Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Rough Rider Encampment
At the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, this area was the campsite of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood (Medal of Honor recipient) and later Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt.
Known as the "Rough Riders," the more than 1000 officers and troopers were a diverse assortment of cowboys, ranchers, miners, lawmen, trappers, professional sportsmen, and socialites from 42 U.S. states, 4 U.S. territories and 13 foreign countries.
Over 600 Rough Riders departed for Cuba via Port Tampa on June 14, 1898 to fight as dismounted cavalry, leaving the rest of the regiment in Tampa for the duration of the war due to the critical shortage of ships to transport the invading force.
The Rough Riders sustained the highest casualty rate of any American unit in that war and became a living legend in their own time. Roosevelt belatedly was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery on the field of battle.
Erected 2016 by 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (Rough Riders) Inc. of Tampa.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Spanish-American. In addition, it is included in the Medal of Honor Recipients series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 24, 1898.
Location. 27° 57.032′ N, 82° 29.113′ W. Marker is in Tampa, Florida, in Hillsborough County. Marker is at the intersection of North Armenia Avenue and West Lemon Street, on the right when traveling south on North Armenia Avenue. Marker located in Vila Brothers Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 North Armenia Avenue, Tampa FL 33609, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Benjamin Field/George N. Benjamin b 1859 d 1926 (approx. 0.2 miles away); West Tampa Free Public Library (approx. half a mile away); The Beginning of the Cigar Industry in West Tampa (approx. half a mile away); The West Tampa Boys Club (approx. 0.6 miles away); Academy of The Holy Names (approx. 0.7 miles away); Hugh C. Macfarlane (approx. 0.7 miles away); Centro Español de West Tampa (approx. 0.8 miles away); George Guida (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tampa.
Also see . . . Rough Riders. Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on September 22, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 24, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 787 times since then and 55 times this year. Last updated on April 19, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. Photos: 1. submitted on April 19, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 24, 2017, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. 6. submitted on September 22, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 7. submitted on April 25, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.