The irresistible force and the immovable object: Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Gen. Nelson A. Miles
Subject(s): Alger, R. A. (Russell Alexander), 1836-1907, Civil-military relations, Corbin, Henry Clark, 1842-1909, Grace, Oliver R. (Oliver Russell), 1909-1992, Grand Army of the Republic, McKinley, William, 1843-1901, Medal of Honor, Miles, Nelson Appleton, 1839-1925, Philippine American War (Philippines : 1899-1902), Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Root, Elihu, 1845-1937, Sampson, William Thomas, 1840-1902, Schley, Winfield Scott, 1839-1911, Schofield, John McAllister, 1831-1906, Shafter, William Rufus, 1835-1906, Sherman, William T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
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James B. Martin examines the tumultuous relationship between Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles and President Theodore Roosevelt during the first two years of Roosevelt’s administration. Martin details Miles’s impressive record as a field officer, earning the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and he shows how he was not as well prepared to fight bureaucratic battles in Washington, D.C., as the Commanding General of the Army. Martin looks at the issues that caused a breach between Miles and Roosevelt, including Miles’s criticism of American actions in the Philippines. Martin covers the role played by Secretaries of War Russell A. Alger and Elihu Root, and he lays most of the blame for the Miles-Roosevelt dispute at the feet of Miles, but he does note that Roosevelt’s large ego and decision not to forcibly retire Miles contributed to the feud.
Photographs of Miles and Root appear in the article. An article box on page eleven notes that this issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal is dedicated to Oliver R. Grace.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
1987
Creator(s)
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Page Count
12
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
The irresistible force and the immovable object: Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. [December 11, 1987]. Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307650. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Martin, James B.. The irresistible force and the immovable object: Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. [11 Dec. 1987]. Image.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307650.
APA:
Martin, James B.., [1987, December 11]. The irresistible force and the immovable object: Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Gen. Nelson A. Miles.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o307650.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. December 11, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
