Safaris

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Alfred E. Pease

President Roosevelt heartily accepts Sir Alfred E. Pease’s invitation to stay at his ranch in Africa. Roosevelt gives many details and asks questions about his safari planning, including: his itinerary to Mombasa; game he would like to find; his lack of physical fitness and the necessity to start out slowly; how much money he should advance to various outfitters; pack horses and saddles; taxidermists and naturalists he plans to bring along; hunting rifles and ammunition for the trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to T. Broadwood Johnson

President Roosevelt has received a book and manuscript by T. Broadwood Johnson from Edward North Buxton, and thanks Johnson for his courtesy. Roosevelt is unsure if he will be able to get to Uganda on his upcoming African safari, but asks about the likelihood of shooting a bull elephant or water buffalo.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to F. R. Wingate

President Roosevelt asks F. R. Wingate several questions regarding his upcoming African safari, including where to find the best game, the best way to travel up the Nile, and when the best time would be to start writing to make arrangements for hunters, equipment shipments, and so on. Roosevelt emphasizes that he expects no special favors or treatment and that he is “no game butcher.” He intends to get hunting trophies for the National Museum of Natural History and perhaps a bull elephant of his own if “entirely proper.” Roosevelt is eager to see how the British are governing Egypt and East Africa, having recently read Modern Egypt by Evelyn Baring Cromer, and sympathises with the difficulty of colonial rule.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Ella Sears Bulloch

President Roosevelt tells his aunt, Ella Sears Bulloch, that if Thomas E. Greenshields, a friend of the family, is presented to him he will greet him with all possible warmth. Roosevelt feels the same as Bulloch about not accepting the nomination for a third term as president, and did not intend to break his word under any circumstances. Roosevelt thinks it will be best for him to be out of the country for a year after the end of his term, and thinks that his wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, “is very good” about him going to Africa on safari.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-31

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Percy C. Madeira

President Roosevelt tells Percy C. Madeira that he has sent exactly the information Roosevelt needs for his upcoming African safari. Roosevelt will follow Madeira’s recommendations about books to read, getting maps of the region through American Embassies, short trips to get into shape, and boats for navigating the Nile.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-31

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Fairfield Osborn

President Roosevelt returns four books to Henry Fairfield Osborn, and requests that he send An Introduction to the Study of Mammals Living and Extinct by Richard Lydekker and William Henry Flower. Roosevelt thanks Osborn for all his help.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-31

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leonard Wood

President Roosevelt tells General Wood about the plans for his African safari, and asks if Wood might release Edgar Alexander Mearns to go. Mearns is an army surgeon who promised to accompany Wood wherever he was posted, but Mearns’s skill as a surgeon and a naturalist would be great additions to the expedition. Roosevelt thinks Wood will have a friend in Secretary of War Luke E. Wright.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt praises Senator Lodge’s speech to the Republican National Convention as one that will certainly go down in history, noting humorously that attacks from the Sun should be considered as the highest praise. What Lodge said was “exactly right,” and “exactly as [Roosevelt] should have wished it.” Roosevelt believes that Presidency is a very powerful office and that power should be used without hesitation, but this requires strict accountability to the people and no one should keep the office too long. After leaving office, Roosevelt is planning a trip to East Africa for a year to hunt and gather scientific specimens for the National Museum at Washington. Scribner’s has offered Roosevelt $50,000 for the serial rights to articles Roosevelt writes during the trip, and while Collier’s offered $100,000, Roosevelt prefers to have the trip sponsored by Scribner’s, as “there is such a thing as making too much money out of a given feat,” even if earned honestly. Roosevelt thinks William H. Taft will win the coming election, unless he makes some kind of hopeless mistake.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-19

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Fairfield Osborn

President Roosevelt returns materials that were very helpful, and asks if Henry Fairfield Osborn has either Big Game Shooting and Travels in Southeast Africa by F. R. N. Findlay, or Fauna of South Africa by William Lutley Sclater. Roosevelt enjoyed a recent luncheon with Osborn and his family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-20

