Sampson, William Thomas, 1840-1902

President Roosevelt will appoint Admiral Sampson’s son, Ralph E. Sampson, and the alternate. He has the highest regard for S. Weir Mitchell, but Roosevelt does not think it fair that the sons of naval men should be passed over for Mitchell’s grandnephew. He desires that one or two Southerners be appointed to the military academies, and, in these exceptional cases, they may have to be the sons of men not in the United States Army or Navy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-10-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

The Roosevelt administration is attempting to end the “nonsensical controversy” surrounding the Battle of Santiago. Admiral Sampson’s request for a hearing was rejected and General Miles was rebuked for publicly criticizing the naval court.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902

Creator(s)

Unknown

Two women lean out windows. On the left is an Irish domestic representing the “Dem. Party” and on the right is a well-dressed matron representing the “Rep. Party.” Between them hangs a balance scale labeled “Party Politics” with Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley on the left, trying to upset the balance by pulling on the chains, causing the scale to swing wildly, and with Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson on the right, struggling to hang on.

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-08-21

An oversized Abraham Lincoln, holding an ax, addresses a diminutive Rear Admiral William T. Sampson regarding the case of Gunner Charles Morgan’s efforts toward advancement in rank in the U.S. Navy. Caption: “Don’t you think, Sonny, that your ‘five o’clock tea’ rule might shut out some good men?”

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1901-03-27

President Roosevelt kicks a “Sampson Schley controversy” toward the United States Capitol building. An alarmed “Miles fuss” cat looks on.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-10

Creator(s)

Bartholomew, Charles Lewis, 1869-1949

George B. Cortelyou writes to Admiral Taylor and Commander Wainwright to inform them that President Roosevelt would like to know Admiral Sampson’s signal flag custom when leaving the blockading fleet and whether the New York was within signal distance when the Battle of Santiago de Cuba began.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-10

Creator(s)

Cortelyou, George B. (George Bruce), 1862-1940

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt discusses battleship design elements and naval gunnery options with Richard Henry Dana and makes comparisons to British ships.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-05-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt is looking into a dispute over the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War. Credit for the victory is disputed and President Roosevelt believes that William Thomas Sampson was technically in command. Roosevelt thanks General Tracy for his assistance with the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

The Spanish navy was defeated at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War, but credit for the victory was disputed between Admiral Sampson, who was technically in command but absent during the battle, and Admiral Schley, who led the fleet during the battle and was de facto in command since Sampson had left the fleet to attend a meeting. President Roosevelt believes that Sampson remained technically in command but that credit for the victory does not entirely rest on the technical commander.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-07

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt will nominate Charles E. Clark for an unnamed position and thanks Clark for his help with the Sampson-Schley matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-01-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt is frustrated with the controversy involving General Miles and Admiral Schley. He believes that individuals involved on both sides have behaved poorly, but especially the people who support Schley. They simply will not listen to reason. Roosevelt feels that instead of court-martialing several men an “effort was made to make things pleasant for everybody.” No good has come of the situation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt shares with Representative Wilson that he heard from a cadet who attended the drill last spring that President William McKinley reviewed, who reports that the engineer cadets were in line. However, there appears to be a misunderstanding, as engineer cadets do not participate in such drills. He found the explanation for what happened regarding the story of William Thomas Sampson and the two men.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-09-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

This exhaustively illustrated account of the Spanish-American war seeks to present the official history of the war according to the United States War Records Office. It encompasses the events leading up to the war, the war itself, as well as its resolution and aftermath. While it mentions the various engagements taking place during the war, most of the focus is on Cuba and the action of the United States Navy and Army in fighting Spanish forces there in support of Cuban rebels. It additionally includes general information on the theaters of war, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Collection

Smithsonian

Creation Date

1900

Creator(s)

Wright, Marcus J. (Marcus Joseph), 1831-1922

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt informs H. C. Taylor that he will write to Cyrus Edwin Lothrop. He thinks the USS Yantic can be promised to the Naval Militia of the Lakes if the treaty does not prohibit it. Roosevelt will take the matter to the United States Department of State. He is glad that Taylor shares his views of the naval militia, which should be built up. Roosevelt talked to Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long about having Taylor and William Thomas Sampson test the USS Indiana and Iowa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-05-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

James B. Martin examines the tumultuous relationship between Lieutenant General Nelson A. Miles and President Theodore Roosevelt during the first two years of Roosevelt’s administration. Martin details Miles’s impressive record as a field officer, earning the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and he shows how he was not as well prepared to fight bureaucratic battles in Washington, D.C., as the Commanding General of the Army. Martin looks at the issues that caused a breach between Miles and Roosevelt, including Miles’s criticism of American actions in the Philippines. Martin covers the role played by Secretaries of War Russell A. Alger and Elihu Root, and he lays most of the blame for the Miles-Roosevelt dispute at the feet of Miles, but he does note that Roosevelt’s large ego and decision not to forcibly retire Miles contributed to the feud.

Photographs of Miles and Root appear in the article. An article box on page eleven notes that this issue of the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal is dedicated to Oliver R. Grace.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1987

Collection of newspaper clippings of articles, photographs, and maps showing some of the actors, naval vessels, and events making up parts of the Spanish-American war. Includes some handwritten notes and hand-colored photographs.

Collection

Dickinson State University

Creation Date

1898

Creator(s)

Jacobi, Joseph B. (Joseph Benedict), 1881-1958

The author discusses the implications of the rumors that, based on the engineers’ examinations of the debris, the USS Maine was blown up from the inside, not by “Spanish bravos,” as initially believed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-01-14

Creator(s)

Unknown

An English translation of a flattering article about President Roosevelt published by the Danish magazine Varden. Berthold De Linde describes his first encounter with President Roosevelt as an infantryman in the Spanish-American War. He then details Roosevelt’s life and accomplishments, from his time at Harvard to his ascendance to the presidency. De Linde particularly emphasizes Roosevelt’s strong moral character and tireless battle against corruption.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-15

Creator(s)

Unknown

In this Danish magazine sent to President Roosevelt by Ambassador Maurice Francis Egan, a profile of Roosevelt by Berthold de Linde appears on pages 14-22. The article details President Roosevelt’s life and accomplishments from his time at Harvard through becoming President. It particularly focuses on his strong moral character and good qualities.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-15

Creator(s)

De Linde, Berthold, 1876-1945

Summary of thirteen letters addressing the question of the distribution of water line belt armor on battleships in the United States Navy. Summarized letters include discussions between admirals, government reports, letters from the Bureau of Construction, and information from international sources.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-03

Creator(s)

United States. Department of the Navy