The Last Rough Rider: Jesse Langdon

Abstract

The Rough Riders captured the imagination of the American public during the Spanish-American War. It revived Theodore Roosevelt’s political career and made him a military hero. Jesse Langdon recorded his reminiscences of Roosevelt and the famous cavalry regiment in 1973, years after the oral history project had ended. His recollections span the nineteenth and twentieth century and the years Roosevelt served as colonel, president, and third-party candidate. The colorful testimony raises questions about the accuracy of some of Langdon’s memories, but much else has been verified by fellow Rough Riders or, indeed, Roosevelt.