Name: ______________________
Class: _________________
Date: _________
ID: A
BELL RINGERS WEEK 7
Directions: Read the passage, and answer all questions. UNDERLINE AND NUMBER evidence for each item.
from Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Lester Pearson
The new regiment, the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, was promptly called, by some newspaper or by the
public, the "Rough Riders," and by that name it is always known. Most of the men in it came from Arizona, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, but it had members from nearly every State. Many Eastern college
men were in it, including some famous foot-ball players, polo-players, tennis champions and oarsmen. The
regiment trained at San Antonio, and landed in Cuba for the attack on Santiago on June 22. The troopers had to
leave their horses behind, so they were to fight on foot after all. Roosevelt's Rough Riders, somebody said, had
become Wood's Weary Walkers. The walking was not pleasant to some of the
cow-boys, who never used to walk a step when there was a horse to ride.
Within a day or two they were in a fight at Las Guasimas. It was a confusing business, advancing through the jungle
and fired at by an enemy they could not see. The Rough Riders lost eight men killed and thirty-four wounded. The
Spaniards were using smokeless powder, then rather a new thing in war. Two of our regiments at Santiago were still
using black powder rifles, and the artillery used black powder, which by its smoke showed the enemy just where
they were. Our artillery was always silenced or driven off, because this country had been so neglectful of its Army
and its men as to let poor, old backward Spain get better guns, and more modern ammunition than ours. That never
should happen with a rich, progressive country like ours.
A few days later came the fight at San Juan. Colonel Wood had been put in command of the brigade, so Roosevelt
led the regiment of Rough Riders. It was a fearfully hot day; many men dropped from exhaustion. The regular
regiments of cavalry, together with the Rough Riders, all fighting on foot, moved forward against the low hills on
which were the Spaniards in
block-houses or trenches. For some while they were kept waiting in reserve, taking what shelter they could from the
Mauser bullets, which came whirring through the tall jungle grass. This is the most trying part of a fight. It is all
right when at last you can charge your enemy and come to
close quarters with him, but to lie on the ground under fire, unable to see anybody to fire upon, is the worst strain
upon the soldiers' nerves. As one after another is shot, the officers begin to watch the men closely to see how they
are standing it. Roosevelt received a trifling wound from a shrapnel bullet at the beginning of the fight. Later his
orderly had a sun-stroke, and when he called another orderly to take a message, this second man was killed as he
stood near, pitching forward dead at Roosevelt's feet.
Finally came the order to charge. Roosevelt was the only mounted man in the regiment. He had intended to go
into the fight on foot, as he had at Las Guasimas, but found that the heat was so bad that he could not run up and
down the line and superintend things unless he was on horseback. When he was mounted he could see his own
men better, and they could see him. So could the enemy see him better, and he had one or two narrow escapes
because of being so conspicuous.
He started in the rear of the regiment, which is where the Colonel should be, according to the books, but soon
rode through the lines and led the charge up "Kettle Hill,"—so-called by the Rough Riders because there were
some sugar kettles1 on top of it. His horse was scraped by a couple of bullets, as he went up, and one of the
bullets nicked his elbow. Members of the other cavalry regiments were mingled with the Rough Riders in the
charge,—their officers had been waiting for orders, and were glad to join in the advance. The Spaniards were
driven out and the Rough Riders planted their flags on the hill.
1large iron pots used for boiling cane sugar juice to make sugar
1
Name: ______________________
Class: _________________
Date: _________
ID: A
MONDAY: READ THE PASSAGE AND ANSWER NUMBER 1.
_____
1. Which of the following is evidence the writer includes to show Roosevelt’s courage in battle?
a.
b.
c.
d.
"Roosevelt was the only mounted man in the regiment."
"He had intended to go into the fight on foot, as he had at Las Guasimas…"
"He started in the rear of the regiment which is where the Colonel should be,
according to the books, but soon rode through the lines and led the charge…"
"His horse was scraped by a couple of bullets, as he went up, and one of the
bullets nicked his elbow."
TUESDAY-DEFINE CONNOTATION—IT MEANS_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
THURSDAY-ANSWER NUMBER 2.
_____ 2. Read the following sentence from the passage.
Roosevelt's Rough Riders, somebody said, had become Wood's Weary Walkers.
Why was the fact that the regiment had to walk unusual, and what does the connotation of "Wood’s Weary
Walkers" imply about the Rough Riders' image at this time?
a.
b.
c.
d.
It was unusual because many of the Rough Riders were cowboys, and the quote
implies they were poor walkers.
The Rough Riders were a cavalry regiment, and the quote implies that walking was
an unpopular and tiring alternative to being on horseback.
It was unusual because all U.S. Army units had horses and were mounted units. The
quote has a positive connotation and shows the soldiers' courage.
It was unusual because they usually had alternatives to horses such as donkeys to
ride on. The quote implies that Colonel Wood was incompetent.
FRIDAY—ANSWER NUMBER 3.
3. Read the following excerpt from the passage.
The Spaniards were using smokeless powder, then rather a new thing in war. Two of our regiments at
Santiago were still using black powder rifles, and the artillery used black powder, which by its smoke
showed the enemy just where they were. Our artillery was always silenced or driven off, because this
country had been so neglectful of its Army and its men as to let poor, old backward Spain get better guns,
and more modern ammunition than ours. That never should happen with a rich, progressive country like
ours.
How is the author's point of view about the United States as a nation different from his point of
view about the government in this excerpt?
a.
b.
c.
d.
He believes the U.S. government did a good job given that smokeless
powder was "rather a new thing" at the time.
He is angry because "poor old backward Spain" had better guns and
ammunition than the U.S. forces did.
He sees the nation as rich and progressive but says the government treated
the army badly.
He sees both the nation and its government as neglectful and weak, in
spite of the heroism of the regiment itself.
2
Name: ______________________
Class: _________________
3
Date: _________
ID: A