Editing Rough Riders (section)

=== 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}}