page_title: Rough Riders Memorial
section_title: Dedication
hierarchical_section_title: Rough Riders Memorial / Creating the Rough Rider Memorial / Dedication
caption_attribution_description: English: Looking up at the north face of the Rough Riders Monument at Arlington National Cemtery in Arlington, Virginia, in the United States. The monument is in Section 22 of the cemetery. The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, better known by its nickname the "Rough Riders," was a unit of the U.S. Army which fought in the Spanish-American War. It was formed and led by then-Colonel Leonard Wood. The second-in-command was former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt. After Wood was promoted to lead the 1st Cavalary, Roosevelt assumed command of the unit. It made a famous charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba, and saw action in two other battles. It was desgined and erected by "friends of the regiment" in 1906. The 10-foot-high rough grey granite obelisk rests on a trapezoidal base with a polished upper surface. The monument, which faces west, is inscribed at the top with the phrase "ROUGH RIDERS" and a brass plaque dedicating the memorial to the dead of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. The south face of the memorial is polished, but contains no inscription. The back of the memorial is polished, and contains a listing of the battles in which the unit participated. The north face of the memorial is polished, and contains a listing of the names of the dead. The monument sits a few feet east of McPherson Drive.
context_page_description: The Rough Riders Memorial is a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States that commemorates those members of the "Rough Riders" who died in the Spanish–American War in 1898. The grey granite shaft was erected by surviving members of the Rough Riders and their friends and supporters. Although Arlington National Cemetery, a number of secondary sources, and even the bronze plaque on the memorial say the monument was dedicated in 1906 and one source says 1905, contemporary newspaper accounts show the memorial was dedicated on April 12, 1907.
context_section_description: The unveiling and dedication ceremony for the Rough Riders Memorial was at 4:30 P.M. on April 12, 1907. The Rough Riders Monument Society formed a committee to plan the event, and Major General George H. Harries assisted with the planning and acted as master of ceremonies. In attendance were three batteries from the U.S. Light Field Artillery, a squad of mounted soldiers from the 13th Cavalry, three companies of the District of Columbia Army National Guard, and part of a company of the D.C. Naval National Guard. Music was provided by the 13th Cavalry Band; the Engineers' Band from the Washington Navy Yard; and the Brigade Band of the District of Columbia National Guard. At the time, seven Rough Riders were buried in the far western edge of what is now Section 22 (along McPherson Avenue). These graves were strewn with yellow and white flowers, the colors of the regiment.
  A 21-gun salute by the artillery welcomed President Roosevelt, who was accompanied by Lieutenant General S. B. M. Young (the recently retired Chief of Staff of the United States Army) and Major General Frank McCoy (his military aide). Each band played a musical selection, and  Rev. Henry A. Brown provided the invocation. The crowd sang Nearer, My God, to Thee and then Mrs. Capron unveiled the memorial as the bands played The Star Spangled Banner. President Roosevelt spoke at length about patriotism and duty, and then the Rev. Dr. Stafford provided an oration on virtue. After several more musical pieces by the bands, Rev. Brown gave the benediction. Taps was played by a bugler, and another 21-gun salute closed the ceremony.
  Those attending included all Cabinet officers; Lieutenant General Adna Chaffee, the incumbent Army Chief of Staff; Secretary of the Navy Victor H. Metcalf; Major General George F. Elliott, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Rear Admiral William S. Cowles; Presidential secretary Loeb; Brigadier General J. Franklin Bell; Assistant Secretary of War Robert Shaw Oliver; Assistant Secretary of the Navy Truman Newberry; the Commissioners of the District of Columbia; and the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard. Many former Rough Riders were also present, as well as representatives of the Spanish War Veterans, Army and Navy Union, Grand Army of the Republic, Society of the Army of the Tennessee, Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, United Confederate Veterans, Daughters of the American Revolution, George Washington Memorial Association, Sons of the Revolution, Union Veteran Legion, Loyal Legion, and Washington National Monument Society. Foreign dignitaries present included Jean Jules Jusserand, French ambassador to the United States; Baron Rosen, Imperial Russian ambassador to the United States; ambassadors from Brazil, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Panama, Thailand, and the United Kingdom; and the military attachés from the Embassy of Germany and Embassy of Japan.
caption: North panel of the memorial, showing names of the dead.
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