Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27

or duty at the call of his country. As ia,
as he himself was concerned know that he
! did not desire third term and during his
| second term he wrote letter objecting 10
any movement of that kind"
THE GENERALS BOOK.
! The talk here turned to General Grants
| book and Mr.. Dawson went on: General
Grant commenced the book intending to
write it all himself. I had left him and was
employed with the Inter-St Commerce
Committee of the Senate, which was then
| going about the country taking testimony.
After his illness in April, however, he
wanted me, but hesitated to send for me on
account OF my position. When the COM
mittee was sitting in New York I called
upon him and he then told me he needed
me. but he knew how was situated and did
not want to disappoint others. replied
that l knew that no one of the Senators on
| the committee would refuse to let me go if l
could be of any use to him and that I would
come. I then saw Senator Cullom and he
said, "Of course we will let you off if the
General wants you"
"The others of the committee also con-
sented, and Mr.. Murphy, of the Senate, at
| my request, sent stenographer to take nv
| place. At the time began work with Cen
eral Grant most Of the first volume was
| done. This was written almost entirely
with his own hand, and only few correc-
tlons were made by him as to the Vicksburg
and Chattanooga campaigns. Very little Of
the second volume had been written, though
he had put the Wilderness campaign into
shape in accordance with his arrangements
to write four articles for the Century. After
1 came he began to dictate, and he continued
this as long as he was able to do so, As he
went on his voice grew weaker and weaker.
and toward the last I had to take nv seat
very close to his, and be whispered his words
in my ear while / took them down in short
hand. His last dictation was on the 22d of
June.
GROWING WEAKER AND WEAKER.
"After this he would sit with his mad on
his knee near me, and would write down
his ideas and hand them over to me to put
into shape. He was very weak, and his
hand grew more and more trembling as he
neared his death. There is quite a differ
ence IN his copy, as you will see by the tele-
gram L have shown you, and this sample
showing his idea of flying bridge"
MIR. Dawson here handed me a short paee
OF General Grants handwriting in pencil,
with rude drawing of river and a fyipg
bridge. a flying bridge, he said, is kind
Of bridge attached to rope tied to tree
MADE
available by pulling one end to the side so
that the other end swings around and hits
the opposite bank. General Grants picture
explained this, and the writing was as fol-
lows: AT Chattanooga there was a fiving
bridge at that time. A third bridge was to
take the place of this. Do you know what
a flying bridge is?" and then followed the
pictures.
What were General Grants working
hours?" asked.
''When first began, his working hours
were from 10 until IL in the morning. Then
in the afternoon Mrs Jesse Grant or some
one else would read to him out of the books
to refresh his memory, and be would sit
with his notebook In hand and make catch
notes. He had good army library and
knew where to find things. In the evening
he would have more reading, and when the
family were away he would sit and think
and make notes. At this time the most of
his dictation was done in the morning from
these notes, and he now and then had his
papers looked over for certain manuscripts
to refresh his mind.
FURNISHED CLEAN COPY.
''The searching of these papers was done bv
myself and Colonel Grant. General Grant
dictated very freely and easily. He made
few changes. During the trouble between
the family and Badeau, Mr.. johnson, one of
the editors of the Century, was shown the
manuscript of his first volume. This was.
you know, in Grants handwriting. Mr..
johnson was astonished when he looked at
it, and he said there was not one literary
man in a hundred who furnished as clean
9py as Grant. This manuscript is now in
the hands of the family. It was not sent to
the printers, and it was copied by Colonel
Fred Grant, Ulysses s. Grant, Jr., and nv
self before it was handed in. General