Spite can not budge it
Subject(s): Memorials, Miles, Nelson Appleton, 1839-1925, Monuments, Sculpture
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General Nelson A. Miles tries to push over a monument that states “To the Army in the Philippines in Recognition of a Difficult Task, Well Done.”
Comments and Context
General Nelson A. Miles was one of his generation’s most active and decorated soldiers who had not graduated from West Point. He was twice wounded and in the middle of important Civil War conflicts; he was a famous Indian fighter, leading Army troops after notable Indian warriors and tribes (and implicated in some brutalities), served in the Spanish-American War in Cuba and Puerto Rico. He managed to be, throughout his career, however, frequently in the midst of controversy.
He clashed on matters with Theodore Roosevelt, during Roosevelt’s service in Cuba and when president, earning him Roosevelt’s description as a “brave peacock.” Miles had honors, and was ambitious for more, when his mandatory retirement approached in August of 1903. Yet, attracting no favors for himself, he needlessly went public at the time of this Puck cartoon, criticizing War Department policies as well as military operations in the Philippines.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1903-05-20
Creator(s)
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
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:
Spite can not budge it. [May 20, 1903]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277279. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956. Spite can not budge it. [20 May. 1903]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277279.
APA:
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956., [1903, May 20]. Spite can not budge it.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o277279.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
