Everybody knows the Rough Riders. Most people have two things wrong about them. The idea started in Prescott, Arizona. And Theodore Roosevelt wasn’t originally their commander. In 1898, as war with Spain approached, Prescott mayor William “Buckey” O’Neill joined Alexander Brodie and James McClintock in pushing the idea of a cavalry unit made up of Western cowboys, ranchers and miners. Men who already knew how to ride, shoot and handle brutal heat. O’Neill resigned as mayor and volunteered himself. Arizona quickly raised its men. So many volunteered that Washington wouldn’t take them all. They trained at Fort Whipple before leaving Prescott as crowds packed the streets and depot to see them off. They became part of the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry. The Rough Riders. And despite the name history remembers most, Theodore Roosevelt wasn’t initially in command. Colonel Leonard Wood commanded the regiment, with Roosevelt serving as lieutenant colonel. Arizona supplied three tro...