Teddy Roosevelt Pistol Stolen From Museum
The pistol Teddy Roosevelt carried in his charge up San Juan Hill has been stolen, officials said Saturday.
The .45-caliber Colt revolver was discovered missing from Sagamore Hill, the Long Island home of the nation’s 26th President, now a museum. Chief Ranger Ray Bloomer, who is blind, found Saturday that the exhibit case that contained the gun was loose.
The pistol, now valued at $500,000, was given to Roosevelt after its recovery from the battleship Maine, whose sinking in Havana Harbor in 1898 led to the U.S. declaration of war against Spain.
The gun’s blued barrel is inscribed: “July 1, 1898, San Juan, carried and used by Col. Theodore Roosevelt,” and “From the sunken battleship MAINE.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
