USA > New York > Long Island historic homes, ancient and modern : including a history of their founders and builders > Part 3
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Elsje Roosevelt, born Feb. 12, 1652.
Anna Margaret, born Aug. 23, 1654, died young.
Christina, born July 30, 1656.
NICHOLAS, bap. Sept. 10, 1658.
Martin, bap. Sept. 10, 1659.
Nicholas Roosevelt, fourth child of Claes and Jannitje Roosevelt, was bap. Oct. 2, 1658. He married Dec. 26, 1682, Heytje Jans. He was Alderman of New York, 1698 to 1701. He removed to Esopus, and died July 30, 1742. By his wife Heytje Jans he had issue: JOHANNES, born Feb. 27, 1689; Elsje, bap. Jan. 1, 1691; Jannetje, Isaac, bap. Feb. 18, 1701; Nicholas, Rachel, Jacobus, bap. 1692.
Johannes Roosevelt, eldest child of Nicholas and Heytje ( Jans ) Roosevelt, was bap. Feb. 27, 1689. He was Assistant Alderman of New York from 1717 till 1727 and Alderman from 1730 until 1733. He married Heltje Sjverts. This name is also spelt Hyla Suerts in the Dutch records of New York. She was the daughter
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of Olphert Suerts, who married Margrieji Cloppers (born May 30, 1708) daughter of Cornelius Jansen Clopper. The latter resided on Maiden Lane, corner of Pearl Street called Smet's Valley or Fly in 1664. Valentine says: "He had long resided on the corner of Maiden Lane and was considered in his day one of the wealthy citizens." He was of Dutch descent and was estimated to be worth $10,000. At that date there were only ten men in New York estimated to be worth that amount.
Johannes Roosevelt by his wife Hvla Suerts had issue: Margaret, bap. May 5, 1709; Nicholas, bap. Oct. 1710; Maris, June 12, 1720; Oliver, born Feb. 7, 1716; Jacobus, born Aug. 13, 1724; Cornelius, July 8, 1721.
Jacobus Roosevelt, fifth child of Johannes, was born Aug. 14, 1724. He married first, Annetje Bogart; second, Elenora Thomp- son. By his first wife he had Anna, married Andrew Hermance; Helena, born Aug. 1, 1761; Margaret, born March 12, 1755; Maria, born June 3, 1763; John, born Jan. 16, 1751; Jacobus, (2) born Oct. 25, 1759; Nicholas, died young.
Jacobus Roosevelt, (2) son of Jacobus ( 1) and Annetje (Bogaert) Roosevelt, was born Oct. 25, 1759; died Aug. 13, 1840. He was known as James 1. Ronsevelt. Ha was Commissary during the War of the Revolution, giving his services gratiutously. "Getting sup- plies" for the Continental army became so impressed on his mind as to enter into his every-day transactions, and long after the war when- ever he went to market (as was the custom of the head of the family mn those days, taking a servant along to carry the basket) he always referred to it as going for supplies. He married Mary Van Schaick. They had issue Catharine, married Michael Burke, Henry, Alfred, died
LONG ISLAND HISTORIC HOMES.
young; Nicholas, born 1767, died young; James J. Cornelius I. S. born 1794.
Cornelius Van Schaick Roosevelt, youngest child of Jacobus (2), was born Jan. 30, 1794. From his father and grandfather he in- herited a large fortune, and this he augmented by various successful financial ventures, becoming one of the richest men in New York. For many years he was engaged in the importation of hardware and plate glass. He was one of those who founded the Chemical Bank on the single principle of honesty, and that institution has never failed to pay its obligations in gold, and during the Civil War redeemed its notes at one time at $280 in greenbacks. He introduced in busi- ness the principle of giving no notes.
Mr. Roosevelt married Margaret Barnhill, of Scotch-Irish ances- try, of Pennsylvania. Her grandfather was Thomas Potts, a mem- ber of the Continental Congress.
The issue of this marriage was:
Weir. C. V. S. Jr. James A. Robert. Theodore ( I).
Theodore Roosevelt, ( 1) youngest child of Cornelius Van Schaick Roosevelt and Margaret ( Barnhill ) Roosevelt his wife, was born in New York City, Sept. 29, 1831, died there Feb. 9, 1878. He joined the firm of Roosevelt & Co., glass importers, then located at No. 2 Maiden Lane, and continued in that business till 1876, when he es- tablished a banking house in partnership with his son at No. 32 Pine street. Mr. Roosevelt was among the pioneers in the development
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of what was known as the up-town district of Manhattan Island. He built an elegant residence on West 57th street, and there he passed the last hours of his life.
