Theodore Roosevelt was a writer, naturalist soldier and 26th President of the United States. His military exploits and his love of nature are well known. While spending 2 years at his ranch in the badlands of the Dakotas, Roosevelt became increasingly aware of the environment and the need to preserve it. The Rough Riders is an autobiographical work. Written in 1899 it is the story of the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, the regiment Roosevelt led to fame in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.. With the advent of the war with Spain, Theodore Roosevelt joined the army as Lt. Colonel of a regiment to be known as the Rough Riders. From the time he left Washington to join his regiment for training in San Antonio, Texas, he kept daily records of his thoughts and experiences. These give the reader a sense of the exhilaration of battle and the moral purpose behind it all.