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Theodore Roosevelt writes to A. A. Speer to inform him about a phrase written by the State of Kentucky on the memorial to the soldiers that fought in the battle of Chattanooga. Roosevelt mentions being impressed by Lincoln’s “gift of expression.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1916-02-04
President Roosevelt is unaware of what was in the newspaper regarding his visit to Chattanooga, Tennessee, but defends his schedule for that Sunday. Roosevelt claims to have attended two church services and visited the battlefields of Chattanooga and Chickamauga.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-13
At an event in Chickamauga, Georgia, President Roosevelt thanks the young men of Georgia, which he refers to as his mother’s state, for the gift of a commemorative cane engraved with the names of three Confederate generals and three Union generals. Roosevelt highlights how he served at the Battle of Santiago in Cuba under one of them, General Joseph Wheeler, and with Colonel Duncan Norbert Hood, son of another general on the cane, John Bell Hood.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-07
President Roosevelt expresses his pleasure at getting to see the regular troops, some of whom served under him and others he served with in Cuba. He gives special praise to the Tennessee state cavalry that escorted him in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He particularly is pleased to hear of their recent ten-day march, feeling that the best training is in field conditions not in the barracks or on the parade ground.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-07
At the opening session of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen convention, President Roosevelt praises railroad workers as possessing the necessary qualities of soldiers, including obedience, initiative, and the rugged, manly virtues that Roosevelt feels are threatened by modern luxuries. He argues that organized labor is wonderful, but only if it encourages individual improvement while working for the group, and he feels that the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen have historically exemplified this virtue. Roosevelt warns that the prosperity of modern progress also gives rise to new challenges. He insists that, just as certain soldierly qualities remain constant despite changes in arms or military tactics, laws and constitutions may change but the need for good citizens of honesty, courage, and common sense will always be necessary. Having just visited the Chickamauga and Chattanooga battlefields, Roosevelt also praises the unified American spirit shared by men and women across the country, including immigrants.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-08
President Roosevelt has been enjoying his trip through eastern Tennessee. He came to the state for the meeting of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman, and he has also visited several Civil War battlefields.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-04
President Roosevelt briefly addresses the crowd that gathered at Knoxville, Tennessee, despite the heavy rain. He praises Tennessee as the home of many American leaders, including officers in the Revolutionary War and American Civil War. He celebrates the increase of industry, railroads, and mining in East Tennessee but extols more the virtues of citizenship and value of worthy labor, referencing Civil War veterans and early settlers as examples.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-08
President Roosevelt gratefully but briefly addresses the crowd gathered at Johnson City, Tennessee. He reflects on his experiences of the past two days visiting the grounds of the Battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Missionary Ridge—experiences which he says should make anyone a better American. He also references visiting the Knoxville home of Eliza Ann O’Brien Brownlow, widow of Governor William Brownlow of Tennessee.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-08
President Roosevelt reminds the crowd in Asheville, North Carolina, of the state’s connection to American history. He mentions his recent visits to the battlegrounds at Chickamauga and Chattanooga and says no citizen can visit them without becoming a better American. He discusses his multi-state journey, saying it is a good thing for a president to travel so he can see that sectional and class differences are trivial. He notes how military arms and tactics may change but the necessary spirit of the good soldier remains the same; so too may laws and constitutions change, but Americans must always possess the qualities of good citizens: honesty, courage, and common sense. He concludes by reminding the crowd that all Americans are part of the government.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-09
Secretary of War Root writes to President Roosevelt in reference to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Commission and the number of commissioners needed to care for battlefield parks.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1903-08-18
Legislation establishing a three-member commission to administer Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Park
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1890-08-19