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt sends Ambassador Reid details about his plans for his African safari. Roosevelt discusses the timing and route of his trip, as well as his plans for hunting and gathering scientific specimens for the United States National Museum. Roosevelt is “delighted beyond all measure” that Sir F. R. Wingate has opened the reserves under his command to Roosevelt’s expedition. He assures Reid that he will not take too many trophies or slaughter game without cause. Roosevelt asks Reid to pass along this information to Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes in the hopes that he will open the reserves in British East Africa, Uganda, and Sudan, as well as to relieve the minds of other East African provincial officials about the nature of Roosevelt’s trip. Roosevelt would also like to visit Italy, France, and England on the way home from his safari, but does not want to place undue burden on the governments of those nations. He does not wish for official state functions, but to visit old friends with his family.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-20

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edward North Buxton

President Roosevelt describes his plans for his upcoming African safari to Edward North Buxton. Roosevelt does not want to be given any special consideration and only wants access to reserves that anyone else might have access to. Roosevelt assures Buxton he only intends to take specimens for the National Museum and for food, and only taking half a dozen trophies for Kermit Roosevelt and himself. Roosevelt lists the types of animals he wants to shoot.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Byron S. Hurlbut

President Roosevelt informs Harvard Dean Byron S. Hurlbut that he intends to take Kermit Roosevelt on Safari with him next year, and asks for advice about how Kermit can best schedule his courses so that he can graduate with his Harvard class upon his return.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick Courteney Selous

President Roosevelt asks Frederick Courteney Selous about outfitting his upcoming African Safari, including what types of jams and other preserved food to bring; what types of tents and camping equipment is best; and what kind of camp cooking equipment is required. Roosevelt asks if he will need colored glasses or a helmet, and which of these items should be sent from the United States, and which from England. Roosevelt supposes that anything he forgets can be acquired at Nairobi or Mombasa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-21

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Fairfield Osborn

President Roosevelt asks Henry Fairfield Osborn to send The Book of Antelopes by Philip Lutley Sclater and Oldfield Thomas. He appreciates what Osborn said about Edgar Alexander Mearns and the interest Osborn is taking in Roosevelt’s safari planning.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-23

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick John Jackson

President Roosevelt consults Frederick John Jackson, Lieutenant-Governor of British East Africa, about his upcoming safari. Roosevelt plans to spend at least six months in British East Africa, and perhaps German East Africa, to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. Roosevelt does not want to be a bother, but ventures to ask Jackson if he has any recommendations about where he should go to get porters, or which stores he should use for supplies. Roosevelt does not want any undue consideration when he is in Africa, as he will be a private citizen.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-16

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles D. Walcott

President Roosevelt is greatly pleased by Charles D. Walcott’s letter, and is glad to be going on safari on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution. They will arrange details when they meet, but Roosevelt says that the only thing he wants understood is that no one else will write anything until after his articles have been published.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-02

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to J. H. Patterson

President Roosevelt thanks J. H. Patterson for the letter, saying that it told him exactly what he wanted to know. Roosevelt is very excited about his upcoming safari in Africa, and says he will follow Patterson’s advice to make his main trip British East Africa, and describes his plans there. Much of his hunting will be done for the Smithsonian Institution, with whom he is partnering for the trip, although he would like to take two or three trophies for his own use, if it is permitted. Roosevelt would be very glad if Patterson would be able to visit him at the White House before he leaves office, and describes a visit he had with some other people.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederick Courteney Selous

President Roosevelt writes to Frederick Courteney Selous to discuss his plans and hopes for the safari he will take after leaving the presidency. Roosevelt mentions his preferences for outfitting the expedition, his planned route and timetable, and what sorts of animals he would like to hunt. He plans to partner with the National Museum of Natural History, so most of the animals he hunts will be preserved and donated to them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-25

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Shiras

President Roosevelt was delighted to receive a letter from George Shiras and to see Shiras’s pictures in the copies of the magazine that he sent. Roosevelt is pleased that Shiras is making good progress in his book. Kermit Roosevelt plans to do some photography while they are on safari in Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-25

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to A. H. Whitfield

President Roosevelt thanks Judge A. H. Whitfield for the letter, and thinks that Whitfield made an interesting suggestion. Roosevelt also briefly comments on his preparations for his African safari.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-26