Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Luke E. Wright
Subject(s): Bennett, Claire R. (Claire Raymond), 1877-1965, Courts-martial and courts of inquiry, Davis, George B. (George Breckenridge), 1847-1914, Moller, John J. (John Jay), 1881-1909, Oliver, Robert Shaw, 1847-1935, Punishment, United States. Army
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President Roosevelt has read the letter from Assistant Secretary of War Robert Shaw Oliver, as well as the letter from Judge Advocate General of the Army George B. Davis. In Roosevelt’s opinion, the court-martials of Lieutenants John J. Moller and Claire R. Bennett were “an outrageous miscarriage of justice.” Roosevelt wishes he had the legal power to change the action of the court-martial and, barring that, informs Secretary of War Wright that he would like to punish them in any way that he can for as long as he is president for the damage they have done to the reputation of the army. (Moller and Bennett were tried on charges of allowing torture of Filipino prisoners to try to extort information from them)
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-07-06
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Wright, Luke E. (Luke Edward), 1846-1922
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Luke E. Wright. [July 6, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203232. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Luke E. Wright. [6 Jul. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 6, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203232.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, July 6]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Luke E. Wright.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203232.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 6, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
