Cunninghame, R. J. (Richard John), 1871-1925

President Roosevelt celebrates Harvard’s victory over Yale in the football match. He tells his son Kermit that J. H. Patterson, who killed the man-eating lions of Tsavo, spent Friday at the White House. Carl Ethan Akeley, who has hunted elephants and rhinoceros, came to lunch the next day. Both gave valuable advice, and Roosevelt tells Kermit that they must be extremely cautious in Africa until they are used to what is being done. The arrangements are all made. Roosevelt also says that Kaiser William II has “come an awful cropper,” and been a “perfect fool.” The German people are finally angry about it. Roosevelt has finished the lectures he will be giving at Oxford and the Sorbonne. He hears that Senator Joseph Benson Foraker is preparing an attack against him, but he is indifferent.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-22

President Roosevelt provides Frederick Courteney Selous with an excerpt of a letter from Governor Frederick John Jackson which outlines a potential itinerary for his African safari. Jackson suggests starting at Alfred E. Pease’s ranch and staying close to Nairobi before going further afield. Roosevelt plans to amend the itinerary to make a loop into hunting grounds where J. H. Patterson hunted. Roosevelt expresses concern that reporters might try to arrange a caravan to follow him on his trip, and wonders if Jackson can prevent them from doing so.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-25

President Roosevelt returns the papers of the “personal outfit.” He has not made any more changes except to change to eight one-pound tins of Vaseline. He is glad that he will have ample stores. Roosevelt thanks Frederick Courteney Selous for insisting he hire a man to manage the caravan. Roosevelt thinks that R. J. Cunninghame is the perfect man for the job.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-21

President Roosevelt encloses a telegram from W. S. Rainsford, a New York sportsman staying with Frederick John Jackson, the lieutenant-governor of British East Africa. Roosevelt believes Rainsford’s view also represents how Jackson feels. He tells Frederick Courteney Selous that it appears they were wise to hire R. J. Cunninghame as the guide.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-19

President Roosevelt thanks Ambassador Reid for what he said to Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, and will accept the offer of the special shooting license for himself and his son Kermit. He is glad that Crewe-Milnes understands that he does not want a fuss in Nairobi when he first arrives. Roosevelt wants to go directly to Mombasa, and from there to Alfred E. Pease’s ranch. Roosevelt also states that Reid’s feeling about the complications in the Balkans was justified, and that what Reid heard about his answer to the women’s suffrage people is true. He is amused with the cartoon of himself and the article on Reid, and shares Reid’s feeling on caricatures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-17

President Roosevelt is pleased to learn that Frederick Courteney Selous has engaged R. J. Cunninghame as head man for his upcoming hunting trip in Africa. He believes that they can get all the Shikari guides they need from William Northrup McMillan. He agrees with Selous’s suggestion of sending the boxes of provisions to Nairobi. Roosevelt notes that he would like to go straight to Alfred E. Pease’s ranch and not go to Nairobi until later, unless his friends think that would be inadvisable. He discusses several routes he might take to hunt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-12

President Roosevelt is pleased to hear that Frederick Courteney Selous has written to R. J. Cunninghame about being head man on his upcoming trip to Africa. He is also glad to hear that William Northrup McMillan is willing to provide him with hunters for the trip. However, Roosevelt wants it made clear that Cunninghame has the final say on personnel on the trip. Roosevelt is glad he will have the opportunity to try to kill buffalo, but wants to make it clear that he is more focused on acquiring the main big game. He also clarifies that he does not aim to get record specimens but simply good ones.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-09

President Roosevelt tells Frederick Courteney Selous that Sir Harry Johnston has been staying with him and has advised that he should find some Gulf Arabs to accompany him on his African trip. Johnston also has recommended a man to serve as shikari. Roosevelt inquires as to which Cunningham Selous wrote him about.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-07

President Roosevelt thanks Sir William Northrup McMillan for his letter, and the invitation to stay at his ranch while on safari in British East Africa. Roosevelt outlines his initial travel plans and arrangements, and believes he will stay with McMillan after he visits Alfred E. Pease’s ranch. He discusses the different types of big game he would like himself and his son Kermit to shoot, but clarifies that his intent is to collect specimens for the National Museum, rather than to butcher game.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-02

President Roosevelt tells J. H. Patterson that the zoologist he is bringing is a surgeon, and so will not lack a doctor while in Africa. He thinks he will want a white man like R. J. Cunninghame or William C. Judd to take care of his caravan. He asks Patterson for advice about healthy areas to hunt, and how long it takes to get to the place where Patterson said he saw Grevy’s zebra, as well as rhinos, eland, and oryx.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-30

President Roosevelt tells Edward North Buxton that the zoologist Surgeon Major Edgar Alexander Mearns will be accompanying him on his trip. Roosevelt discusses his plans for hunting in Africa and notes that only he and his son Kermit will be shooting on the trip. He discusses the different boots, supplies, and maps that Buxton has written him about, and asks about the Earl of Warwick, Leopold Guy Francis Maynard Greville, who has been to Africa and says he knows Buxton. Roosevelt is heartened to hear that Greville is fifty-five and in good health and says he felt good and had fun in Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-23

President Roosevelt has heard from John Jay White that William C. Judd is an “admirable man in every way.” Roosevelt tells Frederick Courteney Selous that White believes that Roosevelt could trust his son Kermit to Judd on their African safari. He encloses copies of notes by Hubert Silberrad, including his thoughts on Judd and R. J. Cunninghame.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-26

President Roosevelt sends Frederick Courteney Selous the enclosed item regarding R. J. Cunninghame.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-17

President Roosevelt has decided to follow Frederick Courteney Selous’s advice and hire a white man to head his African safari, despite objections from Edward North Buxton. Roosevelt would like Selous to hire either R. J. Cunninghame or William C. Judd for the job, if possible. He provides a list of the provisions that he would like to bring on the trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-12

In spite of Edward North Buxton’s assertion that it is a “fearful instance of effeminacy,” President Roosevelt has decided to follow the advice of Frederick Courteney Selous and hire a man to manage his caravan on his African safari. Roosevelt tells Sir Alfred E. Pease that he would like to hire R. J. Cunninghame or William Judd. Roosevelt explains that he would like to hire someone because he wants to devote his time to hunting and studying animals, and because it would make things easier for him. Roosevelt also discusses where he would like to hunt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-12

Carl Ethan Akeley assures Theodore Roosevelt that R. J. Cunninghame is all right and on his way to England, and intends to do some “big game” shooting on the Continent. The news of Cunninghame was brought by Max C. Fleischmann, who just returned from Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-11-23

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12-03

Creator(s)

White, Stewart Edward, 1873-1946

Recipient

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Edmund Heller asks Theodore Roosevelt’s permission to lecture the various societies that have invited him to speak on his African safari work. He discusses describing the new species of small mammals collected in Sudan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-11-26

Ernest Ingersoll sends Theodore Roosevelt a clipping he wrote about Roosevelt’s book describing his travels in Africa for the Literary Digest. Ingersoll remarks that he likes to get the books in his library signed by their contributors, and while he already has Roosevelt’s autograph, asks if he might help him get the signatures of Frederick Courteney Selous and R. J. Cunninghame, who accompanied Roosevelt on his safari.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-10-13

John Jay White discusses suggestions of how President Roosevelt should plan his Africa trip. Topics include who to stay with, avoiding the rainy season, recommendations for a servant during the safari, and the importance of seeing a dentist beforehand. White relates this information “as one sportsman to another,” because he is anxious that Roosevelt have a good trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-02-15