General Wheeler was anxious to strike the first blow with his cavalry and while Brigadier-General Lawton, who commanded the infantry, was protecting the landing from the enemy, General Wheeler ordered General Young to advance early in the morning from the little village of Siboney toward Santiago and to attack the enemy wherever he was found. The Rough Riders were included in this advance.
Two roads about a mile apart, lead from Siboney to Santiago. General Young advanced on the eastern road and directed Wood and Roosevelt to take the western road, which led over the mountains. The two roads drew together near the village of Las Guasimas. Here the two commands were to meet.
[Illustration: COPYRIGHT, UNDERWOOD & UNDERWOOD
BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN. ROOSEVELT ON THE EXTREME RIGHT, COLONEL WOOD IN CENTER. TO THE LEFT: MAJOR DUNN, COLONEL BRODIE AND CHAPLAIN BROWN, WITH GENERAL WHEELER IN THE FOREGROUND ]
On the march from the landing place inland the troops traveled over rugged hills, covered for the most part by dense jungles. They camped on a dusty, brush-covered flat, with jungle on one side and a disease-breeding pool, fringed with palm trees, on the other side. The baggage had not yet come ashore, and the soldiers had only what food they carried with them. Roosevelt’s equipment consisted of a raincoat and a tooth-brush.
They met hundreds of Cuban insurgents--tattered crews armed with all sorts of weapons, all of which were in poor condition.
When the Rough Riders reached the scene of action they had first to climb a very steep hill. They went into action with less than five hundred men.
Captain Capron’s troop was in the lead, followed by Colonel Wood. Roosevelt rode close behind them at the head of the other three troops of his squadron. The trail was so narrow that at many places the men had to march in single file. At other times they had to force their way through dense, tangled jungles. After marching for over an hour they came to a halt, but Colonel Wood announced that the advance guard had come upon a Spanish outpost.
A minute later Wood gave Roosevelt orders to deploy three troops to the right of the trail and advance. A roar in front of them soon announced that the fight was on.