Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-09-11
TIE MILITARY AUIHOB
Grants Literary Methods ana Ambitions

gossip about Gen. Grant and his liter
AIRY methods. Ii decribes him rs COM
pletely dominated by the desire to
finish his book, that he may leave it
as legacy To his family. He some
times wakes up in the night, calls for
n light, jots down some remembrance,
and then gees To sleep again. lie
stops in the midst of conversation to
/ record n rcminisccncc.
Once on awakening, after dose Of
morphia. and when his attendants
thought that he could not stand, he
walked over to chair, sat
| Town, and in his delirium said, as if
in great surprise: "Wcll, this is funny.
Here alc my books, papers, pictures,
and furniture, yet | am in Illinois
Harrison, how did | get out here?
Someone has brought me here. |
wonder what for. | am away from
/ my book and no time should be lost in
its completion. suppose | shall have
to make the best of it. But, by the
way, Washburho and Morton are COM
/ ing 10 dinner with me, and have no
clothes III. "
you are not in Illinois," said one
of those present.
That all right; know what am
doing. Cant | see the old barnP
know every inch Of this ground. "
IL was the action of n mind Weighted
with one subject, and to this day the
/ general does not know what occurred.
Not long ago in the middle of the
night hcawoke.
Harrison, Harrison, light the gas!"
/ he exclaimed.
The man servant did so.
Bring me the paper and pencil"
They were brought; he jotted down
N idea. and then ordered the lights
90 be eXtinguishcd. He was recently
.sked:
what about that story of the sur
'ender of Gen. Lee : sword?'
81 didn't take his sword, p" replied
,he general. "bccausc didn't think it
would Ice right. Nothing was said or
thought OF it.
"lt Is usual to take the sword, ism I
Up"
Yes: but wouldn't do it IN that
case.
To the writer of this article the gen.
eral said in the course at CONVEX sation:
81 have read good deal in my life,
but | know Of no grander man than
Gen. Robert T.. Lee.
His usual habit is TO rise early,
breakfast ut So'clock, and get to work
by or $3.50 o'clock. He works steadi-
" until II or ! o'clock, and then takes
luncheon. Until recently he had a
short ride in the park almost daily.
Later in the afternoon he sometimes
works for two hours again, and some
times even ut night for IA little while.
He writes in his own room. on the
first floor above the parlor. His writ
iDg.table- an ordinary card tablets
set about the middle of the room. He
sits with his back TO the bay window
at East SiXty-siXth street. AT his right
is the bureau, and further on the fire
place. On the opposite side is his bed
He wears slippers. vest, trousers. and
dressing-gown. On his head he has II
black silk cap, or II mixed worsted
one, as he is subject to attacts of
neuralgia. He uses large, old
fashioned pair of hard rubber spec
taclos. He generally writes with n
lead pencil on common MANILA paper.
The general compoScs with great
rapidty, and but seldom intcrlnes
When trying to express an idea Just
right he often gets up and walks
around the room, although his locomo-
ton is strained and slow, his leo still
being lame. 1t is thought by some
that the leg which was injured when
he fell on the slippery pavement was
broken and wrongly set.
In an adjoining room there is a steno-
grapher, to whom. when the general
wishes to record an idea quickly, he
dictates, the stenographcr taken it
down. When debating the general
talks very rapidly. but the swelling on
the neck is so large that it interferes
considerably with the clearness and
distinctnes' of his speech
The general keeps by his side many
records from the war department at
Washington, and in handling them
Col. Fred is of great service TO his
father. The general has n great deal
of confidence in the ability of the colo.
mel. He said some time ago: For
an ordinary looking man Fred is the
best informed, particularly on mill
tary subjects, | ever saw. When he
was in Europe he showed great ac-
quaintance with the history of the
countries we VISITED
1t was particularly unfortunate, says
the writer, that Gen. Badcau, when
Gen. Grant was thought to be dying,
should have allowed the impression to
exist that he. in great part. was the
author of the book. The family was
/ incensed ut the report. Col. Fred
Grant showed the manuscript to a
friend familiar with Ger. Grants writ
/ ing, and asked whose il was The
gentleman quickly responded: 1T is
Gen. Grants 1t is significant fact
that nothing more is To- be heard from
Gen. Badeau. He has left the house,
bag and baggage, and has not been in
II for some time.
When the book was completed Gen.
Grant was much delighted. He took
| il TO Mrs. Grant, and said
"lIcrc isyour book. It's all done.
It's the only legacy | have to leave
you or my family"
lie invariably refers to the book
now as Mrs. Grants. The first vol
ume of the book will appear in Decom-
/ Der, the second in March. IL has al
ready over three hundred thousand
subscribers. which insures handsome
income to the family.