Sold – President Roosevelt Commiserates With His Cousin on the Death of His Uncle

Robert B. Roosevelt was the brother of Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., and thus the uncle of President Theodore Roosevelt and the great-uncle of Eleanor Roosevelt. After serving a term in Congress, he was appointed by President Cleveland as Ambassador to The Netherlands, serving from 1888 to 1890. He was treasurer of the Democratic National Committee in 1892, the year Cleveland won election to his second term. He had a son John, whose wife was named Nannie.

Typed Letter Signed on White House letterhead, Washington, June 14, 1906, to John Roosevelt concerning the death and planned funeral of his father. “Dear John, I have just sent you a telegram from Edith and myself. While of course I was prepared for the death of Uncle Rob, it nevertheless came as a great shock. You know how fond we both were of him, and you know how sincere our sympathy with you is. I wish I could come to the funeral, but we are now in the last weeks of the session, with a dozen measures of great importance before Congress, in such critical fashion that I simply cannot leave. I am very, very sorry that I should be prevented from being present. Will you explain to Bertie why it is that I am not able to come? With love for both Nannie and you, believe me, your affectionate cousin, Theodore Roosevelt.”