1 78 The Rough Riders 



wounded, made his way down to the sea-coast in 

 three days, unassisted. 



With all volunteer troops, and I am inclined to 

 think with regulars, too, in time of trial, the best 

 work can be got out of the men only if the officers 

 endure the same hardships and face the same risks. 

 In my regiment, as in the whole cavalry division, the 

 proportion of loss in killed and wounded was con- 

 siderably greater among the officers than among 

 the troopers, and this was exactly as it should be. 

 Moreover, when we got down to hard pan, we all, 

 officers and men, fared exactly alike as regards both 

 shelter and food. This prevented any grumbling. 

 When the troopers saw that the officers had nothing 

 but hardtack, there was not a man in the regiment 

 who would not have been ashamed to grumble at 

 faring no worse, and when all alike slept out in the 

 open, in the rear of the trenches, and when the 

 men always saw the field officers up at night, during 

 the digging of the trenches, and going the rounds 

 of the outposts, they would not tolerate, in any of 

 their number, either complaint or shirking work. 

 When things got easier I put up my tent and lived 

 a Tittle apart, for it is a mistake for an officer ever 

 to grow too familiar with his men, no matter how 

 good they are; and it is of course the greatest pos- 

 sible mistake to seek popularity either by showing 

 weakness or by mollycoddling the men. They will 



