Granville Roland Fortescue (October 12, 1875 – April 21, 1952) was an American soldier, a Rough Rider serving with his cousin, Colonel

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, a presidential aide in the first Roosevelt administration and later, a journalist and war correspondent for the London ''Standard'' during the

Rif War The Rif War () was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between Spain (joined by France in 1924) and the Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco. Led by Abd el-Krim, the Riffians at first inflicted several de ...

in 1920 Spanish Morocco. He wrote for the London '' Daily Telegraph'' during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Spinzia, Raymond E. (2006). ''Long Island's Prominent North Shore Families: Their Estates And Their Country Homes''
sample excerpt, p. 2.
/ref> and during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

Early life and education

Fortescue was the son of U.S. Congressman

Robert Roosevelt Robert Barnhill Roosevelt, also known as Robert Barnwell Roosevelt (August 7, 1829 – June 14, 1906), was a sportsman, author, and politician who served as a United States representative from New York (1871–1873) and as Minister to the Hague ...

(1829–1906),"Roosevelt, Robert Barnwell." ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. and Marion Theresa "Minnie" O'Shea Fortescue, his mistress. At the time of his birth, his father was still married to his first wife, Elizabeth Ellis. After Ellis' death, Robert married Minnie. His father then adopted the three children that he had conceived with Minnie before their marriage, Granville, Kenyon, and Maud, and they were known as his stepchildren, although they were his biological children.Spinzia, Raymond E
"These Other Roosevelts: The Fortescues,"
Oyster Bay Historical Society ''Freeholder Magazine''. 2006

''New York Times''. June 20, 1906. At the time of their birth, their father had been listed as "Robert Francis Fortescue," and all maintained the Fortescue name throughout their lives, even though they were born to Robert Roosevelt. His father, Robert Roosevelt, was the brother of Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., the uncle of President

and the great-uncle of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

. Fortescue's undergraduate education began at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

; then he transferred to the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

. His college years were cut short when he volunteered in 1898 for the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry. He completed his education when he graduated from the

Army Staff College Staff colleges (also command and staff colleges and War colleges) train military officers in the administrative, military staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career. For exa ...

in 1904.Renehan, Edward J
"A Secret Roosevelt,"
History News Network. February 22, 2003.

Career

Fortescue was a Rough Rider wounded at

San Juan Hill San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Ju ...

and serving in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

. Fortescue was posted as a U.S. military attaché in Japan during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. Along with other Western military attachés, he had two complementary missions—to assist the Japanese and to observe the Japanese forces in the field during the Russo-Japanese War. Service as an artillery officer during

was the capstone of Fortescue's military career.

Military honors

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

, wounded in foot at San Juan Hill, Cuba, July 1898; wounded at

Montfaucon d'Argonne Montfaucon-d'Argonne (, literally ''Montfaucon of Argonne'') is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is home to the Meuse-Argonne American Memorial. See also * Communes of the Meuse department The foll ...

in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September 1918. *

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

. * World War I Victory Medal *

Spanish Campaign Medal The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...

* Philippine Insurrection War Medal * Order of the Rising Sun, Japan. *

Russo-Japanese War Medal The Russo-Japanese War Medal or Medal in Memory of the Russo-Japanese War was a medal issued by the Russian Empire to those who had fought in the Russo-Japanese War and to nurses, medics, priest and other civilians who had distinguished themselve ...

, Japan.

Personal life

In 1910, Captain "Rolly" Fortescue married Grace Hubbard Fortescue (née Grace Hubbard Bell) (1883–1979), a niece of the inventor Alexander Graham Bell and an heir to the Bell Telephone Company fortune. The wedding party included Captain Archibald Butt, who served with the groom in the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

as a Presidential aide. The couple had three daughters: * Thalia Fortescue (1911–1963), who married Thomas Hedges Massie (1905–1987), a Navy lieutenant. * Kenyon Fortescue (1914–1990), an actress whose stage-name was Helene Whitney; she married J. Louis Reynolds in 1936. *Marion Fortescue, who married Daulton Gillespie Viskniskki in 1934 The couple's eldest daughter, Thalia Massie, was allegedly raped in 1932, and this embroiled her mother, Grace Fortescue, in a case of murder. The trial for murder, conducted in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...

in 1932, came to be known as the "Massie Affair". Afterwards, Grace returned to a quiet life with her husband as they moved seasonally between family homes on Long Island and in Palm Beach. Fortescue died on April 21, 1952 and was laid to rest in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

,Arlington National Cemetery
Granville Roland Fortescue
/ref> the only Roosevelt to be buried there.

Family tree

Published works

His journalism experience led to further writing: * 1914 – ''At the Front with Three Allies: My Adventures in the Great War''. London: A. Melrose, Ltd.New York Public Library. (1915)
''Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations,'' v.19 no.2, p. 618.
/ref> * 1915 �
''Russia, the Balkans and the Dardanelles''.
London: A. Melrose, Ltd
OCLC: 1562062
* 1915 �
''What of the Dardanelles? An Analysis''.
London:

Hodder and Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publishe ...

OCLC: 2736904
* 1916 �
''Fore-armed: How to Build a Citizen Army''.
Philadelphia: John C. Winston Co
OCLC: 406647
* 1917 �
''France Bears the Burden''.
New York: Macmillan
OCLC: 1183757
* 1937 �
''Front Line and Deadline: The Experiences of a War Correspondent''.
New York:

G. P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and J ...

OCLC: 987696

Notes

References

* Spinzia, Raymond E. and Judith A. Spinzia. (2006)
''Long Island's Prominent North Shore Families: Their Estates And Their Country Homes''.
College Station, Texas
Virtualbookworm.
;
OCLC: 74029682
* Stannard, David

''

The Honolulu Advertiser ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' was a daily newspaper published in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the largest daily newspaper in the American state of Hawaii. It published daily with special Sunday and In ...

''. October 14, 2001.

External links

1905 Biographical Sketch
*

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...

''
"The Massie Affair"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fortescue, Granville Roland 1875 births 1952 deaths People from Manhattan American people of Dutch descent Roosevelt family Schuyler family Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army War College alumni People of the Russo-Japanese War Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun American war correspondents United States military attachés Yale College alumni University of Pennsylvania alumni United States Army personnel of World War I