Two days prior to the declaration of war against Spain on April 25, 1898, President McKinley issued a call for volunteers from the state governments. The Texas Volunteer Guard, the predecessor to the Texas National Guard, organized four regiments of infantry and one of cavalry. The regiments were designated the 1st Texas Volunteer Cavalry and the 1st through 4th Texas Volunteer Infantry. The only regiment to see service outside the United States was the 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry which was part of the occupation force in Cuba from December 1898 through March 1899.
Two United States Volunteer units were organized at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and were made up heavily of recruits from Texas. The 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, eventually better known as “Roosevelt’s Rough Riders,” was commanded in Cuba by future President Theodore Roosevelt. A second unit made up mostly of Texans was the 33rd United States Volunteer Infantry which saw action in numerous battles in the Philippine Islands. Texans also saw service in other Army units as well as aboard ships in the Navy.
| Fort Sam Houston Museum | Spanish-American War Monument-Capitol Grounds | Spanish-American War Memorial-Wichita Falls |