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Edward North Buxton has sent another check to the National Bank of India, bringing President Roosevelt’s account total to $3000. Roosevelt instructs the bank to keep it for him until he arrives or to pay Sir Alfred E. Pease.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-12
President Roosevelt encloses for Frederick Courteney Selous a copy of an invitation from William Northrup McMillan. He explains that he has asked McMillan to contact Selous and Edward North Buxton when making arrangements. Alfred E. Pease has said that Sirdar F. R. Wingate could likely provide leather mosquito stockings, but Roosevelt would rather have Selous ask the outfitter Lawn & Alder to have them made and sent. William C. Judd seems like the best choice for managing the caravan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-25
President Roosevelt received Alfred E. Pease’s letter on the same day as an invitation from William Northrup McMillan, and he has asked McMillan to contact Pease, Frederick Courteney Selous and Edward North Buxton for making arrangements. Sirdar F. R. Wingate has offered a boat in Gondokoro, and from there Roosevelt will hunt for white rhinoceros before tackling game from the exhaustive list of creatures Pease has said can be found on the Nile. Roosevelt is glad he will be able to restock supplies in Nairobi. At present Roosevelt’s time is consumed by the political campaigns in the United States. He hopes to see Harry Johnston soon, with whom he has an ongoing intellectual correspondence.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-25
President Roosevelt thanks William Northrup McMillan for the invitation to stay at the farm in Nairobi, and says he will likely come after staying with Alfred E. Pease and before taking the trip McMillan suggested. Roosevelt will be joined by Kermit Roosevelt and General Edgar Alexander Mearns, and he will be shooting specimens for the National Museum. For further planning Roosevelt asks McMillan to be in contact with Edward North Buxton, Frederick Courteney Selous, and Pease. After going through British East Africa Roosevelt will go on to the Nile and meet Sirdar F. R. Wingate and Leigh S. J. Hunt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-25
President Roosevelt informs Kermit Roosevelt that Edward North Buxton has sent the boots, and reminds Kermit that he absolutely must get back to Harvard by September 30. In Oyster Bay, Roosevelt and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt went for their last row and had the townspeople over for a nice afternoon. The Winchester rifles arrived with improper sights, and Roosevelt has responded with a harsh letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-19
President Roosevelt found the letter that Cecil Spring Rice sent to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt about safari dangers to be quite hilarious, as did she, in a morose way. Roosevelt felt it would not be right to stay on as President, and he is glad the Africa trip is ahead. Roosevelt expresses his interest in the complex political situation unfolding in Turkey and the surrounding countries. He hopes Spring Rice can come to England and discuss politics in person.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-17
President Roosevelt updates Kermit Roosevelt on preparations for their Safari and on family life. Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt has lately been exposed to commentary about the potential dangers of the trip, including letters from Cecil Spring Rice and an article in The Public Ledger. The Roosevelt family celebrated Ted Roosevelt’s birthday with a picnic, and Roosevelt feels strongly that Ted will be successful in his upcoming ventures. Soon Archie Roosevelt will be heading back to school and summer will give way to fall.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-14
President Roosevelt thanks Frederick Courteney Selous for the recent letter containing travel suggestions and details changes he has made in light of it. He compares his own past adventures and future safari to Selous’s travels. Roosevelt responds to Selous’s comments on potential safari guides, and asks if Selous will confer with Edward North Buxton on the topic and send back his suggestions. In a postscript, he asks for Selous’s opinion on taking William C. Judd with him, specifically as a caravan manager and guide.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-12
President Roosevelt agrees with Ambassador Reid’s assessment of the interviewing being done by Edward VII, King of England. He thanks Reid for the introduction to Phillip H. Percival. After conferring with Edward North Buxton, Roosevelt has decided not to shoot in the reserves, and rescinds his request to Lord Eyre Crowe. Instead he asks only for permission regarding restricted species. The Sirdar of Egypt, F. R. Wingate, has written to Roosevelt about Sudan.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-12
