Letter from William Woodville Rockhill to John Hay

Subject(s): China, Guard duty, Infantry, Marines, Sin

William Woodville Rockhill proposes that the guard for the Legation of the United States in China be changed from a company of the 9th U.S. Infantry to one hundred Marines. Rockhill believes the change is desirable for a number of reasons including: it would be cheaper to maintain, the number of Marines could be promptly increased or decreased, the group of Marines would be more flexible than an infantry unit, and undesirable men could be readily replaced by better Marines.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-08

Creator(s)

Rockhill, William Woodville, 1854-1914

Recipient

Hay, John, 1838-1905

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

4

Production Method

Typed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

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 William Woodville Rockhill to John Hay. [June 8, 1905]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49480. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Rockhill, William Woodville, 1854-1914. Letter from William Woodville Rockhill to John Hay. [8 Jun. 1905]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 29, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49480.

APA:

Rockhill, William Woodville, 1854-1914., [1905, June 8]. Letter from William Woodville Rockhill to John Hay.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49480.

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. January 29, 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.