Cuba--Santiago de Cuba

Theodore Roosevelt is pleased with Herbet H. Sargent’s letter and values his opinions. He hopes Sargent will publish another history of the Battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War. He mentions that he enjoyed French Ensor Chadwick’s book as well. Roosevelt clarifies that he has not read Henry W. Wessells’ letter yet. Roosevelt asks if Sargent has seen Samuel S. Sumner’s letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-02-01

Photograph of dozens of sailors on a covered ship deck. The sailors are wearing white uniforms and hats. “Santiago de Cuba” is printed on the reverse of the photograph.

Collection

Marple Collection

Creation Date

1910

Colorized stereograph of the USS Oregon. Several soldiers, many wearing white uniforms, can be seen on the deck of the ship, and an American flag is raised at the back of the ship. Text on the reverse of the stereograph details the history of the Oregon as a battleship in the Spanish-American War, as well as various features of the ship and the armaments on board.

Comments and Context

As printed on the reverse of the stereograph, “Even if we have a magnificent fleet going around the Horn, we must not forget the Oregon that made the phenomenal trip from San Francisco and took part in the battle at Santiago while the nation held its breath, while American learnt what a battleship really meant, nor can we in this generation forget the Oregon even if it has not the first place in our fleet; it has the first place in our hearts, so in presenting the magnificent types of battleships we offer you no apology for giving you a view of the battleship Oregon.

The battleship Oregon is of special interest on account of her trip from the Pacific Coast around Cape Horn to Key West to fight the nation’s battles. Leaving San Francisco March 12th, 1898, she arrived at Jupiter Inlet, Florida, May 24th, covering a distance of 17,000 miles with pauses for coal only, without a break of any sort, and played an important part in the destruction of Cervera’s fleet. After her long journey, without having had any repairs, she gave chase to and aided in defeating the Christobal Colon, one of the fleetest cruisers in the world.

This postcard shows a view of the cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. A person walks down a neatly maintained path over which hang a variety of trees. On either side are sarcophagi and tombs surrounded by fences.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view in the cemetery in Santiago.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows Morro Castle, situated on a hilltop overlooking the bay near Santiago de Cuba.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view of the famous Morro Castle at Santiago.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows a portion of a suburb of Santiago de Cuba. A streetcar travels on the left side of the card, while the right is taken up by a church building. The street pictured in the photo is empty apart from the streetcar, and there are few trees in the vicinity. Hills can be seen in the far distance.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view in the suburbs of Santiago.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows a market street in Santiago de Cuba. The busy cobbled street is filled with people.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Another on [sic] of the busy market streets in Santiago.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows Saco street in Santiago, Cuba. This street has streetcar tracks running down one side of it, while carriages and pedestrians stand on the other. A man dressed in a yellow suit stands center frame and gazes out at the viewer. The street is lined with shops sporting striped awnings.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A side trip up to Santiago Cuba, a city of about 40 thousand population, is one of interest. Santiago is a thriving city but in no way a desirable place to live long at a time. This is Saco St. in Santiago.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Charles C. Myers describes a series of thirteen postcards depicting areas of Cuba and its inhabitants.

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Creation Date

Unknown

Wallace Finley Dailey, Curator of the Theodore Roosevelt Collection at Harvard University, describes in detail two exhibits of Theodore Roosevelt material on display in the Theodore Roosevelt Gallery in the Nathan Marsh Pusey Library in 1977. One exhibit covers Roosevelt’s long relationship with Harvard University from his undergraduate student years to his death. The other explores Roosevelt’s relationship with his daughter Ethel Roosevelt Derby. In both exhibit summaries, Dailey quotes extensively from Roosevelt’s letters and speeches and provides descriptions of the photographs used in the exhibits. 

Three photographs and one illustration accompany the article. One photograph shows Dailey examining the exhibit display cases. Another shows Roosevelt with a group of his Harvard classmates, and one shows Derby at the White House in 1902. The illustration is a drawing by Roosevelt’s classmate, Charles G. Washburn, that depicts a monument detailing Roosevelt’s many activities at Harvard. 

Writing from the trenches outside of Santiago, Cuba, just after the Battle of San Juan Hill, Theodore Roosevelt thought that the event that would make his political career–the campaign in Cuba–appeared to be on the verge of becoming a catastrophe. Within a few months of writing this letter, Roosevelt would be elected governor of New York; in 1900 he was elected vice president.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1898-07-03

A postcard with a black and white photograph of a memorial dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt erected in Santiago de Cuba.

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1926-1940

A picture of Theodore Roosevelt and two men sitting on horses in front of a building in Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1907

A handbook for Roosevelt’s Rough Rider Association, which includes a list of association officers, the association’s constitution and by-laws, and a list of the association’s members, honorary members, and the muster-out roll. Handwritten annotations about members or officers is present throughout. Pages 56-57 and 88-89 are uncut in the original and cannot be scanned.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Joseph A. Burr and the Yale Alumni Association would like John Campbell Greenway to attend the annual meeting of the Yale Alumni Association of Brooklyn and speak about his experiences during the Spanish-American War. Governor Roosevelt has said he would attend if Greenway is present.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1899-01-17

Joseph A. Burr acknowledges John Campbell Greenway’s willingness to say a few words about his experiences in Cuba at the upcoming dinner. The dinner committee has furnished some words to help Greenway’s toast.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1899-02-23

Harriet C. Carter is distressed at the government sending regiments from southern camps to Montauk, New York, and fears Greenway will “find things in a sad state of unreadiness.” A package has been sent to Greenway with items that she hopes will be useful.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1898-08-12

Charles R. Greenleaf was briefly in Cuba checking on the spread of yellow fever and seeing many Rough Riders, but not learning their names. He will write if he hears anything about John Campbell Greenway. The Greenway name brought back memories of Greenleaf’s “pleasantest years” spent in Huntsville, Alabama.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1898-08-12

Poem about a soldier suffering from yellow fever in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1898-07-24

David Gregory describes, in a two-stanza poem, the battle of San Juan Hill and the defeat of the Spaniards that was led by “gallant Wood and our own Ted.”

Collection

Arizona Historical Society

Creation Date

1898-1900