At the time of his death Mr. Roosevelt was one of the three State Commissioners of Public Charities, a position for which he was ad- mirably fitted by his experience and his peculiar devotion to philan- thropic enterprises. He was Vice-President of the Union League Club, and a member of the Century, St. Nicholas, and various other kindred organizations. When Arthur was supposed to be on the point of giving up the position of Collector of the Port of New York attention was turned upon Mr. Roosevelt as a gentleman conspicu- ously fitted for it, and one who, it was thought would discharge its functions to the advantage of the community and his own honor. At first an opposition was made on account of his participation in an importing business from which some believed he had not entirely alienated himself. He was tendered the position by President Hays, but the Senate, for the above named reasons, failed to confirm the appointment.
Mr. Roosevelt's charitable enterprises were so numerous and varied in character that it is difficult to refer to them all, but perhaps no more useful institution owes to him a share of its paternity than the Orthopedic Hospital in 59th street near Ninth avenue. Knowing that prompt and skilled treatment would in many instances spare the victims of accident or disease from becoming deformed he had lent his best exertions to establish an institution where such permanent treatment would be really accessible.
The Newsboy's Lodging House is also deeply indebted to him for its success. From its inception he paid special attention to the development of its resources and the perfection of its management.
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The uptown branch of the establishment devolved entirely upon him for a support which was liberally accorded. He also greatly enlisted himself in the Y. M. C. A. and aided by his counsel and his purse in developing its usefulness. In fact, during a business career which ab- sorbed a great part of his time and thought for the amelioration of his fellow-creatures' conditions, and in evolving plans for having charity more widely distributed and turned to the best advantage. When the scheme of uniting all benevolent organizations for the purpose of mutual assistance and general co-operation was proposed, Mr. Roose- velt warmly encouraged the movement. He took part in organizing the Bureau of United Charities which he believed would subserve a great object, but was forced with his associates to give over his design by the disinclination of some charitable institutions to make their methods and resources public.
He married Martha, daughter of James and Martha Oswald Bul- loch, of Roswell, Ga. Her maternal great grandfather was Daniel Stewart, who joined the Revolutionary army when a boy and was captured by the British, but escaped from a prison ship and afterwards served as captain under Sumter and Marion.
Martha Bulloch's paternal grandfather was James Bulloch who was a captain of the Georgia troops in the Revolution and an original member of the Society of the Cincinnati. James Bulloch's father was Archibald Bulloch, first Revolutionary Governor of Georgia, who married Mary de Vaux, whose paternal grandfather, a Huguenot, fled from France after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Her ma- ternal grandfather was Edward Bellinger, one of the Carolina land- graves. Archibald Bulloch's father was James Bulloch, who came from Scotland about 1715, and settled in Georgia ; was a member of the Provincial Congress, and held positions of honor and trust. He
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was a blood relation of the Douglasses, Bartons and other prominent families.
The issue of the marriage of Theodore Roosevelt ( 1) and Martha (Bulloch) Roosevelt, his wife, was
I. Anna, married Capt. W. S. Cowles, U. S. N.
II. Theodore,
III. Elliott,
IV. Corinne, married Douglass Robinson, Jr.
Mrs. Roosevelt died Feb. 15, 1884. She was a member of the Rev. Dr. Hall's Church, and took a deep interest in many charities, including the Orthopedic Hospital, of which her husband was one of the founders.
[The data for the following sketch was gathered from cyclope- dias and other publications, without the assistance or co-operation of the subject himself, who has neither the time nor the inclination to devote to personal matters. The proofs, however, have been submit- ted to competent authority for revision and correction.]
Col. Theodore Roosevelt, eldest son of Theodore (1) and Martha ( Bullock ) Roosevelt, was born in New York City, Oct. 27, 1858, graduated at Harvard in 1880. Politics seemed to have a fascina- tion for him from the beginning, but before entering the field he called on his uncle Robert and said, " Uncle Bob I want your advice. Shall I run for the Assembly?" "I can't say," replied his uncle. "Here is Col. Charles Hutchinson, of Utica, who may answer the question." "Take it," said Hutchinson, "there's an opening for young men of independent fortune and good education in public life. You ought to make the experiment."
