Wikipedia mirror

David E. Warford

David E. Warford
David E. Warford
Born(1865-10-04)October 4, 1865
Troy, New York
DiedAugust 19, 1942(1942-08-19) (aged 76)
Burial placeSawtelle Soldiers' Cemetery
Los Angeles, California
OccupationCowboy
Parents
  • Charles Warford (father)
  • Louisa S. Warford (mother)

David E. Warford (October 4, 1865 – August 19, 1942) was an Arizona cowboy and soldier.

Early life

Warford was born to Charles Warford and Louisa S. Warford on October 4, 1865, in Troy, New York.[1][2]

Career

Rough Riders

Warford enlisted in the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, also known as the Rough Riders, on May 4, 1898, at Whipple Barracks, Arizona.[1] He served as a private in B Troop.[1] He fought in the Spanish–American War[3] with the famed Rough Riders under the command of Theodore Roosevelt.[2][4] At the time of his enlistment, he was described as 5 ft 3½ in tall, with light brown hair and dark brown eyes.[1]

Battle of Las Guasimas

In June 1898, during the Battle of Las Guasimas, a bullet entered his right thigh, ricocheted through his abdomen, and exited his left thigh.[5][6] He was evacuated to a hospital ship. In 1900, he was granted an $8 per month pension, one of the first given to a soldier in Arizona.[7]

Later career (1901–1903)

In 1901, he wrote a letter to Vice President Theodore Roosevelt stating that he was currently drawing a government pension but was unable to do hard work and could not support himself on the amount he received. He asked Roosevelt to use his influence to help him obtain a position as a line rider in the Timber Reserve.[8] After Roosevelt received the letter, he requested additional letters of recommendation from people who could attest to Warford's character and ability to work as a line rider on the Timber Reserve.[9] Later, he was appointed a United States Forest Ranger.[10][11] In 1903, he enlisted as a private in the Arizona Rangers.[11] Warford was known for tattoos covering his body from neck to ankles, including the "Rough Rider's Call" on his back as a tribute to Colonel Roosevelt.[12][13]

Later life

In 1915, he lived at the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.[5] He died on August 19, 1942, at the age of 76. He was buried in Sawtelle Soldiers' Cemetery, now known as the Los Angeles National Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.[2][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Roosevelt's Rough Riders – David E. Warford". cmcnutt.tripod.com. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  2. ^ a b c "David E. Warford Memorial – Find a Grave". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
  3. ^ "United States. Military Records 1898–1899".
  4. ^ Gibson, Kelly. "A Short History of Military Tattoos", VFW Magazine, volume 103, number 10 (August 2016), page 46.
  5. ^ a b c "David E. Warford Injury Record – Find a Grave Photos".
  6. ^ "Rough Riders Who Bled in Country's Cause", The Daily Express, San Antonio, Texas, volume XL, number 97, April 7, 1905, page 11. (subscription required)
  7. ^ "Sensational Evidence", The Florence Tribune, Florence, Arizona, volume IX, number 11, March 10, 1900, page 3, column 3. (subscription required)
  8. ^ "Letter from David E. Warford to Theodore Roosevelt". Theodore Roosevelt Center. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
  9. ^ "Letter from Theodoere Roosevelt to David E. Warford". Theodore Roosevelt Center. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  10. ^ "Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to David E. Warford". Theodore Roosevelt Center. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  11. ^ a b "Arizona Rangers Roster – David E. Warford". genealogytrails.com. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  12. ^ "Lasting Proof of His Affection for Roosevelt", Venice Evening Vanguard, Venice, California, volume 22, number 50, March 3, 1919, page 1. (subscription required)
  13. ^ Le Berthon, Ted. "Tattooed All Over But Never in a Side Show", Los Angeles Record, Los Angeles, California, 33rd year, July 31, 1930, page 1. (subscription required) Note, article contains photographs of his tattoos on front and back.
  • Media related to David E. Warford at Wikimedia Commons


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.