The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-03-19
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wnEELING, W. va, MARCH 10, 1sss.


General Grants "Personnl "Reminiscences"
The world is only beginning to know
what manner of man he was who came
up from Obscurity to the head of the
army, was twice President, suffered as
few men have, through all his suffering
produced one Of the remarkable books OF
the time, and who has gone into history
not only as the greatest commander OF his
age, but as an example of personal forti-
tude not excelled, ifiudeed ever equaled,
in all history.
When it WAS given out that General
Grant was going to write book, very
many who admired him and wished him
well hoped he would not undertake so
hazardous thing. They urged that
whatever else General Grant was he was
not literary man, and that he would do
much better to hand over his materials
to person who could write.
There was person who thought ma
turc and experiment had qualified him
to supply to General Grant the lacking
essentials. This person was General
Adam Badeau, who had prospered amaz-
ingly in the sunlight OF the Old Com
mauder's favor. Badeau was one Of the
men whom Grant refused to "desert I'M
der fire" 1t appears now by a letter
from Grant to Badeau, given to the press
blythe dead Generals family, that Badeau
was not only willing to serve his old
friend in this capacity, but Extensively
persistent in his eneavor to place himself
in new relations with General Grant on
basis Of very high commercial rating
and great prospective fame to himself.
Nothing in Grants remarkable mill
tary carear, nothing in the phenomenal
book which has given him high place
in literature and restored theshattered
fortune of his family-not the storming
OF Donelson, the siege of yicksburg, the
taking of Richmond, or the splendid
magniminity Of Appomatox-does him
half the credit OF the dignified indignant
response he hurled at Badeau. 1t was
the answer of an honest and outraged
man. Read what he says:
You say that am { man OF affairs,
&c, and can tell q simple story &c.
You imply that a literary man must
supply some deficiencies, and that you
arc the only man who can do it. If this
is the case, General, l do not want 4
book bearing my name to 60 before the
world which / did not write TO such an
extent as to be fully entitled to the
credit Of authorship. I do not want a
secret between me and some one olse
which would destroy my honor II 1t was
divulged. l cannot think OF holding
myself as dependent upon any person to
supply capacity which am lacking. |
may fail, but will not put myself in
any such position. II succeed in tell
ing my story so that others can see as |
do what | attempt TO show, will BIO
satisfied. Your letter affords an abund.
ance of other reasons why you should
not help me in my work, which is to
bear my name. But these are sufficient.
Nobody who reads this will doubt that
Grant wrote "Grant's Personal Remi-
nisences." The authorship will not DO
doubted, not only because he here de-
clared to the ono man whose assistance
he might have been willing to accept
that he would accept such assistance
from nobody, but the declaration is
made in that simple dignity Of style
which is the charm of the "Reminisen.
ces" and is,not its least claim to IN en-
during place in English literature.
In view OF the performance the wis
dom as well as the honesty of General
Grant is amply indicated. He did sue
coed in telling his story so that others
can see as he did, what he attempted
to say" Men and things stand out upon
its pages in the vigor of real life, 1t is
the plain, simple story of u plain, simple
and great man. How thankful the
world should be that Grant was too hon
est and too proud to let Badeau write
the personal "reminiscences of U. S.
Grant" All honor to the honorable
name which stands on the title page of
that immortal work-a monument no
less to his rugged honesty than to his