The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1885-11-19
GENERAL GRANTS BOOK.
WHAT HE SAYS IN THE PREFACE
WHICH WAS WRITTEN Ar MOUNT
McaHEuOR.

i
WHICH WAS WRITTEN Ar MOUNT
McdREUOR.
The first volume Of the personal
memoirs OF General Grant has Leen
printed, but il will not be issued to
the public until December /. The
preface to the volume was written
by General Grant at Mount Nc.
Gregor on July ! of this year. 1t
occupies three pages OF tue book.
1t is as follows
"'Man proposes and God dispos-
es. There are but few important
events in the affairs Of men brought
about by their own choice.
Although frequently urged by
friends to write my memories, had
determined never TO do 80, nor to
write anything for publication. Al,
the age OF nenrly sixty-two I recsv-
ed an injury from fall, which con-
fined me closely TO tho house while
il did not apparently affect my gems
eral health. This made study q
pleasant pnstime. Shortly after the
rascality OF business partner de-
veloped itself by the II. nouncoment
OF failure. This was followed
soon after by universal depression
OF oil securities, which seemed to
threaten the extinction Of good
part Of the income still retained and
for which / am indebted to the
kindly act OF friends At this juno
ture the editor of the Centxry Mag
dzine asked me to write O few ar
ticles for him for at that moment
! was living upon borrowed money.
The work I found congonial and
determined to continue it. The
evaut is an important one for me,
for good or evil | hope for the for-
mer.
"In preparing these volumes for
the public, have entraed npon the
task with the sincere desire to avoid
doing Injustice to any one, whether
on the National or CDnfedelate side,
other than the unavoidable Injustice
OF not making mention often where
special mention is due. There must
be many errors Of emission in this
work, because the subject is toe
large to be treated OF ia two vol
umes in such way as to do justice
to all the officers and men engaged
There were thousands OF instances,
during the rebellion, OF individual
company, regimeptal and brigade
deeds OF heroism which deserve
special mention and are not here al
inded to. The troops engaged iu
them will have to look to the details
ed reports OF their individual COM
manders for the full history Of those
deeds.
Tho first volume, as we'll as q
portion OF tho recond, was written
before | had reason to suppose ]
was 10 n critical condition OF health
Later was reduced almost to the
point Of death aud il became impos-
sible for me to attend to anything
for weeks. / have, however, some.
what regained my strength, aud am
able, often, to devote as many hours
a day rs person should devote to
such work. l would have more
b pc Of satisfying the expectation OF
the public i! | could have allowed
myself more time. | have used my
best efforts, with the aid of my ell
d st son, +. ID. Grant, assisted by
his brothers, to verify from the re-
clrds every statement Of fact given.
The comments are my own, and
show how l saw the matters treated
OF whether others saw them in the
same light or not.
with these remarks I presen,
these volumes to the public, asking
no favor, but hoping they will meet
the approval Of the reader. "-lha-
aaeLphid Times.