Hagerman, Herbert J. (Herbert James), 1871-1935

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philip Battell Stewart

President Roosevelt disputes Philip Battell Stewart’s view of the New Mexico Governor Herbert J. Hagerman controversy. Roosevelt informs Stewart that Hagerman answered the charges and did not dispute Alford Warriner Cooley’s report. Roosevelt notes that he is having United States District Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn investigated. He discusses the background and support for Captain George Curry to replace Hagerman as governor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Curry

President Roosevelt tells George Curry that when he takes office as governor of New Mexico Territory, he will find the situation “much confused.” Although former Governor Hagerman did some good things for the territory, some of the things he did were “reprehensible,” thanks to bad advisers. Roosevelt requests that Curry conduct himself with a sense of duty, just as he did during his service as a captain in the Rough Riders.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philip Battell Stewart

President Roosevelt received Philip Battell Stewart’s letter concerning Governor of New Mexico Territory Herbert J. Hagerman and requests “the unimpeachable evidence” that he mentioned. He sends Stewart a copy of Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley’s report. Roosevelt regards Hagerman’s replacement, George Curry, as a “bigger man.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-23

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Curry

President Roosevelt has announced Captain Curry’s nomination as governor of New Mexico Territory. In light of the actions of previous territorial governor Herbert J. Hagerman, Roosevelt asks that Curry’s administration be clean and honest.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philip Battell Stewart

President Roosevelt does not believe Herbert J. Hagerman, Governor of the Territory of New Mexico, to be corrupt, but he cannot allow him to remain in office after being involved with ratifying a “grossly improper acquisition of public land.” Roosevelt will nominate Captain George Curry to replace Hagerman. A New Mexico adherent of Hagerman’s wrote Roosevelt that Hagerman made many mistakes because he is ignorant of life in New Mexico and sought to act in office as only he saw fit. Roosevelt agrees with this assessment.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-04-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to James Rudolph Garfield

After receiving a letter from William H. H. Llewellyn, President Roosevelt believes that Arizona Territorial Governor Joseph H. Kibbey and New Mexico Territorial Governor Herbert J. Hagerman may need to replaced. He wishes David M. Goodrich lived in New Mexico so he could be appointed, and asks Commissioner of Corporations Garfield to look into the record of John M. Wilson as a potential candidate, while investigating the current governors’ malpractices.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Joseph H. Kibbey

President Roosevelt directs Arizona Territory Governor Kibbey to have representatives from both the statehood and anti-statehood parties in attendance to witness the vote count. He has asked New Mexico Territory Governor Herbert J. Hagerman to do the same.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William H. Pope

President Roosevelt tells Judge William H. Pope about a vacancy he would like to fill in the federal bench in Puerto Rico, and asks for his opinion of Bernard Shandon Rodey. Rodey served as a delegate to Congress from the New Mexico territory, but got on the wrong side of the political machine there. Roosevelt nevertheless believes him to be an upright man and is considering appointing him on a probationary basis, but would like to hear Pope’s opinion first.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Philip Battell Stewart

President Roosevelt is glad of what Philip Battell Stewart wrote him about Herbert J. Hagerman. Roosevelt believes that Hagerman is a “straight man” and they urgently needed someone like him in New Mexico.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Jacob Gould Schurman

President Roosevelt tells Jacob Gould Schurman, president of Cornell University, that he is inclined to keep Miguel Antonio Otero as Territorial Governor of New Mexico, but has heard good things about Herbert J. Hagerman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Penitentiary report creates a row

A report on the financial affairs of the New Mexico territory penitentiary under Holm Olaf Bursum’s administration was promised. Instead of a carefully prepared statement to the reform paper, it was poorly promulgated through one newspaper and caused divide in the press and confusion among the people. To resolve the matter and provide “actual information and reliable conclusions,” the Advertiser reviewed the case and published their findings.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-08

Creator(s)

Unknown

Note from William Loeb to Theodore Roosevelt

William Loeb suggests to President Roosevelt that he should clarify that his decision to replace the resigning Governor of New Mexico Territory Herbert J. Hagerman with George Curry was his alone and not the result of outside political forces.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907

Creator(s)

Loeb, William, 1866-1937

Letter from Alford Warriner Cooley to Theodore Roosevelt

Alford Warriner Cooley has been resting since having a “little upset,” which kept him from expressing his concern for Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt after her accident. He hopes she is well now. The campaign in New Mexico has been “a contest of vituperation.” 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-04

