Theodore Roosevelt's words on Lincoln

[Joe Di Cola]

I assume that the Roosevelt townhouse no longer exists?

It is still there and a National Historic Site.

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I assume that the Roosevelt townhouse no longer exists?

It is still there and a National Historic Site.

The townhome is attached to other structures so the window TR and Elliott used to see the funeral procession is no longer extant, and the parts to the right of the entrance do not appear the same as the house now stands. So it appears a little different than what is seen in the 1865 photo.

[Laurie Verge]

That's great to know that it has been preserved. Thanks for the info.

[LincolnMan]

And speaking of TR, I believe there was an "Abraham Lincoln" regiment that served in the Spanish-American War.

[LincolnMan]

From the book Theodore Roosevelt by Louis Aughincloss, I found this reference on page 9 to TR and the Lincoln funeral procession:

"The Roosevelts were an old Dutch family who immigrated to Manhattan in the seventeenth century and prospered there. In a photograph of Lincoln's New York funeral procession there can be seen the manson of Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt, one of the city's ten millionaires with a fortune based in real estate and merchandising plate glass. Watching from one of the windows are two little boys, believed to be Cornelius's grandsons, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Elliot. Their father, Theodore Sr., lived more modestly in a brownstone on East Twentieth Street, where Theodore Jr., the future president , was born in 1858."

[Joe Di Cola]

From the book Theodore Roosevelt by Louis Aughincloss, I found this reference on page 9 to TR and the Lincoln funeral procession:

"The Roosevelts were an old Dutch family who immigrated to Manhattan in the seventeenth century and prospered there. In a photograph of Lincoln's New York funeral procession there can be seen the manson of Cornelius Van Schaack Roosevelt, one of the city's ten millionaires with a fortune based in real estate and merchandising plate glass. Watching from one of the windows are two little boys, believed to be Cornelius's grandsons, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Elliot. Their father, Theodore Sr., lived more modestly in a brownstone on East Twentieth Street, where Theodore Jr., the future president , was born in 1858."

Thanks, Bill!

This is a great bit of information since I always thought it was TR's birthplace where he and Elliott had watched the funeral procession!

Great sleuthing.

Joe

[LincolnMan]

My pleasure Joe!

[LincolnMan]

I found this in Lincoln's Way by Richard Striner:

Through it all, a little child in Manhattan learned powerful lessons, as his civic-minded father expounded what Lincoln was achieving. Young Theodore Roosevellt revered Mr. Lincoln and his soldiers. Perhaps some notions in regard to his future were beginning to race through his mind already. He would champion the powerless, master all comers, and control human arrogance firmly. Perhaps a role more definite than this was beginning to work through his mind: presidential hero. He kept pondering the precedent Lincoln had set-as he waited for his chance to measure up. He would get his chance suddenly in 1901, with the murder of William McKinley. A Rooseveltian revival of Lincolneque politics would launch the twentieth century.

Pages 43-45.

[RJNorton]

Additionally, Roosevelt wore a ring containing a lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair when he was inaugurated in 1905. The hair had been cut by Dr. Charles C. Taft, one of the attending physicians the night of the assassination. The hair was purchased by John Hay on February 9, 1905, and was given to Roosevelt less than a month later. In his Autobiography, Roosevelt wrote, "When I was inaugurated on March 4, 1905, I wore a ring he (John Hay) sent me the night before, containing the hair of Abraham Lincoln. This ring was on my finger when the Chief Justice administered to me the oath of allegiance to the United States."

[LincolnMan]

Roger: do you know where the ring is today?

[RJNorton]

Good morning, Bill. I cannot give an absolute 100% definitive reply on this. Here's the closest I can come:

"Hay the giver and Roosevelt the given are, as the saying goes, no more; but the hair, in its surrounding of splendor, is understood to survive at Sagamore Hill."

SOURCE: p. 28 of "Largely Lincoln" by David Chambers Mearns.

[LincolnMan]

Nice quote!

[RJNorton]

Bill, I sent an email to Judge Frank Williams regarding the location of the ring as I felt he would know. Here is his reply:

"It is in the exhibit at Sagamore Hill unless the Park Service removed it."

[LincolnMan]

Good information Roger. Seeing the ring is one of the many "to do" items on my bucket-list-which is ever growing!

[RJNorton]

I came upon this brief article which was published yesterday.

It says there that Teddy was 7, but I think he was a little younger than that.

[LincolnMan]

Yes, Roger you are correct. TR was only 6 years old at the time. How young to witness such a thing. Yet, it had a huge impact on his life!