<P> The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry , one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish -- American War and the only one of the three to see action . The United States Army was small and understaffed in comparison to its status during the American Civil War roughly thirty years prior . As a measure towards rectifying this situation President William McKinley called upon 125,000 volunteers to assist in the war efforts . The regiment was also called `` Wood 's Weary Walkers '' in honor of its first commander , Colonel Leonard Wood . This nickname served to acknowledge that despite being a cavalry unit they ended up fighting on foot as infantry . </P>
what were rough riders in the spanish american war
the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry , one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish -- American War and the only one of the three to see action