228 The Rough Riders 



of introduction to me. When the regiment dis- 

 banded, I wrote to her to ask if she could not use a 

 little money among the Rough Riders, white, In- 

 dian, and half-breed, that she might personally know. 

 I did not hear from her for some time, and then she 

 wrote as follows : 



"MUSCOGEE, IND. TER., 



December 19, 1898. 



"My DEAR COLONEL ROOSEVELT: I did not at 

 once reply to your letter of September 23d, because 

 I waited for a time to see if there should be need 

 among any of our Rough Riders of the money you 

 so kindly offered. Some of the boys are poor, and 

 in one or two cases they seemed to me really needy, 

 but they all said no. More than once I saw the tears 

 come to their eyes, at thought of your care for them, 

 as I told them of your letter. Did you hear any 

 echoes of our Indian war-whoops over your election ? 

 They were pretty loud. I was particularly exultant, 

 because my father was a New Yorker and I was 

 educated in New York, even if I was born here. So 

 far as I can learn, the boys are taking up the dropped 

 threads of their lives, as though they had never been 

 away. Our two Rough Rider students, Meagher 

 and Gilmore, are doing well in their college work. 



"I am sorry to tell you of the death of one of your 

 most devoted troopers, Bert Holderman, who was 

 here serving on the Grand Jury. He was stricken 

 with meningitis in the jury-room, and died after 

 three days of delirium. His father, who was twice 



