Tampa Landmarks · Port Tampa Rough Riders Arrive at Port TampaJune 9, 1898 — The coal train stopped a mile short, 16,000 troops converged on the docks, and Roosevelt secured the S.S. Yucatan through sheer force of will ✦ ✦ ✦The morning of June 9, 1898 was organized chaos at Port Tampa. Over 16,000 U.S. Army troops competed for berths on a handful of ships. The coal train carrying the Rough Riders was stopped a full mile from the docks — refused entry as an unscheduled arrival. What happened next secured the regiment's place in history. 
Rough Riders Arrive at Port Tampa — historical marker at 4724 W. Prescott St., Port Tampa neighborhood, Tampa, FL · Erected June 8, 2023
June 9, 1898 — The Race to the ShipsPort Tampa in June 1898 was the largest military embarkation in American history up to that point. Sixteen thousand soldiers, horses, artillery, and mountains of supplies funneled down a single rail line to a single pier nine miles from Tampa. The result was inevitable chaos — and for the Rough Riders, one final test of Roosevelt's resourcefulness before they left American soil. 🚂
Morning, June 9 — One Mile Short
Train Refused Entry to Port TampaThe coal train carrying the Rough Riders from Tampa arrives to find the port completely overwhelmed. As an unscheduled arrival, the train is stopped approximately one mile from the docks and refused entry. The men and all their equipment are stuck a mile from the ships. ⚡
Morning, June 9 — Bold Initiative
Wood & Roosevelt Race to the PierColonel Leonard Wood and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt leave a small contingent behind to offload equipment from the train and race ahead to the port. With 16,000 soldiers competing for limited berths, they need to act fast. 🚢
Morning, June 9 — The Yucatan
Colonel Wood Secures the S.S. YucatanThrough bold initiative, Colonel Wood secures the S.S. Yucatan at the pier — claiming the berth for the Rough Riders before another regiment can take it. Roosevelt immediately sends word back to the regiment: gather equipment and march on foot to meet the ship. ⚓
June 9–13 — Embarkation
590 Rough Riders Board — the Rest Stay BehindThe men haul equipment one mile on foot to the S.S. Yucatan. Due to restricted space aboard ship, only about 590 men — 66% of the regiment — can embark for Cuba. The remaining companies stay behind in Tampa for the duration of the war. Port Tampa — June 9, 1898
Historical Marker — Full InscriptionRough Riders Arrive at Port TampaOn the morning of June 9, 1898, the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, "The Rough Riders," arrived in this vicinity via an empty coal train originally boarded near the Tampa Bay Hotel (approximately 7 miles to the northeast). That morning, the docks at Port Tampa (1 mile to the west) were a hectic scene as 16,000 U.S. Army troops converged to embark on ships bound for Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Due to overwhelming congestion, and because the train was an unscheduled arrival, it was stopped across the street from here and refused entry into Port Tampa. Colonel Leonard Wood, Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, and a small contingent of 590 Rough Riders hurried to the port while the rest of the regiment off-loaded equipment from the train. Through bold initiative, Colonel Wood secured the S.S. Yucatan at the pier while Lieutenant Colonel Roosevelt sent word back for the regiment to gather equipment and march on foot to meet the ship. In the end, about 66 percent of the regiment embarked for Cuba. Erected June 8, 2023. Marker Location4724 W. Prescott St., Tampa, FL 33616Located in the Port Tampa neighborhood of Tampa, near the Spanish-American War Memorial Park. The marker sits approximately one mile east of where the Rough Riders ultimately boarded the S.S. Yucatan — the spot where their coal train was stopped and refused entry to the port. |