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Young Roosevelt " made the experiment" and succeeded as he has in every subsequent "experiment" of his life. The word " fail " is not a part of his vocabulary. He literally " batters down " all op- position as he did on the famous field of San Juan, and then quietly surveys the situation and sums up the cost preparatory to a second onslaught if necessary.
A writer in one of the New York dailies gives his impressions of the young man as he saw him at a State Convention some time after his first election to the Assembly.
" Mr. Theodore Roosevelt in the Convention seemed to be a light-footed, agile, nervous, yet prompt boy, with light brown, yet slightly curling hair, blue eyes and an eye-glass, and ready to rise and speak with a clear, sharp boyish voice, a manner more of the under- graduate than the finished orator, but unmistakable, candid, untrifling and withal kind and chivalric. He has a slight flush of the counten- ance, and resolute expression of the head, well adapted to start sym- pathy and possibly enthusiasm. I was a little reminded of Blanche Roosevelt, the singer. He applauded Warner Miller with his hands when the latter was applauded in rising to make a counter nomina- tion. George Bliss applauded Roosevelt with his feet but did not applaud Miller. Roosevelt sometimes turned and conferred with Robert McCord behind him. He set the conciliatory, yet manly tone in much which characterized the whole Convention, and I never saw a State Convention anywhere in the Union, though I have seen them from Massachusetts to Michigan and South Carolina, equal in modesty, intelligence and appearance as this."
Young Roosevelt was elected to the Assembly as a Republican. He led the minority during the session of 1882, was active in reform
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measures, and on his re-election in 1883, was largely instrumental in carrying out the State Civil Service Reform Law and an act for regu- lating primary elections. As Chairman of the Committee on Cities in 1884 he succeeded in abolishing the fees of the County Clerk and Register, and in providing for their payment by salaries; curtailing abuses in the Sheriff's and Surrogate's offices, and securing a passage of a bill that deprived aldermen of the power to confirm appoint- ments to office, and centered in the Mavor the reponsibility of ad- ministering municipal affairs. He was Chairman of the New York delegation to the National Republican Convention in 1884, and an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor of New York in 1886. He was nominated as an Independent, but was endorsed by the Republicans. In May, 1889, President Harrison appointed him Civil Service Com- missioner, and he served as President of the Board until May, 1895. He succeeded in changing the whole system of public appointments and in establishing important reforms. He resigned in May, 1895, to accept the position of President of the New York Board of Police Commissioners and with characteristic energy and vigor he began the work of reform by the application of civil service principles in ap- pointments to and promotions on the force. He rigidly enforced the excise law and succeeded in closing the saloons on the Sabbath, and in purifying the city of many corrupting influences which then existed.
Col. Roosevelt's life on his ranch on the borders of the Little Missouri in the far West, with all its exciting adventures has been given in his " Hunting Trips of a Ranchman." He went out as a "tenderfoot," but he was soon able to give the cowboy and the ranch - man points that they little dreamed of.
Col. Roosevelt is as modest as he is brave, and his most intimate
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friends could never succeed in drawing from him any incident of his life, the description of which necessitated any reference to himself as the hero. The following incident would probably never have found its way into print but for the fact that the local editor considered the joke on the " profession " too good to be suppressed.
It appears that the Colonel while stopping at a hotel in a border town was approached by a typical western "tough," who with ac- customed western politeness invited the " tenderfoot " to take a drink. The invitation was politely declined with thanks. It was repeated, and this time pressed by the "tough" with his finger on the trigger of his gun. Suddenly he felt something between his eyes and the ball struck wide of the mark and entered the ceiling above. He fell backwards and went to sleep. When he awoke he was not certain whether he had been struck with a cannon ball or the heels of a mule; he concluded, however, that it was not always safe to meddle with a "tenderfoot."
