Uganda

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1910-02-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

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

Language

English

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

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

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

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks British Governor General of the Sudan Wingate for providing a boat in Gondokoro and offering assistance with guides and camp set up. He details his feelings regarding hunting in the reserves, and inquires about finding elephant, white rhinoceros, and giant eland. Roosevelt knows General George Wood Wingate and respects him as a soldier, and he is grateful that Lady Catherine Leslie Rundle Wingate will host Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt and Ethel Roosevelt. S. J. Leigh Hunt has said that Reginald has accomplished a great deal in Sudan, which Roosevelt knows is a difficult feat.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks Ambassador Reid for the interesting letter, especially for the insight on Newfoundland. He is interested in what Secretary of State of India John Morley says about India, and discusses the intricacies surrounding “the control of thickly peopled tropical regions by self-governing northern democracies.” Roosevelt hopes to speak with Morley after presenting the Romanes lecture at Oxford. He asks Reid to inquire of the British statesman, Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, about conditional hunting on the reserves. The Vermont elections went well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Although initially reluctant, President Roosevelt tells Edward North Buxton that he will hire a white hunter as advised by Frederick Courteney Selous. He agrees with Buxton about taking shorter trips, but he does want to go where J. H. Patterson went and see “scores” of diverse game. Roosevelt inquires if three months is enough time for the trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks Edward North Buxton if his letter to Alfred E. Pease was clear on specific points relating to his Africa trip. He has been advised to hire an Englishman but would rather have a native guide. Roosevelt continues to gather supplies and equipment, agreeing that footwear is too important to consider the expense. He shares his travel plans and ideas with Buxton.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt encloses the revised lists of supplies for Frederick Courteney Selous. He discusses his reasoning behind the revisions and provides Selous with his travel itinerary. Gerrit Forbes recently visited Roosevelt and recounted his recent hunt in Africa. Roosevelt is reluctant to hire a white man for the trip but will do so if Selous suggests it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Edward North Buxton gives President Roosevelt advice about his upcoming safari, including where he should go and what he should bring. Buxton encourages Roosevelt to pay close attention to the time tables of T. Broadwood Johnson, a missionary in Uganda, as well as follow the advice of Johnson and Alfred E. Pease, who are familiar with the area.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07

Creator(s)

Buxton, Edward North, 1840-1924

Theodore Roosevelt hopes the enclosed suits W. Robert Foran. He is disappointed that William F. S. Edwards was not appointed Lieutenant Governor of Uganda. Roosevelt feels that Edward L. Sanderson and his wife, Helen M. Sanderson, will do better with a school in England than Nairobi. Kermit Roosevelt had two successful hunts. 

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Edmund Heller spoke with Charles D. Walcott, Secretary of the Smithsonian, and decided at the last minute to join Paul James Rainey’s expedition to Africa on behalf of the National Museum. He did not realize that Theodore Roosevelt had intended to write to Walcott requesting that Heller not go so that he could focus on writing reports on the specimens collected from his own African expedition. Heller explains that no other qualified man is available to go, and lists the ways that this expedition will assist him in finishing his work with Roosevelt’s collection. The paper on the white rhinoceros will be published before Heller goes, and he assures Roosevelt of his dedication to the work.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-02-09

Creator(s)

Heller, Edmund, 1875-1939

Theodore Roosevelt will speak on Uganda and the White Nile as Theodore Lyman suggests. He asks if he can speak on December 12 instead of 13 and will gladly dine with Lyman before the meeting.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-11-04

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt is very glad that the Ugandan royalty and officials were able to attend the coronation of King George V of England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt shares A. M. Corwin’s concerns about Carl Ethan Akeley, particularly as he has heard reports that Akeley was injured by an elephant and has been suffering from a fever. When he saw Akeley in Africa, Roosevelt tried to convince him to be satisfied with taking an elephant with tusks weighing sixty pounds each and to return home and have his specimen mounted. Akeley, however, would not consent to do so, wishing to travel on to Uganda to pursue gorilla.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-04-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt apologizes for “bothering” Leslie J. Tarlton, but he is concerned by his most recent letter. He assumes Tarlton is better now and is glad to hear about V. M. Newland. Roosevelt grew attached to Tarlton, Newland, and their wives while in Africa and wants them to be healthy and happy. The news about Carl Ethan Akeley is also concerning, and Roosevelt wishes he would leave Uganda for his health. Working and hunting in Africa is dangerous, as evidenced by the death of George Grey and many other friends.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-03-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

After thinking it over, President Roosevelt tells Edward North Buxton that he has decided to take Frederick Courteney Selous’s suggestion and hire a white man to manage the caravan on his safari. Roosevelt is going on holiday and wants to devote his time and attention to hunting and natural history, rather than managing the party. Selous has recommended William C. Judd. He agrees with Buxton’s idea about taking several shorter hunting trips, and discusses where he would like to go.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-24

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt discusses the various supplies, including food and drink, that he should bring on his safari. He tells Frederick Courteney Selous that he does not want the trip to be too luxurious, and does not want to bring very much alcohol. He also discusses the type of guns he should use and when he intends to leave for Africa. Selous’s friend Charles Sheldon recently visited Roosevelt and told about his hunting experiences in Alaska. Roosevelt has been invited to give the Romanes lecture in Oxford in 1910, and will be going to England after he leaves Africa.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt happily accepts the invitation to visit Willian Northrup McMillan’s house in Nairobi and to hunt on his farm. However, he has already promised to stay at Alfred E. Pease’s ranch when he first arrives, and asks if he can wait to name a time when he can visit McMillan. He discusses the proposed itinerary for his African safari, which includes time in British East Africa and Uganda before traveling up the Nile.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

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

President Roosevelt provides Frederick John Jackson, lieutenant-governor of British East Africa, with details about the plans for his upcoming African safari. He will be hunting with his son Kermit, and bringing along field naturalists and taxidermists to collect samples for the National Museum. He asks Jackson’s advice on several proposed itineraries, including one from J. H. Patterson. Roosevelt also asks advice on the sort of formal wear he should bring for occasions when he may have to visit “civilization.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919