Description:

Theodore Roosevelt Recalls Rough Rider Service with Old Colleague

"You are one of those men whose friendship I value, and I prize the memory of our service together at Santiago."

Just days before leaving office, President Theodore Roosevelt wrote this letter to an old friend from his military service in the Spanish-American War, Major General John F. Weston, who would retire from the U.S. Army later that year. Roosevelt recalled serving together with Weston in Santiago, Cuba, where Weston served as commissary general and Roosevelt led his famed Rough Riders.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT, Typed Letter Signed, to John F. Weston, February 25, 1909, Washington, D.C. On White House stationery. 1 p., 7" x 8.75". Expected folds; with signature and emendation by Roosevelt.

Complete Transcript
The White House / Washington
February 25, 1909.
My dear General:
I have your letter of the 20th and it was good to hear from you. You are one of those men whose friendship I value, and I prize the memory of our service together at Santiago.
With all good wishes, believe me,
Faithfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt
Major General J. F. Weston, U.S.A.,
Department of California,
San Francisco, California.

Historical Background
In April 1898, Roosevelt resigned from his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. With Colonel Leonard Wood, Lt. Colonel Roosevelt formed the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiment (dubbed the Rough Riders), composed of a diverse variety of men from across the nation and from many backgrounds and professions. Soon after landing in Cuba, Wood was put in command of the brigade and Roosevelt was promoted to command of the regiment.

On July 1, at the battle of San Juan Hill, the Rough Riders fought alongside the African American soldiers of the 24th Infantry and the 9th and 10th Cavalry. Effective use of Gatling machine guns reduced the strength of the defenders who had a superior position, the Americans took Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. The Americans suffered approximately 2,000 casualties, including 200 killed. Despite the casualties, it was a decisive victory. American forces gained a strategic position from which to attack the main Spanish garrison in the city of Santiago de Cuba, which surrendered two weeks later.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) was born in New York City, graduated from Harvard University in 1880, and attended Columbia Law School. In 1880, he married Alice Hathaway Lee (1861-1884), with whom he had one daughter. Two days after their daughter's birth, Alice Roosevelt died, plunging Roosevelt into grief. He served in the New York State Assembly from 1882 to 1884, as president of the New York City Police Commissioners in 1895 and 1896, then as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1897 to 1898. After service in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, he won election as Governor of New York and served from 1899 to 1900. He ran as Vice President to William McKinley in 1900 and became President in September 1901, when McKinley was assassinated. Reelected in 1904, Roosevelt was President until 1909. A prolific author and naturalist, Roosevelt was instrumental in the Progressive movement of the early twentieth century, helped preserve the nation's natural resources, and extended American power throughout the world with a focus on a modern navy. In 1912, he again sought the Republican nomination for President, but when the convention chose incumbent William Howard Taft, Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party and outpolled Taft in the general election. The Republican division allowed Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency.

John F. Weston (1845-1917) was born in Kentucky and joined the Union Army's 4th Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry at age 16 in November 1861, although much of his family sided with the Confederacy. Promoted to captain in 1863 and to major in 1864, Weston led a small force to capture Confederate supply boats in Alabama in April 1865. More than three decades later, Weston received the Medal of Honor for these actions. He left the army in August 1865, and began the study of law, but rejoined the regular army in 1867 as a second lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Cavalry. He again gained promotions, rising to the rank of colonel and assistant commissary general on the eve of the Spanish American War in 1898. When the war began, he was commissioned as a brigadier general of volunteers in September 1898, and he served as commissary general at Santiago, Cuba. He returned to the regular army in 1899 and was promoted to brigadier general in 1900. Five years later, he was promoted to the rank of major general and sent to the Philippines, where he was the highest-ranking U.S. Army officer. From January to June 1909, Weston commanded the Department of California before retiring from the U.S. Army in November 1909.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000