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

yesterday for the purpose OF gettinp
whatover. was new concerning the forth.
coming history Of tho late war by Mr.
Jefferson Davis, now in the presses o
that house. He found at a desk In the
front of the building Mr. J. G. Derby
who mas more direct charge of the book
possibly, than any one connected with
the hrm. In response TO an inquiry a.
to when the book would be out he re-
piled:
"Well, the Appletons do not like tc
make promises, but feel justified in
saying that it will be ready inside ot
ninety days. havo now the proof
sheets OF half tho first volume in my desS
here. | nave 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 q
slight correction in one Of the chapters
Tie adds that tho 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 tho work, and
that the manuscript, virtually prepared
TO the last chapter, will come forward OF
once"
"When was the contract with Mr.. Ds.
Wis for this work closed ?"
About five years ago. NJ. Davis has
proceeded in the preparation of this his.
tory with the utmost delberntion. He
has taken nothing for granted. but has
examined into the smallest details and
siftcd the records. He was ambitious.
too, to give the work such scope IN to
make it comprehensive ms we'll 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 skillfu writer's who
could have kept up with his dic,ation.
He dictates slowly, deliberately, and will
have no short hand writer. Since Judge
Tenny was sent out to him nearly a year
ago the work has gone right ahead"
Has the name of the book been
agreed or YETI"
"Yes. 1t will be called The Rise and
Fall of the Confederate Government.
The name first determined OH Yas THE
History of the Confederate war Tor indie.
pendencc; It's Causes and Resnlta.' Won
will see TINT title runs or the proof sheets
here"
"And by the way" he said, as he lean
cd forward to get the bundle of sheets
from his drawer, "you arc tho first Jour.
nalist that has ever had a glimpse of
these proofs. And it is o coincidence
that this history and Brancroft's his
tory of the Times Of Washington, nre
being published simultaneously, and"
holding up batch Of Bancroft's proofs,
that tho title OF the first chapter Of Ban
croft's is headed The Confederacy, ,
meaning, cf course, the first confedera.
tion of the colonies. All here are the
Davis proofs"
With this he held up bundle OF
eheets, handsomely printed ON heavy
paper, 10 much the same style as, but
clearer and heavier, than "Slierman's IS
Memoirs" The introduction" to the
book was short, covering nearly tho first
page and half the next, and It could DO
seen in the glance that tie reporter go.
that the dedication was contained in the
introduction. The titlo of the book
which of course will be changed on the
present proof-sheets-run across tho ton
of every page.
"ln what shape and at what price will
tuo oOok DC puOllHneu r.
at will be issued in two volumes,
about the size of 'Appletons' Encyclo.
p1dia,' and will be sold for SIS volume.
II will be sold entirely by subscription.
There is already n large demand. one
man in Missouri having already ordered
5000 copies. While Of course the heav-
lest demand is from the South, wo find a
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 i tint, and the
demand for this is as promising as that
was. No expense has been spared to
make this book worthy oft reputation
it must have"
"The terms upon which Mr. Davis
writes the book are liberal2"
at is sufficient to say that he will re.
ceive enough from the early sales to
make him independent and easy for the
rest of his life. But the chief reward
.hat he will have will be the conscious.
ness of having performed duty that has
weighed upon him ever since the failure
OF the Gauge that lie represented. He dc.
termined shortly after the collapse OF
his government to devote the remainder
of his life to the preparation of full and
comprehensive history of the struggle OF
the Southern people and the cause that
led to it,"
Have you seen him since the compile.
tion of the work?''
"Yes, spent several days with him at
Beauvoir last January, whcn his labor
was mainly over. l never saw man
that so sincerely reioiced in his work.
He said that he 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.
fense of his people that would command
the verdict of posterity. He seemed &c
feel as q man who has had o sacred duty
| weighing upon him as burden, and
who had at last honorably lifted it from
his shoulders. Ho gave hv5 year, oi
| almost unceasipg 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
war. The latter half of this and the las;
volume treat of the conduct of the
war. Both volumes will be illustrated
| with the portraits of the prominent men
who figured on the Confederate side.-
The work is.dedicatcd to the widows and
orphans of the men who died for the
cause. The introduction afiirms briefly
the confederate character of the Union
and the necessity of separate sovereign.
| ties under general direction