President Roosevelt has received Alfred E. Pease’s letter, and has also heard from Edward North Buxton. As Pease suggested, he sent funds to Buxton and to Nairobi. A friend recently told him about the same lion country Pease mentioned, and Roosevelt thinks it is ideal. Currently, Roosevelt finds it “difficult to devote full attention to my Presidential work […] because I am looking forward so eagerly to my African trip!”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-05
President Roosevelt encloses the revised lists of supplies for Frederick Courteney Selous. He discusses his reasoning behind the revisions and provides Selous with his travel itinerary. Gerrit Forbes recently visited Roosevelt and recounted his recent hunt in Africa. Roosevelt is reluctant to hire a white man for the trip but will do so if Selous suggests it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-08-19
President Roosevelt is looking forward to visiting Arthur Hamilton Lee while in England. If Roosevelt visits in the fall he would be pleased to visit Lee’s hunting lodge, and he details his experiences in deer stalking and fox hunting. Roosevelt agrees with Lee on international athletics and finds that such competition often ends in an unhealthy bitterness. Roosevelt will read The Quarterly, in particular the article on Germany, and he has things to say to Lee in person rather than on paper.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-09-17
President Roosevelt sends Kermit Roosevelt a poem that reminds him of Quentin, as well as letters relating to his upcoming African safari. He tells Kermit that he will come with him, provided he does not let it distract him from preparing for his future and will treat it as a college course. Roosevelt also updates his son on the activities of other members of the family.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-23
President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit regarding arrangements for their hunting trip to Africa. He talked with Carl Ethan Akeley and Colonel J. H. Patterson on the matter. He also mentions the Harvard-Yale football game, Kaiser Wilhelm II angering the German people, and finishing two speeches.
1908-11-22
President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to update him on plans for their trip to Africa and encloses letters from Frederick Selous, Edward Buxton, and Reginald Wingate. He talks of celebrating Ted’s birthday and spending time talking with him. He closes by saying Archie is back at school and Sagamore is being closed up for the season.
1908-09-14
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about his thoughts on the upcoming Republican National Convention. He is sure they can get Secretary of War Taft nominated but Roosevelt does worry about a “stampede” for himself. He encloses letters he wrote to be read at the Convention. Roosevelt also writes about spring in Washington, D.C., his thoughts on the guns to take on the African hunting trip, and what to do with Archie’s schooling at Groton.
1908-06-06
President Roosevelt writes to congratulate Kermit Roosevelt on his good marks and share a flattering article about the men in his Cabinet. Roosevelt says he and Kermit will have to read books on Africa to prepare for their trip. Roosevelt has not heard from Archie in a while and Quentin is enamored with baseball. He closes the letter with descriptions of horse riding.
1908-05-23
President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit with more plans for their Africa trip. He has had help planning from friends Edward Buxton and Frederick Selous. Roosevelt feels the whole trip will last about eleven months. He closes by saying he is interested in Kermit’s rowing.
1908-05-01
Theodore Roosevelt sends Alfred E. Pease a pamphlet he wrote on protective coloration in animals, which he also sent to Frederick Courteney Selous, C. H. Stigand, and Edward North Buxton. “Homesick for the wilderness,” Kermit is out hunting in the Mexican desert and will soon finish his course at Harvard. Edmund Heller wrote Roosevelt about Paul James Rainey’s lion hunt using bear hounds. Unfortunately, Leslie J. Tarlton and V. M. Newland are in poor health. Roosevelt has “settled down into a perfectly quiet life” and does not “intend ever again to go away from Sagamore Hill.” He shares his recent rowing trip with Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-15
Theodore Roosevelt asks Lieutenant Colonel Lloyd Brett to assist Miss Buxton and a friend when they visit Yellowstone National Park. Miss Buxton is the daughter of Edward North Buxton, “an old and valued friend” of Roosevelt’s.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-07-25