Viewing the Spanish campaign in the light of the world war, it will be seen that there is a striking similarity between this regiment and the French Foreign Legion. This parallel is true not only of the personnel of the contingent, which included adventurous spirits from all sections of the country, but also of the fighting spirit of the men. How to reach the fighting field was the biggest question that confronted the Rough Riders. They were among the very last to receive permission to go, and if it had not been for Roosevelt’s dogged determination they would probably have been left behind. Even when orders came to entrain for Tampa, transportation was refused. Roosevelt, however, was equal to the emergency. He jumped aboard the engine of a coal train and demanded of its crew that they transport his men. The crew obeyed orders. The regiment reached Tampa covered with coal dust. At Tampa the Rough Riders found themselves without an official assignment to a transport. Nothing daunted, Roosevelt moved his men immediately on board the nearest vessel. When the landing place in Cuba was reached the Colonel got his men ashore among the first and soon after landing began his march to the front. While Roosevelt’s picturesque personality led to his figuring largely in the newspaper accounts of the war, yet in all of these movements he was in close association with Colonel Wood. The two worked together as one man. While the men had been intimate before, it was in this campaign that the friendship was welded that was to last and deepen until death ended it. Later in the campaign Colonel Wood was promoted to the rank of general and Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt become colonel. The corps to which the Rough Riders were attached was under the command of Major-General Shafter. Major-General Wheeler, a veteran of the Civil War and a dashing cavalry leader, commanded the cavalry. Under the latter, as commander of the 2d Brigade, was Brigadier-General Young. Young’s brigade was composed of the 1st and 10th regiments of cavalry. The 10th regiment was composed of negroes and the 1st Regiment of the Rough Riders. 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