Spanish-American War (1898)

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John Davis Long

President Roosevelt has been examining the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War and it bothers him that the two American Admirals were on ships that were not part of the fighting line. Roosevelt would like Secretary Long’s opinion on a policy that places naval commanders on “one of the great fighting ships” during war and possibly during peace time.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

President Roosevelt instructs Secretary of War Root and American authorities in Cuba to assist Vasilii Vereshchagin, a Russian painter, on his trip to Cuba. Vereshchagin wants to paint a picture of the San Juan charge of the Rough Riders. Roosevelt wants Vereshchagin to see the lay of the battlefield so that the painting will have historic value.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Wainwright

President Roosevelt believes the memorandum will stand the test of history, most likely referring to Roosevelt’s investigation into the events and controversy surrounding the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-24

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles E. Clark

President Roosevelt sends Captain Clark a copy of the statement Clark made regarding a naval engagement during the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt would like Clark to alter the statement as he sees fit and return it for the President’s future reference.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robley D. Evans

President Roosevelt sends Rear Admiral Evans a copy of the statement Evans made regarding a naval engagement during the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt would like Evans to alter the statement as he sees fit and return it for the President’s future reference.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to H. C. Taylor

President Roosevelt sends Rear Admiral Taylor a copy of the statement Taylor made regarding a naval engagement during the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt would like Taylor to alter the statement as he sees fit and return it for the President’s future reference.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Wainwright

President Roosevelt sends Commander Wainwright a copy of the statement Wainwright made regarding a naval engagement during the Spanish-American War. Roosevelt would like Wainwright to alter the statement as he sees fit and return it for the President’s future reference.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Robley D. Evans

President Roosevelt would like Rear Admiral Evans to comment upon a letter from Benjamin Tracy, a former Secretary of the Navy, regarding a naval battle during the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-06

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Benjamin F. Tracy

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

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles E. Clark

The changes requested by Captain Clark have been added to the statement and President Roosevelt would like Clark to look over the statement again. The statement pertains to the Battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-08

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to A. B. Hodge

President Roosevelt was pleased with the letter from A. B. Hodge, a veteran of the American Civil War.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-01-28

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Sowden Sims

President Roosevelt believes Lieutenant Sims is too pessimistic about the quality of American naval vessels. However, he prefers that Sims believe the United States Navy to be not good enough rather than too good. Roosevelt thanks Sims for the useful suggestions for improvement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William S. Cowles

President Roosevelt asks Commander Cowles for his opinion on what to do about William Sowden Sims’s letter. Roosevelt calls Sims “a good man, but a preposterous alarmist,” and remarks that Sims once believed Spanish ships to be better than American ships.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-12

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to R. A. Alger

President Roosevelt thanks R. A. Alger for sending his volume on the Spanish-American War.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-11-14

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Elihu Root

Vice President Roosevelt asks Elihu Root to look over the application to the United States Military Academy of Major Robert Powell Page Wainwright’s son, Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright. The father served in the Spanish-American War and the family has a long history in the military. Roosevelt hopes that the young man can be appointed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-09-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John M. Thompson

Vice President Roosevelt would like to accept Captain Thompson’s invitation but is unable to do so because of the large number of requests he receives.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-09-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to H. N. Burhans

Vice President Roosevelt cannot accept any further engagements. He has had to refuse a number of requests to speak to veterans associations and he regrets that he has to turn them all down.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-09-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Bird Grinnell

Theodore Roosevelt writes to George Bird Grinnell that he met relatives of one of the Rough Riders, William Pollock, in Oklahoma. When the relatives found out that Roosevelt knew Grinnell and Major North, “their friendship for me was complete.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1900-08-10

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Bird Grinnell

Theodore Roosevelt is glad that George Bird Grinnell liked his Rough Rider articles.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1899-02-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to George Bird Grinnell

Antonio Apache seems to Theodore Roosevelt to be an “excellent man” and if he had not taken sick he would have gone down to Santiago with Colonel Humphrey.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1899-03-27