Col. Roosevelt first became known to the general public outside of his own State when he accepted the position of Secretary of the Navy in 1897. Shortly after he assumed the duties of office he asked for an appropriation of $800,000 for ammunition for practical target shooting in the Navy, and a few months later for another ap- propriation of $500,000 for the same purpose. The results at Manilla and Santiago justified what was considered at the time reck- less extravagance. His connection with the Spanish War which fol- lowed is best told in the language of Col. Watterson in his History of the Spanish-American War. He says:
" It is the nature of Americans to welcome bold experiments and to applaud success. There was no volunteer body of the war that received as much attention and invited as much interest as the regi-
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ment of cavalry known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. That was its popular name although Lieut .- Colonel Roosevelt was but second in command. His was the resolute spirit that prompted its organiza- tion and fixed public interest upon it.
"The Honorable Theodore Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy at the opening of the war, one of those characteristic per- sonalities in the public and private life of the United States that rep- resent the vigor of democracy without regard to difference of opinion. Of the old Dutch stock of New York's oldest settlers he was born to great wealth and with determined character. Carefully educated in universities he made his entrance into politics early, with vigorous ideals and practical methods. Greeted with the epithet of the 'dude' politician he received the epithet with the good nature that an ath- letic, courageous and good-natured man would naturally exhibit.
He was soon a representative in national conventions, was the forlorn hope of his party for the mayoralty of New York, was ap- pointed President of the Civil Servive Commission, was Police Com- missioner of New York and became Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897. Recognizing then the probabilities of a war with Spain, he began to encourage the system of State Naval Reserves, and made many addresses in which he upheld the manful necessity of war to compel peace and secure justice. The good condition of the Navy at the outbreak of war was largely due to his labor and enthusiasm.
When war was inevitable he resigned his position as Assistant Secretary and asked for a commission to organize a regiment of cavalry of which Dr. Wood was to be commissioned Colonel. Great was the public surprise. His friends remonstrated with him, and urged that he was jeopardizing his career. The authorities suggested
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that he would be invaluable in the Navy Department. " The Navy Department," he answered, "is in good order. I have done all I can here. There are other men who can carry it on as well as I, but I should be false to my ideals, false to the views I have openly expressed, if I were to remain here while fighting is going on after urging other men to risk their lives for their country." He declined a Colonel's commission and asked it for his friend Dr. Wood. There was his answer in this self-reliant courage of American man- hood. Mr. Roosevelt had written admirable historical works, exciting stories of adventure in hunting "big game" while he was leading the life of a ranchman in the far West. He was at once at the be- ginning and end of the American type, rich, intelligent, thoughtful, cultured, and had sand.
Referring to Colonel Roosevelt's participation in the battle of San Juan, Hon. Henry B. Russell in " The Story of the Two Wars" said: "A little before 4 o'clock occurred the second thrilling episode of the day. Under the brow of the little hill a council of war was held, the question being whether they should push on and take the main hill where the Spanish blockhouses were. Colonel Roosevelt volunteered to head the charge. It seemed a mad rush. A foreign officer standing near the position when the men started out to make the charge was heard to sav:
"Men, for heaven's sake don't go up that hill. It will be im- possible for human beings to take that position. You can't stand the fire.'
" But with a terrific yell they rushed up to the enemy's works, and the Spanish, whose courage had fled after the first charge, re- tired, and when night came they had been driven back upon the city."
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Col. Watterson, in describing the charge said: "After a mo- ment's pause for formation, the volunteers, with Lieut .- Colonel Roosevelt marching in front of the line, made a dash for the block- house, the men raising the terrible yell of the Western Indians as they went. A murderous fire poured from the block house. Lieut .- Colonel Roosevelt turned and waving his sword called on his com- mand to follow him up the hill. The Spaniards poured a steady fire and for a second the volunteer fighters hesitated under the shock of it. At that critical moment the Tenth Cavalry on the valley road to our left and the First Cavalry in the rear that had been ordered against the wings of the enemy had made their attacks and charged up the slopes with the intrepidity of disciplined veterans. The sound of the guns was echoed by cheers from the Rough Riders who dashed against the block-house with cyclonic force. At the sight of such impetuous daring the enemy burst from the fort and ran to the cover of the woods behind, leaving seventeen dead on the ground as they fled. Then they gave way on both wings, and 3,000 Spaniards were in full flight before 950 Americans that had fought against en- ormous odds and disadvantages. No pursuit was possible, and our victorious troops camped on the ground and held it."
