The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-03
jeff. Davis History of the War.
a Herald representative visited the

JEFF. Davis History of the War.
a Herald representative visited the
publishing house of the Appletons on
yesterday for the purpose of getting
whatever was new concerning the forth
coming history of the late war by AIr.
Jefferson Davis, now in the presses of
that house. He found at a desk in the
front of the building Mr.. j. c. Derby,
who has more direct charge of the book,
possibly, than any one connected with
the firm. In response to al inquiry rs
to when the book would be out he re-
piled:
"Well, the Appletons do not like to
make promises, hut feel justified in
saying that it will be ready inside Of
ninety days. I have now the proof
sheets of half the first volume in my desk
here. I have just received letter from
Judge Tenny, who was sent down by the
house to assist Mr.. Davis with the writ
ing, in which he says that he will forward
inside of Ten days from the date Of writ.
ing half the manuscript for the second
volume, which is now ready, and is with
held simply that Mr. Davis may make n
slight correction in one of the chapters.
He adds that the printers may be put to
work on it at once. as the last half of the
second volume is about ready, and will
be here before the printers will need it.
He writes that everything is now ready
for the pushing forward Of the work, and
that the manuscript, virtually prepared
to tile last chapter, will come forward at
once"
"NNhen was the contract with Mr.. DA-
Wis for this work closed ?"
"About five years ago. n. Davis has
proceeded in the preparation of this his.
tory with the utmost deliberation. He
has taken nothing for granted, but has
examined into The smallest details and
sifted the records. He was ambitious,
too, to give the work such scope as to
make it comprehensive as well as thor
ough. His labor has, therefore, been
immense. Still, he would have been
ready long ago if he had been provided
with prompt and skillful writers who
could have kept up with his dictatioD.
He dictates slowly, deliberately, and will
have no short. hand writer. Since Judge
Tenny was sent out to him nearly year
ago the work has gone right ahead"
"Has the name Of the book been
agreed on yet?"
Eyes. It will be called The Rise aud
Fall of the Confederate Government.
The name first determined on was The
History of the Confederate war for indie
pendence; Its Causes and Results You
will see that title runs on the proof sheets
here"
"Aud by the way" he said, as he lean
ed forward to get the bundle of sheets
from his drawer, "you are the first jour:
nalist that has ever had a glimpse of
these proofs. And it is coincidence
that this history and Brancroft's his
tory of the Times of Washington, are
being published simultaneously, and"
holding up batch of Baucroft's proofs,
"that the title of the first chapter of Ban.
croft's is headed The Confederacy'
meaning, cf course, the first confedera.
tion of the colonies. Ah here are the
Davis proofs"
With this he held up bundle of
sheets, handsomely printed on heavy
paper, ia much the same style as, but
clearer and heavier, than "Sherman's
Memoirs" The introduction" to the
book was short, covering nearly the first
page and half the next, and it could be
seen in the glance that the reporter got
that the dedication was contained in the
introduction. The title of the book
which of course will be changed on the
present proof-sheets-runs across the top
of every page. go
ain what shape and at what price will
the book be published ?"
ut will be issued in two volumes,
about the size Of 'Appletons' Encyclo.
pndia,' and will be sold for S. a volnme.
1t will be sold entirely by subscription.
There is already large demand. one
man in Missouri having already ordered
5000 copies. While Of course the heav-
lest demand is from the South, we find
very large demand throughout the
North, and shall be disappointed if the
sales do not reach 100000 copies. The
sales of Stewards Journey Around the
World went up to that point, and the
demand for this is as promising as that
was. No expense has been spared 10
make this book worthy ofthe reputation
it must have"
"The terms upon which Mr.. Davis
writes the book are liberal ?"
"It is sufficient to say that he will re-
ceiye enough from the early sales TO
make him Independent and easy for the
rest of bis life. But the chief reward
that he will have will be the conscious
ness of having performed a duty that has
weighed upon him ever since the failure
of the cause that he represented. He de-
termined shortly after the collapse of
his government to devote the remainder
of his life to the preparation Of a full and
comprehensive history ofthe struggle of
the Southern people and the cause that
led to it."
"Haye you seen him since the compile
tion of the work7"
eyes, I spent several days with him at
Beauvoir last January, when mis- labor
was mainly over. ] never saw man
that so sincerely rejoiced in his work.
BE said that be had made history that
would stand all the tests of time and
criticism, because it was true, and that
he had put in permanent record de.
tense of his people that would command
the verdict OF posterity. lie seemed to
feel as man who has had a sacred duty
weighing upon him as burden, and
who had at last honorably lifted it from
his shoulders. He gave FIVE years of
almost unceasing labor to the work.
Night and day during the most of that
time he has been in the seclusion of
Beauvoir, in his little study, careless of
the hustle and worry of the outside
world, at work at his self-appointed
task"
The first volume of the work is almost
entirely taken up with a constitutional
discussion of the causes which led to the
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