President Theodore Roosevelt Seeks to Re-Enter Combat PSA Historic Signed Letter

Title: 1917 Theodore Roosevelt ALS on Volunteer Command During WWI – Early Letter in Campaign to Rejoin Combat, and Offered Pres. Wilson to Die in Battle if it Meant Leading a Division.

Description:
This is an extraordinary Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Theodore Roosevelt, dated February 20, 1917, typed on his personal “Office of Theodore Roosevelt” letterhead from the Metropolitan Building, 432 Fourth Avenue, New York. In this letter—written just six weeks before the United States entered World War I—Roosevelt replies to Thomas D. Neelands of New York City, firmly but diplomatically distancing himself from a proposed regiment as he lobbies the U.S. government for his own military command.

The full content of the letter reads:

My dear Mr. Neelands:
I thank you for your letter, but I would not venture to make suggestions about the proposed regiment. I think it unwise that I should appear to be advising the Government on a question of policy, when I am myself seeking the command of a division.
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt

Historical Context:
This letter marks a key moment in Theodore Roosevelt’s final, deeply personal campaign to return to military service. At nearly 59 years old and long removed from the battlefield, Roosevelt was determined to re-enter combat, channeling the spirit of his famed Rough Riders from the Spanish-American War of 1898. As war with Germany loomed, Roosevelt proposed raising four volunteer infantry divisions—nearly 200,000 men—to join the Allied fight in France.

His plan was ambitious and patriotic. He envisioned a rapid, elite volunteer force trained quickly, composed of veterans, athletes, Ivy Leaguers, frontiersmen, and personal acquaintances—men who mirrored the valor and mix of backgrounds found in his original Rough Riders. Roosevelt lobbied Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, Congress, and even made a personal appeal to President Woodrow Wilson in April 1917, just days after the U.S. declared war. In their 45-minute meeting at the White House, Roosevelt pledged full support for Wilson’s military draft and personally offered to die in battle if it meant leading a division.

Congress approved his plan in May 1917, passing legislation—co-sponsored by then-Senator Warren G. Harding—that granted the president authority to accept Roosevelt’s volunteer forces. But Wilson, suspicious of Roosevelt’s political ambitions, declined the offer. Influenced by Baker and General John J. Pershing, Wilson preferred a centrally organized “people’s army” built by universal conscription, and he feared the publicity Roosevelt’s involvement might generate. “The best way to treat Mr. Roosevelt is to take no notice of him,” Wilson confided privately.

Roosevelt’s Response and Legacy:
Roosevelt was devastated. He had already lined up a stellar officer corps—including Seth Bullock, John M. Parker, and former Rough Rider John Campbell Greenaway—and thousands of men were volunteering daily. Though denied command, Roosevelt’s drive for national service didn’t end. He became a loud voice for military preparedness and national unity, publishing pro-war essays and publicly criticizing bureaucratic inertia.

The personal toll was profound. Roosevelt sent all four of his sons to the front. Quentin, his youngest, was killed in aerial combat in July 1918. The loss devastated Roosevelt but elevated his family’s example of sacrifice in the eyes of the American public.

Closing Appeal:
This letter is a rare and moving artifact from Theodore Roosevelt’s final crusade for battlefield command. Penned at the outset of his effort to rejoin active duty, it reflects his deep sense of duty, political tact, and military zeal. With rich historical context tied to his private lobbying, public campaign, and eventual rejection by President Wilson, this letter encapsulates Roosevelt’s enduring spirit and the dramatic last chapter of his life. An exceptional acquisition for collectors of presidential, military, and World War I history.