The most authentic as well as the most graphic account of the famous charge of Colonel Roosevelt is that given by himself in "The Rough Riders." He says:
" The infantry got nearer and nearer the crest of the hill. At last we could see the Spaniards running from the rifle-pits as the Americans came on in their final rush. Then I stopped my men for fear they should injure their comrades, and called to them to charge the next line of trenches on the hills in our front, from which we had been undergoing a good deal of punishment. Thinking that
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the men would all come, I jumped over the wire fence in front of us and started at the double; but, as a matter of fact, the troopers were so excited, both with shooting and being shot, and shouting and cheering, that they did not hear, or did not heed me; and after run- ning about a hundred yards, I found I had only five men along with me. Bullets were ripping the grass all around us and one of the men, Clay Green, was mortally wounded; another, Winslow Clark, a Harvard man, was shot first in the leg and then through the body * * There was no use going with the remaining three men, and I bade them stay where they were while I went back and brought up the rest of the brigade. This was a decidedly cool re- quest, for there was really no possible point in letting them stay there while I went back; but at the moment it seemed perfectly natural to me, and apparently so to them, for they cheerfully nod- ded and sat down on the grass, firing back at the line of trenches from which the Spaniards were shooting at them. Meanwhile I ran back, jumped over the wire fence, and went over the crest of the hill, filled with anger against the troopers, and especially those of my own regiment for not having USV accompanied me. They, of course, were quite innocent of wrong doing; and even while I taunted them bitterly for not hav- ing followed me, it was all I could do not to smile at the look of injury and surprise that came over their faces, while they cried out, 'We didn't hear you, we didn't see you go, Colonel; lead on now, we'll
sure follow you.' I wanted the other regiments to come too, so I
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ran down to where General Sumner was and asked him if I might make the charge, and he told me to go and that he would see that the men followed. By this time everybody had his attention attracted, and when I leaped over the fence again, with Major Jenkins beside me, the men of the various regiments which were already on the hill came with a rush and we started across the wide valley which lay between us and the Spanish intrenchments. * * * Long before we got near them the Spaniards ran, save a few here and there, who either surrendered or were shot down * : * Lieutenant Davis's first sergeant, Clarence Gould, killed a Spanish soldier with his revolver just as the Spaniard was aiming at one of my Rough Riders. At about the same time I also shot one. I was with Henry Bardshar, running up at the double, and two Spaniards leaped from the trenches and fired at us, not ten yards away. As they turned to run I closed in and fired twice, mis- sing the first and killing the second. My revolver was from the sunken battle-ship Maine, and had been given me by my brother-in- law, Capt. W. S. Cowles of the Navy. At the time I did not know of Gould's exploit, and supposed my feat to be unique; and al- though Gould had killed his Spaniard in the trenches not very far from me, I never learned of it until weeks after.
"There was a very great confusion at this time, the different regiments being completely intermingled-white regulars, colored regulars and Rough Riders. General Sumner had kept a consider- able force in reserve on Kettle Hill, under Major Jackson of the Third Cavalry. We were still under a heavy fire, and I got together a mixed lot of men and pushed on from the trenches and ranch- houses which we had just taken, driving the Spaniards through a line
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of palm-trees and over the crest of a chain of hills. When we reached these crests we found ourselves overlooking Santiago.
" While I was re-forming the troops on the chain of hills, one of General Sherman's aides, Captain Robert Howze-as dashing and gallant an officer as there was in the whole gallant cavalry division, by the way-came up with orders to me to halt where I was, not advancing farther, but to hold the hill at all hazards.
"I now had under me all the fragments of the six cavalry regiments which were at the extreme front, being the highest officer left there, and I was in immediate command of them for the re- mainder of the afternoon and that night. * The Spaniards who had been holding the trenches and the line of hills, had fallen back upon their supports and we were under a very heavy fire both from rifles and great guns.
"Our artillery made one or two efforts to come into action on the firing line of the infantry, but the black powder rendered each at- tempt fruitless. The Spanish guns used smokeless powder, so that it was difficult to place them.
" As night came on the firing gradually died away. Before this happened, however, Captains Morton and Boughton, of the Third Cavalry, came over to tell me that a rumor had reached them to the effect that there had been some talk of retiring, and that they wished to protest in the strongest manner. I had been watching them both, as they handled their troops with the cool confidence of the veteran regular officer, and had been congratulating myself that they were off toward the right flank, for as long as they were there I knew I was perfectly safe in that direction. I had heard no rumor about retiring, and I cordially agreed with them that it would be far worse than a blunder to abandon our position.
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