Safaris

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-11-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Foran, W. Robert (William Robert), 1882-

Theodore Roosevelt informs W. Robert Foran he has received the cables. Roosevelt provides a statement in support of Robert E. Peary’s expedition success to be published if the reports of his success in the North Pole is true. Roosevelt is confused by the cable about Frederick Albert Cook because he is unaware of who the man is or what he has accomplished. He informs Foran he and Kermit Roosevelt have had success hunting elephants and rhinoceros together, but they will soon separate to travel and hunt separately.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-09-12

Theodore Roosevelt informs W. Robert Foran he has received the cables. Roosevelt provides a statement in support of Robert E. Peary’s expedition success to be published if the reports of his success in the North Pole is true. Roosevelt is confused by the cable about Frederick Albert Cook because he is unaware of who the man is or what he has accomplished. He informs Foran he and Kermit Roosevelt have had success hunting elephants and rhinoceros together, but they will soon separate to travel and hunt separately.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1909-09-12

President Roosevelt thanks Doctor Crago for sending him a book and asks him to give the author an enclosed letter. Roosevelt writes that his trip to Africa will be “merely that of an elderly retired official.”

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-10-09

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

President Roosevelt inquires if Annie Montague Alexander will allow Edmund Heller to accompany him on his African safari. Roosevelt intends to make the trip a scientific one and collect samples for the United States National Museum.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-08

President Roosevelt is glad Kermit Roosevelt will be trying out for the football team and taking six half courses, even if it will be difficult. Roosevelt discusses some of the supplies that he has recently received in preparation for their safari, and asks Kermit how many pairs of shoes he will want.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-06

President Roosevelt is pleased that Manuel A. Da Silva will be able to attend the safari to assist Kermit Roosevelt with big game. William Northrup McMillan has already arranged the porters, so Da Silva should not have to do anything about them. Roosevelt plans to arrive in Mombasa in April.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-05

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-25

President Roosevelt was pleased with W. S. Rainsford’s letter and welcomes any information he can provide about Africa. Roosevelt lists the animals he is most excited to hunt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-25

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-14

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-12

President Roosevelt thanks Caspar Whitney for the salve and the advice. Unfortunately he will not be able to participate in the Roosevelt night at the Canadian Camp Club. He does not want to celebrate the African safari before going, in case it brings bad luck or seems foolish after the fact.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-11

President Roosevelt writes to A. H. Fox to say that he has decided to bring a shotgun on his African safari, to load with ball and use in emergencies. If Fox’s offer still stands, he would like to know the cost of such a gun.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-10

President Roosevelt thanks James Sullivan Clarkson for the book.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-07

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!”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-05

President Roosevelt tells William Wingate Sewall that if he were going to bring anyone, he would be pleased to have Sewall’s son accompany him to Africa. As it stands, however, he is only taking Kermit and two professional naturalists and field taxidermists. There would be nothing for the son to do as the natives provide the physical labor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-03