Photograph (Framed) P-017

President Roosevelt and Major George W. Ford Correspondence Letters

Major George W. Ford wrote to Theodore Roosevelt to express his concerns over disparaging remarks published in a Topeka, Kansas journal, which suggested that Black troops in the Spanish-American War were overly dependent on their white officers. In his letter, dated June 30, 1900, Ford enclosed newspaper clippings for Roosevelt’s review. In response, on July 9, 1900, Roosevelt clarified that he had been misquoted and affirmed that the Black troops under his command had served honorably. Their exchange reinforced a mutual respect, and the two men remained in correspondence for many years, maintaining a lasting friendship.