Creator(s)

Cooley, Alford Warriner, 1873-1913

Letter from William H. H. Llewellyn to William Loeb

Attorney General of New Mexico Llewellyn informs William Loeb that he is leaving for Rosewell, New Mexico, to act as the Special Prosecutor in the Talmadge land fraud case. He is anxious about the appointment on the Water Boundary Commission and requests that William Loeb write him as soon as he learns “anything whatever” about the Commission.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-06

Creator(s)

Llewellyn, William H. H. (William Henry Harrison), 1851-1927

Letter from George Curry to William Loeb

New Mexico Governor Curry warns William Loeb of corporate and political efforts to portray President Roosevelt’s administration and the Rough Riders negatively in the press. He recommends sending a pro-Roosevelt delegation to avoid reactionary support of Governor Charles Evans Hughes. Curry is awaiting instructions from President Roosevelt for scheduling the convention, and intends on continuing with his plan of not including federal office holders as representatives of the delegation. He adds that while David J. Leahy’s appointment as the new United States Attorney of New Mexico went smoothly, Curry is figuring out what should be done with Morgan Llewellyn, the Surveyor General of New Mexico. Curry will recommend his resignation if it is too embarrassing for President Roosevelt. He notes that Delegate William H. Andrews has introduced a statehood bill for New Mexico, and he will probably go with the committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-04

Creator(s)

Curry, George, 1861-1947

Telegram from George Curry to Theodore Roosevelt

New Mexico Territory Governor George Curry notifies President Roosevelt that he objects to Ormsby McHarg’s interference in matters over which he has no authority, as the Department of Justice has no right to give orders to subordinate Territorial officials as McHarg has done in the Pennsylvania Development Company case.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-31

Creator(s)

Curry, George, 1861-1947

Letter from Alfred Lewis Henry to Theodore Roosevelt

Alfred Henry Lewis forwards a letter to President Roosevelt which he thinks Roosevelt should see. Lewis was invited to Santa Fe, New Mexico, by some lawyers whose clients remain anonymous, to report on the resignation of former Governor Herbert J. Hagerman. Lewis informed the lawyer, Francis Woodbridge, that he would not criticize Roosevelt or his acts in the press. Lewis concludes that the anonymous, wealthy men trying to hire him are the type of people who would be asking for political favors from Roosevelt; therefore, Lewis thought it worthwhile to inform Roosevelt of the situation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-27

Creator(s)

Lewis, Alfred Henry, 1857-1914

Letter from William H. H. Llewellyn to Theodore Roosevelt

United States Attorney William H. H. Llewellyn reports to President Roosevelt that Special Assistant Attorney General Ormsby McHarg has begun his investigation in New Mexico by listening to men of bad character who are opponents of Roosevelt and his administration. Llewellyn does not object to the investigation, but urges that it be carried out in a fair and impartial manner.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-23

Creator(s)

Llewellyn, William H. H. (William Henry Harrison), 1851-1927

Letter from Chase Mellen to Alfred Henry Lewis

Chase Mellen invites Alfred Henry Lewis to go to Santa Fe in the New Mexico Territory and report on the inauguration of George Curry as Governor. Mellen represents friends of the former governor Herbert J. Hagerman who believe Hagerman was treated unfairly when President Roosevelt asked him to resign. These friends—all people of high standing—hope that the inauguration will come with a “disclosure of the facts,” which will clear Hagerman. Mellen says there is great resentment of Roosevelt’s actions in New Mexico and Colorado.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-25

Creator(s)

Mellen, Chase, 1863-1939

Memorandum on the report of Hon. Alford W. Cooley, assistant attorney-general

A legal analysis of Assistant Attorney General Alford Warriner Cooley’s report to President Roosevelt regarding the sale of public lands by New Mexico Governor Herbert J. Hagerman, leading to Roosevelt’s demand for Hagerman’s resignation. The author argues that Cooley’s report should not have been given as much weight in Roosevelt’s decision as it was for three reasons: the report was preliminary; the report was based on unspecified documents; Hagerman was unable to respond to said unspecified documents. The author says Cooley’s report reaches three conclusions regarding Hagerman’s actions: that the sale of more than one quarter of territorial lands to a single entity is illegal; that Hagerman presided over just such a sale; and that this action illegally usurped the power of the Territorial Commissioner of Lands. The author performs a detailed legal analysis of each point.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-06-18

Creator(s)

Unknown