Hunting rifles

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt is grateful for Edward North Buxton’s letters, especially in regard to the reserves. He discusses his plans for shipping money and supplies to Africa for his trip. Roosevelt notes that he intends to hire an Englishman to manage the caravan because he will be too busy hunting and working with field taxidermists to manage it himself. Roosevelt also discusses several places he would like to visit and hunt in, including German territory.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt asks Edward North Buxton for clarification about hunting guns and safari guides. Roosevelt would likely avoid hunting in the reserves, as the idea bothers him, and he would also like to avoid all press coverage and fanfare while out on Alfred E. Pease’s ranch. He enjoys hearing of Edward North Buxton and Emily Digby Buxton’s life together, and writes that he and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt have spent time over the summer taking rides and going out on the water, while Ted Roosevelt gets ready to go into business. In a postscript, Roosevelt writes that he would like to avoid the reserves completely, but wonders if it would be possible to hunt one or two potentially restricted specimens outside the reserve, for the National Museum.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt inquires if Edward North Buxton can go to Lawn and Alder and add additional supplies to his list as Buxton sees fit. Roosevelt describes his preferences for hunting rifles. He looks forward to visiting Buxton after his trip to Africa. There are several men he wants to meet when he travels to England to present the Romanes Lecture at the University of Oxford.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Reginald Ronalds

President Roosevelt thanks Reginald Ronalds for the Ross rifle. He is not sure that he will ever hunt again, but he will try it on his target range in Oyster Bay.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit after their return from their African hunting trip to say he is sending Kermit’s rifle to him in Paris and it has been very difficult getting everything from the shipping company they used to send materials home from Africa. Roosevelt is not looking forward to his trip through the country and speaking engagements but he wants to work until he is sixty if that is possible. He says Ethel Roosevelt is planning a Western trip and Archie Roosevelt has been helping him around Sagamore Hill.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1910-07-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt tells his son Kermit about his last speech as President in Kentucky at a Lincoln celebration. Uncle Douglas Robinson is thinking of buying the horse Roswell. The plans for the Africa hunting trip are nearly complete.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1909-02-13

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to say they are waiting for Kermit to send soiled laundry before they send the rubber-soled shoes. Roosevelt says he is very busy and glad he has gotten everything ready in advance. He also talks about directions for the double-barreled 450 rifle.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1909-02-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit about trying the double-barreled Holland elephant rifle for the first time and getting everything in order for their African hunting trip.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1909-01-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit to tell him about the dance they had for Ethel Roosevelt at the White House and his trouble with Congress over the Secret Service. He goes into detail about the guns they will be using on their African hunting trip, including one lent to them by John Jay White. He adds that Quentin Roosevelt was punished for leaving school without permission and he and Mother are worried about him. Roosevelt enclosed a list of the English donors of his rifle.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1909-01-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

List of zoologists and sportsman who are donors of a double elephant rifle to Theodore Roosevelt

A list of the zoologists and sportsmen who donated a double elephant rifle to President Roosevelt in recognition of his services on behalf of national parks and forest reserves. There are about 56 names on the list.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1909

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit in reference to a letter Kermit sent to him that Kermit had received from a friend. Roosevelt tells him the friend probably heard some baseless slander about Kermit and was trying to be kindly so Kermit should not be annoyed. He says he has tried out the new Winchester rifles at Dr. Rixey’s and wants Kermit to try them when he comes home for Christmas. Roosevelt adds that he has been riding and jumping the horses and playing tennis. He encloses a letter from Frank M. Chapman, the American Museum of Natural History’s ornithology director.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-12-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit on a number of topics including taking pictures on their African trip, types of guns to use on their African trip and his prediction for William H. Taft’s results in the presidential election. He also mentions turning fifty and taking the horses out jumping to celebrate.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-10-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Kermit Roosevelt

President Roosevelt reminds his son Kermit that under no circumstances is he to extend his trip because he must be back at Harvard by the 30th. He says he and Mother took their last row at Sagamore Hill and then invited Oyster Bay to the house to hear a delegation of German singers. Roosevelt closes by saying the Winchester rifles have arrived but they were all sighted wrong.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-09-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt to William Blau

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary thanks William Blau for keeping the rifle and case belonging to Theodore Roosevelt out of the sale of the assets of Henry C. Squires Sons. His secretary explains that Roosevelt had loaned the rifle and case to Squires to exhibit in the store window and Squires had not returned them. His secretary also requests that the rifle and case be returned to Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-05-08

Creator(s)

Secretary of Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry C. Squires

Theodore Roosevelt writes Henry C. Squires about the double-barreled Holland .450 and Springfield rifles sent to Squires for cleaning eight months ago. Roosevelt has been inconvenienced and asks that Squires send the rifles “back at once.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-07-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leslie J. Tarlton

Theodore Roosevelt tells Leslie J. Tarlton that D. T. Abercrombie will attend to the cartridges and send him some from Tritton. Tarlton is to let Roosevelt know if they are satisfactory, as he experienced some issues with the Holland and Springfield cartridges on his African trip. Roosevelt has just written to Kermit who is at Harvard and will be interested to know what Karitura’s language was. He believes Kermit is homesick but growing up at Harvard. They speak often of the Africa trip, and Roosevelt would like to face another big-maned lion. He is irritated with William Bailey Howland for not going to England as it was fair to no one. Roosevelt sympathizes with Tarlton for having so many shooting parties to attend at once.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-06-28

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Lawrence F. Kennedy

Theodore Roosevelt tells Lawrence F. Kennedy that he may of course put the picture on the gun and compliments Kennedy’s work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John J. White

Theodore Roosevelt arranges for payment to John J. White for expenses from the Africa hunting trip. He informs White he will be sending a check for the gun to John Rigby & Company. Roosevelt thanks White for a gun given to one of Roosevelt’s sons and discusses the spearing of a Nandi lion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt discusses various matters regarding provisions, hunting rifles, and ammunition for his upcoming African safari. He would like them to be sent to Mombasa and Alfred E. Pease’s ranch for him to pick up when he arrives. Roosevelt informs Edward North Buxton that he has decided to take Frederick Courteney Selous’s advice and hire a white man to manage his caravan; this will allow Roosevelt to focus on hunting and not on the logistics of the caravan. While Roosevelt and his son Kermit are staying with Pease, the manager and taxidermists and naturalists that are coming along can stay nearby. Roosevelt discusses the areas he would like to hunt and the animals that he hopes to shoot.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt asks Edward North Buxton to procure the list of his provisions from Lawn and Alder, and to add whatever Buxton thinks is necessary. He trusts Buxton’s judgment. He also discusses his rifle preferences, but yields to Buxton’s recommendation for what rifle will be best for hunting in Africa. He is pleased that he was asked to deliver the Romanes Lecture at Oxford, which gives him a good excuse to go to England and see old friends there.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919