he introduced the name of Lieutenant-Gov- ernor Woodruff, hoping thereby to secure his nomination, but the delegates simply refused to consider any other candidate and insisted on the Governor's nomination in order to save the electoral votes of half a dozen Western States and thereby assure a majority in Con- gress. Under these circumstances Governor Roosevelt felt that he was in duty bound to accept, and he was nominated for Vice-Presi- dent, amid the greatest excitement and en- thusiasm, the East and the West, the North and the South rallying around him and pledg- ing him their earnest support.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 146

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188