Letter from A. T. Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Authors, American--Correspondence, Miles, Nelson Appleton, 1839-1925, Military discipline, Military leadership, Ruyter, Michiel Adriaanszoon de, 1607-1676, Schley, Winfield Scott, 1839-1911, United States. Army, United States. Navy
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A. T. Mahan is pleased that President Roosevelt has found his books worth re-reading. His source on Michiel De Ruyter was Gerard Brandt’s work from the seventeenth century. Mahan doubts whether full justice will ever be done De Ruyter, who was appreciated more in his own time than since. Mahan comments on the case of Admiral Winfield Schley, asserting that there can be no doubt what the verdict of history will be. He has been amazed that men of intelligence have accepted Schley, even after the Court found his reports “inaccurate and misleading.” Regarding the case of General Nelson Miles, Mahan notes that he knows the facts only superficially, but he agreed entirely with President Roosevelt omitting a word of commendation for Miles on his retirement. Mahan comments that Roosevelt’s administration has accomplished two major successes on the military side: Secretary of War Elihu Root’s reorganization and the Naval General Staff Bill, which he hopes will pass.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1903-09-07
Creator(s)
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
6
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 A. T. Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt. [September 7, 1903]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o42125. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914. Letter from A. T. Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt. [7 Sep. 1903]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 15, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o42125.
APA:
Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914., [1903, September 7]. Letter from A. T. Mahan to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o42125.
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 15, 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.
