ask-the-marshallWhat is the name of the horse Teddy Roosevelt rode during the Battle of San Juan Hill?

Vernon Price
Via the Internet

Teddy Roosevelt rode a horse named “Little Texas,” making him the only Rough Rider who was mounted during the battle. The cavalry horses for the regular troops had been left in Tampa, Florida, because there was no way to ship them to Cuba; thus earning the Rough Riders a new title: the “Weary Walkers.”

The Rough Riders almost didn’t get to the war. Roosevelt had to pull rank to get his men on board a Cuba-bound vessel. He led most of the charge on foot after his horse became tangled in wire and had to be left behind.


Marshall Trimble
is Arizona’s official historian. His books include The Arizona Trilogy and Law of the Gun.

If you have a question, write:

Ask the Marshall,

PO Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327

or e-mail him at marshalltrimble@sccmail.maricopa.edu

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