The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-30
eAoEAu.s STORY.

BADEAu'S STORY.
oeneral Radeau Airs His Grievances In the
Matter nj Preparing General Granite
Book-Hc Claims y Large Share OF Credit
For the Literary Work.
NEW YogK, March 2l.-The Sun publishes
General Adam Baieau's yer sion OF the con-
troversy which has arisen between himself
and General Grants family in regard to
.he ca m which General Badeau makes for
compensation for his services to General
Grant in the preparation Of his personal
memoirs. The statement is addressed to
'sThe American Public" and fills several
columns of the Sun.
General Badeau is somewhat severe in
his structures on the course pursued by
Colonel Fred Grant in the matter. He says
that General Grant called him away from
his own literary work to assist in the prep.
ration OF magazine articles and IN that OF
memoirs. They thought this would occu-
py three months; whereas it had occupied
seven months when he retired; that Cen
eral Grant supposed he might realize from
$50, 600 to s50OJo from the work, and Of
his own motion, since its publi-
cation would estop General Badesu
from realizing fully on his intended life
of Grant" gave him (Badeau) the already
published contract TO pay HIM S 90 from
the first $4,000 profits and $500 from he
next $4,000; that General Grant insisted
on this matter being kept secret; that when
he received his first installment of 81, 0jJ he
paid General Badeau $3.50, thus ratifying
the contract; that he (Badeau) finding that
the work was to be such a remarkable sue
cess and realizing that his own work on
WHICH he had spent sixteen years. would
be correspondingly injured, wrote General
Grant, suggesting new contract: that to
this he received his letter OF dismissal, all
IN the handwriting OF Colonel Fred Grant,
except the signature.
Badeau asserts that Colonel Grant,
when it appeared that his father would be
unable to finish the work, suggested that
Ia ieau complete it and allow it to be pub.
lished as his Erred Grdnt's) work. He says
that love and loyalty to his chief has sealed
his mouth as to the part which he actually
took in the preparation of the work aud
that he waited and negotiated for "a settle
ment when he might have gone at onre into
court and enforced his contract. II. de-
clares that the family a: first offered him
81 500 and that this was subsequently raised
TO 5000 and he agreed to taxe that sum,
bat condition was attached to draw
from him a statement as to the su:horsh p
of the work. which he refused 10
sign and negotiations were broken Off.
His part in the work he states as follows:
s.For months l spent four or five hours a
day at his side, and many hours besides IN
my own room at work on his book. When
we were together we sat at the same taUle
and often, a, soou as he had written page
he handed it 10 me- l dId not write the
original matter, and in that sense did not
compose the book The thoughts were
General Grants, and in most cases the
original draft OF the language. Blu: sug-
gested much. l told him when to
insert descriptions of scenery, where
to place an account of character
how to elaborate picture Of a BIT
tie. l recalled scenes and ircld nts
to his memory in which l had pariici.
pated, or with the story OF which was
familiar, and l verified his statements. I
did not compile data as Colonel Grant sup
poses. The data were compiled and ready
IN my own history, and that he always TOOK
rs HIS authority.
.And then when the subject matter WAS
settled took this rough material to my
own room and made any changes saw lit
in language or style. l took out whole
of the book to another. l modified any i'm.
pressions which disiked or disapproved,
and there was not a page IN the first
volume nor one in the second down to the
Wilderness campaign which did not con.
tain a dozen alterations or notifications
entirely mine. l broke up sentences, I
sof,ened or heightened the effect, l cor
rected the grammar, and ali with the
knowledge and sanction and by the ex-
press and repeated desire Of General
Grant. Iespecia.iy constructed the work.
General Grant had a very good
power OF clear and forcible expression in
matters with which he was familiar, or in
which he was interested; and passages OF
his were often fellcitous. These always
retained, and always sought to preserve
his simplicity and directness, and even
ruggedness Of language-never to betray
my own share in the work. But he never
knew whether what he wrote was good
English. and MS slips in grammar were
constant He had, besides, no idea what.
ever of building Up d chapter or q book OK
of treating theme SO as TO lead up to a
point, or to make complete picture or
argument. If he struck out a good Sen.
tence at the first trial, so much the better
but he could not repair or improve Ii, as d
rule.
There was nothing dishonorable in this
relation either 10 him or to me- The WORK
was labor Of love to me, and he appreci.
cistcd this and enjoyed seeing the boob
take different shape and color in my hand
or rather seeing his own thoughts and
dreams brought out more clearly and plore
absolutely according to his own idea Blu,
the book could not have been made what Il
is without me. There Was no one else who
had both my peculiar knowledge of the
theme and literary quality. There was nc
one else whom he would have allowed la &C
what did, but he knew how l loved h II
and how devoted / was to his fame.
and he trusted me. l did Ky
work loyalty If ever a man did. ana II ever
betrayed hlm. have done nothing o pre-
cIpitate this question. l woull not have
told what l am now writing if II had rot
been extorted from me by the iuI, ut.itloEs
referred TO by his son. General Grant
once said TO me, 'Bajeau. l know l could
not do this work without YOU l think
could tell a plain story; that people wou!d
understand wha; / meant: but l could 40.
write such book as this without you. You
have been inva liable and Indispensable
not only in verifcation and revis.ol but AZ
suggestion, aud am very grateful"
Waterman Murdered.
NEBRASKA, CITY, Neb, March 21.-Dou G