Theodore Roosevelt's Death
TR’s life began to unravel with the death of Quentin. It was impossible for Edith and TR not to see him in every room at Sagamore Hill.
On July 25th, eight days after learning of Quentin’s death TR, Edith and Quentin’s Flora Whitney fiancée Flora Whitney went to Ethel’s summer home in Dark Harbor, Maine. Archie invalided out of the service returned back home to Sagamore Hill on September 5, 1918.
That October Owen Wister came to stay at Sagamore Hill to pay a visit and departed two days before TR turned 60. It was right after his birthday that TR began to show signs the crippling attacks of severe rheumatism he was suffering were beginning to eat away at his spirit. He became increasingly depressed thinking back on Quentin’s death and what could have been had he lived.
By early November one of TR’s feet was so swollen he couldn’t wear a shoe on that foot. On November 11th he was at Roosevelt Hospital suffering from inflammatory rheumatism….a legacy of his Brazilian fevers and abscesses. During his 44 day stay Edith was at his bedside reading Shakespeare.
December the rheumatism attacked TR’s left arm to the point his wrist had to be put in a splint. In the hospital he dictated letters to Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Lee and Henry Cabot Lodge.
William Allen White told TR that General Leopard Wood was planning to run for president in 1920. He told White he would get in the race by June. He was working on a platform of an 8 hour day and an old age pension. He told Lodge he was in favor of a League of Nations.
The doctors told him there was little they could do and suggested he'd need to think of living the balance of his life in a wheelchair. TR said, “I can work and live with that.”
He hated Wilson and told one doctor, “If my wrist was better I’d like to be left alone in the room with Wilson for about 15 minutes and then I’d cheerfully be hung.”
On Christmas Dr. John Richards allowed TR to go home. He was still suffering from fever and vertigo that was the result of an inflammation of his inner ear. Leaving the hospital he only allowed Edith to walk beside him. Alice, Ethel, Archie and Grace welcomed him home. He enjoyed Christmas morning, but soon tired and in the afternoon he had to rest.
Each day that followed he had breakfast in bed. Came downstairs for lunch then stayed on the library sofa reading and dictating letters. On New Year’s Eve the rainy weather brought back severe pain in his leg and left hand. He spent most of the time in nursery lying on the sofa reading and dictating letters. The nursey is the warmest room in the house
Sunday January 5th Flora Whitney paid TR a visit. At around 10pm TR was still on the nursery sofa when he asked Edith to help him sit up. He said he felt as if his heart or breathing were about to stop. He said he knew it was not going to happen, but it was a strange feeling. Edith called the nurse who said his pulse was good and then sent for a local doctor who confirmed his pulse and heart rate was good. The nurse gave him a shot of morphine to help him sleep through the night.
James Amos his White House valet had arrived at Sagamore Hill to help. At midnight he put TR to bed then sat by the firehouse watching over the TR.
At 12:30 Edith came in to check on TR and again at 2:00am. He was lying in his side comfortably asleep.
At 4:00am James Amis noticed TR’s breathing had become erratic and labored. He went to the nurse who woke Edith. By the time she got to his bedside he had passed. Edith called, “Theodore darling,” but there was no response It was January 6th the day of the Feast of the Epiphany.
At 6:00am Edith called Corrine and broke the news. By late afternoon Corrine was at Sagamore Hill. The two had known each other for 54 years. That afternoon they walked down by the beach. On their way back they saw planes from Hazelhurst Field dropping Laurel wreaths down on the property flying overhead in an aerial honor guard.
TR’s plain oak coffin lay in state in the North Room draped in Rough Rifer flags. The funeral took place Wednesday morning January 8th. Edith following the custom of the day stayed at home and read correspondence from family and friends while some 500 attended the ceremony in Christ Episcopal Church in Oyster Bay. There was no music and no eulogy. The burial took place at Young’s Cemetery. The last to leave was William Howard Taft with tears in his eyes.
Two days later Edith had motored to Connecticut to visit Bamie at her house Old Gate. She didn’t stay long. Seeing Bamie in a wheelchair disabled by rheumatism must have been a constant reminder of TR’s last days battling the same condition.
Edith booked passage to Europe to visit Quentin’s grave. In Germany people couldn’t understand that while the president’s sons were at the front the Kaiser’s 6 sons were safe at home. November 9th Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and fled to Holland. Edith placed a fountain at the site where Quentin was buried and then traveled to Italy to see her sister Emily.
