The Triumphant Life of Theodore Roosevelt edited by J. Martin Miller

120 THE ROUGH RIDERS
at the time, ahead of every one; the sergeant was killed and
one trooper wounded; but the lieutenant and the remaining
trooper stuck to their post for the rest of the afternoon, until
our line was gradually extended to include them.
"While I wa.s re-forming the troops on the chain of hills,
one of General Sumner's aides came up with orders to me to
halt where I was, not advancing farther, but to hold the hill at
all hazards."
Colonel Roosevelt says that in the attack on the San Juan
hills his regiment lost eighty-nine killed and wounded; the
loss of the entire American forces being 1,071 killed and
wounded. "I think we suffered more heavily than the Span-
iards did in the killed and wounded," says Colonel Roosevelt.
"It would have been very extraordinary if the reverse was the
case.
THE SURRENDER OF SANTIAGO
Every one is familiar with the events following the charge
up San Juan Hill and preceding the capture of Santiago—the
suffering in the crowded trenches, the hours of weary waiting
and desultory fighting, in all of which the Rough Riders did
their part with the precision of regulars. On the 17th of July,
the city of Santiago formally surrendered, after which the
cavalry was marched back to the foot of the hill west of EI
Caney, and there went to camp.
Many of the Rough Riders had already been stricken
down with fever, and in the new camp matters grew worse in
a very short time. Over 50 per cent were unfit for any kind
of work; all their clothing was in rags; even the officers were
without stockings and underv.'ear. Yellow fever then broke
out, but chiefly among the Cubans, and, owing to the panic
caused by the dread of this disease, the authorities at Wash-