Round-Robin Letter (Spanish–American War) facts for kids

The Round-Robin Letter was an important event in the United States Army during the Spanish–American War in 1898. It happened between July 28 and August 3. Many soldiers were very sick with diseases after fighting in Santiago de Cuba. Because of this, some high-ranking army officers wrote a special letter. They asked for their soldiers to be sent back home to the United States. When the public found out about the letter, it caused problems for the U.S. government.

What Was the Round-Robin Letter?

The Round-Robin Letter was a document signed by several important army officers. A "round-robin" letter is one where all signers agree on the message. They sign it in a way that doesn't show who signed first. This letter was a strong request to bring sick soldiers home from Cuba.

Why Was the Letter Written?

By July 28, 1898, many U.S. Army soldiers in Cuba were very sick. Diseases like malaria and yellow fever were spreading fast. The Fifth Army Corps, which included the famous Rough Riders, had over 4,200 men who were seriously ill or dying. The army leaders were worried that if the soldiers stayed in Cuba, even more would die.

However, the government, led by President William McKinley, wanted the soldiers to stay in Cuba. They planned to keep them there until the war with Spain was officially over. Also, many people in the U.S. didn't want sick soldiers with yellow fever to come home. They worried the disease would spread.

Who Wrote and Signed It?

Several senior officers met with Major General William R. Shafter. He was the commander of the Fifth Corps. They all agreed that the soldiers needed to leave Cuba. It's not completely clear if General Shafter agreed and asked for a written request, or if the officers decided to write it themselves.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt was part of this group. He was the leader of the First Volunteer U.S. Cavalry, known as the Rough Riders. He was the only person in the group who was not a general. The other officers asked him to write the letter. The letter would explain the terrible living conditions and the serious problem of disease. It was meant to be sent to Army Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The officers also planned to let newspapers know about the letter on purpose.

Roosevelt was a volunteer soldier, so his career might not be at risk as much as a regular army officer's would be. Nine generals and Colonel Roosevelt signed the letter. A shorter version was given to General Shafter to give to the United States Secretary of War. Shafter chose not to give it to him directly. However, he did tell his bosses what was happening.

What Did the Letter Say?

The letter was very direct and didn't use the usual polite military language. It said things like, "...the whole command is so weakened and shattered as to be ripe for dying like rotten sheep..." This showed how desperate the situation was. It also said, "Quarantine against malarial fever is much like quarantining against the toothache." This meant that trying to stop malaria from spreading was almost impossible.

The officers made sure that reporters from the Associated Press found out about the letter. The reporters quickly sent the news to the U.S. The letter was then printed in newspapers all over the country. When people read the Round-Robin Letter, public opinion turned against the United States Department of War.

How Did the Government React?

The McKinley government was very upset that the letter was leaked to the public. But they quickly realized that people would blame the government for the soldiers' suffering. So, they acted fast to fix the situation.

On July 28, the Secretary of War, Russell A. Alger, sent a message to General Shafter. He ordered the Fifth Corps to come home to Camp Wikoff on Long Island, New York. There, the soldiers would be kept separate to prevent disease from spreading. They would also be officially released from duty.

On August 3, the day before the letter appeared in newspapers, Secretary Alger ordered new buildings to be built at Camp Wikoff. He also told United States Navy ships to go to Cuba to pick up the Fifth Corps. The first groups of soldiers left Cuba on August 7. Secretary Alger said that the Round-Robin Letter did not make the government speed up its plans to bring the soldiers home. However, this seemed untrue. Alger had previously said that there were no navy ships available to bring the troops back. In reality, the Navy mostly helped by providing military escorts. Most of the soldiers were brought to Camp Wikoff on ships created by the Army's own transport system.

What Happened Next?

One result of the Round-Robin Letter was that Secretary Alger refused to support Colonel Roosevelt for a special award called the Congressional Medal of Honor. Roosevelt finally received this honor in 2001, long after he had passed away.