Your TR Source
As Roosevelt runs for governor, a fellow soldier’s anecdotes of the battle of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War are reported in the newspaper.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1898-08-03
Typed excerpt from Chapter VII of Theodore Roosevelt’s Autobiography, The War of America the Unready, in which he reviews his actions during the battle for the San Juan Hills.
1913
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit after returning home from seven weeks in the hospital with rheumatoid arthritis and sciatica. He says he can only hobble a few yards. He provides updates on Ethel Roosevelt Derby, Archie Roosevelt and the grandchildren. Roosevelt asks Kermit to write him about his experiences in the Argonne and the march to the Rhine river. He closes by saying he hopes Kermit will be home soon, unless President Woodrow Wilson does something to his own selfish advantage.
1918-12-29
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to tell him Ted Roosevelt’s wife Eleanor has arrived and told him Kermit’s battery was attached to Ted’s regiment. Roosevelt reviews all the action Kermit has seen in the war and tell him how proud he is of him. He adds that Archie Roosevelt has written a small book about his experiences in the first year of the war.
1918-12-16
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit that Mother received a letter from Belle about the christening of Joseph Willard and he has heard of Kermit’s part in the latest war action. Roosevelt gives updates on Archie Roosevelt and says he heard Ethel Roosevelt Derby’s husband Richard has aged a great deal in the war.
1918-12-03
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to say he received his letters about the big fight and how proud he is of him. He says Archie Roosevelt is coming home because his wounds necessitate another operation and the British have loaned transport ships so more troops are coming to the front. Roosevelt says General Leonard Wood has been treated unjustly and Roosevelt will continue to preach for speeding up the war.
1918-06-25
Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to congratulate him for his duty in battle. He questions whether they will see a German offensive. Roosevelt says he continues to say unpopular truths and many call him a scold but he will not stop until the war is won. He closes by saying he is going to write Belle.
1918-02-02
An unknown report from a telegram detailing the conditions of an attack from the Japanese Manchurian Army.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-10-11
Theodore Roosevelt directs Arthur G. Chapman to contact Admiral French Ensor Chadwick and Colonel Herbert H. Sargent for more information. He has nothing new to say about the battle besides what he wrote in his reports and book on the Rough Riders.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-14
Theodore Roosevelt thanks John A. Herman for the book. Roosevelt discusses the battles of San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-02-14
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.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-12-14
President Roosevelt believes it is too early to know that Russia will win the Russo-Japanese War. Roosevelt wants to know what Wayne MacVeagh has said.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-19
President Roosevelt thinks Hosea Ballou Morse’s letter is interesting and “substantially true” but does not believe in “Japan’s invincibility in war.” Roosevelt makes comparisons to the armies of other nations and battles from other wars.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
President Roosevelt responds to allegations that diminished his role in the Battle of San Juan Hill. For clarification, Roosevelt offers Fleming a copy of The Rough Riders and cites accounts written by other officers on the scene.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-18
Emilie Christinet shares Roosevelt’s interest in reading battle accounts. However, he finds it difficult to view events clearly. He proposes projecting an image of the battlefield and using a magnet to move the armies. He asks Roosevelt to share and possibly patent his idea.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-25
Confederate Army General Wright attests to the accuracy of Archibald Gracie’s manuscript “The Truth About Chickamauga.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-04-18
French Ensor Chadwick thanks President Roosevelt for the copy of the book Rough Riders, but stands his ground regarding what constitutes heroism. Chadwick puts a great deal of emphasis on the different characters of Americans and Spaniards, writing of the “fatalism and fanaticism” of the Spanish character, and how this was shown in the actions of Pascual Cervera y Topete.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-07-06
Juan Francisco O’Farrill, Secretary of State and Justice for the Republic of Cuba, reports to Jacob Sleeper, the charge d’affaires to Cuba, about the current state of the rebellion. The Cuban government has defeated the rebels in Santa Clara and Havana Provinces, and the newspapers are reporting that the rebellion is on the decline following these losses. Colonel Avalos is restoring public order in Pinar del Rio and is trying to engage with the rebels under Pedro Betancourt Davalos and Faustino Guerra. Other generals are arriving daily in Havana and offering their support to President Tomás Estrada Palma and soon the insurrectionists will be conquered.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-01
Jacob Sleeper, chargé d’affaires in Cuba, updates Secretary of State Root on attempts to quell the insurrection in Cuba. The Cuban government’s offer of amnesty did not have the desired effect, while the rebel forces continue to grow and business owners have become increasingly pessimistic. Sleeper was informed that President Tomás Estrada Palma was strongly opposed to any compromise with the insurrectionists, but he also heard that Estrada Palma is more open to settlement than his public statements suggest. Sleeper describes the efforts of a committee of Cuban veterans to serve as mediators.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-09-01
Secretary Montalvo sends instructions from President Roosevelt to General Rodriguez to be distributed among the chiefs operating in the provinces of Pinar del Rio, Havana, Matanzas, and Santa Clara, Cuba. The chiefs are to allow all prisoners or others repenting of their error to return to their homes peacefully. Prisoners captured while in command of bands shall be detained in their respective camps until the government resolves to restore them to liberty or place them at the disposition of the special instructional judge. Rebel chiefs who have surrendered should also be allowed to return to their homes with assurance of no further molestation.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-08-27