Editing Rough Riders (section)

== Aftermath ==

=== Return home ===
On August 14, the Rough Riders landed at [[Montauk Point]] on Long Island, New York. There, they met up with the other four companies that had been left behind in Tampa. Colonel Roosevelt made note of how very many of the men who were left behind felt guilty for not serving in Cuba with the others. However, he also stated that "those who stayed had done their duty precisely as did those who went, for the question of glory was not to be considered in comparison to the faithful performance of whatever was ordered."<ref name=TR />{{rp|130}} During the first portion of the month that the men stayed in Montauk, they received hospital care, especially from nurses like [[Sister Regina Purtell]], who was so competent and beloved by the men that she became friends with Teddy Roosevelt and later cared for him personally when he was hospitalized.<ref>{{cite news |title='Nightingale' of War Nun Given Army Burial |work=The St. Louis Register, Vol. 10, No. 45 |date=3 November 1950}}</ref> Many of the men were stricken with malarial fever (described at the time as "[[Cuban fever]]") and died in Cuba, while some were brought back to the United States on board the ship in makeshift quarantine. "One of the distressing features of the Malaria which had been ravaging the troops was that it was recurrent and persistent. Some of the men died after reaching home, and many were very sick."<ref name=TR />{{rp|129}} Aside from malaria, there were cases of yellow fever, [[dysentery]], and other illnesses. Many of the men suffered from general exhaustion and were in poor condition upon returning home, some 20 pounds lighter. Everyone received fresh food and most were nourished back to their normal health.<ref name=TR />{{rp|129}}

The rest of the month in [[Camp Wikoff]], was spent in celebration of victory among the troops. The regiment was presented with three different mascots that represented the Rough Riders: a [[mountain lion]] by the name of Josephine that was brought to Tampa by some troops from Arizona, a war eagle named in Colonel Roosevelt's honor brought in by some New Mexican troops, and lastly a small dog by the name of Cuba who had been brought along on the journey overseas. Accompanying the presented mascots was a young boy who had stowed away on the ship before it embarked to Cuba. He was discovered with a rifle and boxes of ammunition and was, of course, sent ashore before departure from the United States. He was taken in by the regiment that was left behind, given a small Rough Riders uniform, and made an honorary member. The men also made sure to honor their colonel in return for his stellar leadership and service. They presented him with a small bronze statue of Remington's "[[The Bronco Buster|Bronco Buster]]" which portrayed a cowboy riding a violently bucking horse. "There could have been no more appropriate gift from such a regiment ... most of them looked upon the bronze with the critical eyes of professionals. I doubt if there was any regiment in the world which contained so large a number of men able to ride the wildest and most dangerous horses."<ref name=TR />{{rp|133}} After the turning over of their gift, each and every man in the regiment walked by and shook Colonel Roosevelt's hand and bid him a good-bye.<ref name=TR />{{rp|133}}

=== Disbandment ===
On the morning of September 15, 1898, the regimental property including all equipment, firearms and horses were turned back over to the United States government. The soldiers said one last good-bye to each other and the United States First Volunteer Cavalry, Roosevelt's Rough Riders, was disbanded. Before they returned to their homes across the country, Colonel Roosevelt gave them a short speech commending their efforts, expressing his profound pride, and reminding them that although heroes, they would have to integrate back into normal society and work as hard as everyone else. Many of the men were unable to regain the jobs they had before leaving to join the war. Some, due to illness or injury, were unable to work. A number of wealthier supporters donated money to help the needy veterans, though many were too proud to accept.<ref name=TR />{{rp|134–138}}

[[File:Rough Riders-3c.jpg|thumb|220px|US Postage Stamp, 1948 issue, commemorating 50th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders.]]
A first reunion of the Rough Riders was held in the [[Plaza Hotel (Las Vegas, New Mexico)|Plaza Hotel]] in [[Las Vegas, New Mexico]], in 1899.<ref>{{cite web|ref={{harvid|New Mexico History / Plaza Hotel}}|url=http://tripsintohistory.com/2012/07/23/new-mexico-history-plaza-hotel/ |title=New Mexico History / Plaza Hotel|date=2012-07-23|work=Trips into History|access-date=2014-07-31}}</ref> Roosevelt, then [[Governor of New York]], attended this event.<ref name=Harris2006 /> Of the contributions of the New Mexicans and Southwesterners to the Rough Riders, Roosevelt said; {{Blockquote|
text=The majority of you Rough Riders came from the Southwest. I shall ever keep in mind the valor you showed as you charged up the slope of San Juan Hill. I owe you men... . If New Mexico wants to be a state, I will go down to Washington to speak for her and do anything I can.<ref name=NM />}}
Roosevelt would go on to be a strong proponent for Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona's statehood during his time in the [[Oval Office]], even making it a plank of the [[1900 United States presidential election|1900 Republican party]] platform.<ref name="BRAE">{{cite journal |last1=Braeman |first1=John |title=Albert J. Beveridge and Statehood for the Southwest 1902–1912 |journal=Arizona and the West |date=1968 |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=313–342 |jstor=40167336 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40167336 |access-date=6 March 2021 |issn=0004-1408}}</ref>

In 1948, 50 years after the Rough Riders disbandment, the U.S. Post office issued a commemorative stamp in their honor and memory. The stamp depicts [[Buckey O'Neill|Captain William Owen "Bucky" O'Neill]], who was killed in action while leading troop A at the [[Battle of San Juan Hill]], July 1, 1898.<ref name=Roughriders>[[#riders|Smithsonian National Postal Museum: Rough Riders Issue]]</ref> The Rough Riders continued to have annual reunions in Las Vegas until 1967, when the sole veteran to attend was Jesse Langdon. He died in 1975.<ref name=Harris2006>{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Richard K.|title=New Mexico|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B-T9BaLT118C&pg=PA163|access-date=2014-07-31|date=2006-11-01|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|isbn=978-0-7627-4205-9}}{{dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>