Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Willis Gilbert Brinson
Subject(s): Armies--Medals, badges, decorations, etc., Autobiography--Authorship--Study and teaching, Battles, Books and reading, Cuba--Santiago de Cuba, Libel and slander, Medal of Honor, Military leadership, Santiago, Battle of (Cuba : 1898), Spanish-American War (1898), United States. Army. Volunteer Cavalry, 1st
Click on image to zoom in
Theodore Roosevelt dismisses Willis G. Brinson’s doubts about his service record by asking Brinson to look at the last chapter of his autobiography, which is available in any public library. Roosevelt points to the report in which his superior officer recommended him for a Medal of Honor for his leadership of not only his men but the entire cavalry division in the Battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War. The Rough Riders sustained their heaviest losses while Roosevelt was leading them, first on horseback, and then on foot.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1915-12-14
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Brinson, Willis Gilbert, 1868-1940
Language
English
Period
Post-Presidential Years (1913-January 6, 1919)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
1
Production Method
Record Type
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 Willis Gilbert Brinson. [December 14, 1915]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o213187. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Willis Gilbert Brinson. [14 Dec. 1915]. Image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 9, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o213187.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1915, December 14]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Willis Gilbert Brinson.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o213187.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. 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. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 9, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
