The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-28
BADEAU AND GRANT.
Facts as to the Formers Part I'm the
Writing of the Generals Memoirs.

| To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
In your issue of March % is an article
from the Philadelphia Inquirer reviewing
once more the relations of Adam Badeau
| to General Grant, and in particular the part
which the former is said to have borne in
| the preparation of the Personal Memoirs
| of u. s. Grant" In the article referred to
occurs the following:
In all these respects he regarded Grant
| in comparison with himself as a mere child.
| He was equally sincere in his own vanity
perfectly willing that all the world should
look upon Grant as great if he could be
| Grants death he voiced this peculiar feel
| ing--a feeling that would be extraordinary
eaeep' sad G iba tb Nan ana
| al Memoirs of u. s. Grant" was the joint
| work of Grant and himself to the extent
that he put all his knowledge of the sub
vice, to extract from said Grant his
| ideas. to revive his memories, to arouse his
| thoughts, to inspire his Judgment and ex-
preston, and afterward to correct his state
should be more than ever Grants.
| This extract, and notably the quotation
in it from the affidavit of Badeau relative
| to his part in the composition of the ''Mem-
oirs," contains the gist of the controversy.
Rather, it expresses with emphasis the view
which Badeau sought to disseminate of
himself and his relation to General Grants
book 1t is surprising that anyone pos
sessing a shadow of ability and character
| should have so stultifed himself as General
Badeau did in this matter.
The writer of this communication chances
to have some personal knowledge of the
issue made by the complainant against Gen.
Grants family. / know that the claim
which General Badeau instituted, demand
ing large sum of money from the repre-
sentatives of Grant, with the admission that
he was virtually the author of the MEM
oirs," is without foundation, in fact. 1t
was false claim, and could only have been
made by a vain and unscrupulous man. do
not know that the bottom facts relative to
| this matter have ever been published, but
| the facts are known, and are, briefly, as
| follows:
Gen. Grant began, as all the world knows,
| to be an author with the publication of
some war articles in the Century Maya
zine. He succeeded so well in his attempt,
the public was so profoundly concerned in
| what he had to say, and the publishers
| were anxious that the hero was in
duced, with much persuasion, to branch out
| into the preparation of his Memoirs
Death had already marked the General for
his own. 1t came to be seen that his Mem
| oirs'' would probably be the means of res
cuing his wife and other dear ones from
| the distress into which they had been
| plunged by the scandalous Ward failure.
| Under these circumstances the publication
| of the Memoirs planned and begun.
| General Grant was a considerable man,
| particularly SO in all matters relating to
| the interests of his friends. General Ba-
deau had long been his friend The Sc
| quel showed that he was his friend for
/ revenue. Badeau was the author of the
work had been measurably successful--as
what book could not be that pretended to re-
rnander? General Grant at 'h this e iuncture e
| foresaw that by the publication of his own
m fs the profits to Ssdean from m the
/ of-tnat that work would die by the ap-
pearanke of another that would not die.
General Grant accordingly communicated
| to his son, Col. Fred Grant, his purpose to
| recompense General Badeau in some deli
| to sustain With a consideration worthy of
| the greatest heart Grant suggested to his
| inallly employed as a sort of revisory ed
itor In the preparation of the memoirs.
giving him $1,000. It was So never contem.
| plated that Badeaus work should go fur
man ne Simplest fhaf n upon Cen
! volve anything of responsibility to the
essential character of the, work. General
Grant had in his heart and purpose no no.
pensate in a delicate way. Badeau for his
i
employing him an advisory critic.
Several years ago. after the death of Gen.
manuscript copy of his work. after it had
| passed through Badeau's hands and received
bestow. can testify from actual knowl-
| edge obtained in General Grants study, at
the the MANI manuscripts that Bsdeaus cTiticsms
emendations;;,, chances, interferences. or
went Mi e eopy of the TO ve
4 burg campaign In particular, noting with
care as went along-not in writing, but by
memorable touches which were due to
| Badeau's hand. They might all have been
| omitted. and the manuscript would have
| omission. IL Badeau did anything 1t was
to make the Generals expression here and
| there less Grantesque than before.
own should be passed for criticism through
| the hands of my daughter. and she did not
improve it more by revision than Badeau
improved Grants manuscript i1 of the vicks-
inferior to what. she is a Judge in the
| literary proprieties. If, for instance, here
| favorite word fight to his own word bat
tie who should say that the narrative tive
was thereby imp roy Yet It was Just
! Grants manuscript. And even such touches
were few and far between. | am certain
| that occasional suggestions marked in the
! handwriting of Col Fred Grant were more
to the point in the way of improvement
tempted. As matter of fact. the manu-
script was enphatically the product of Gen.
4
! matter of fact also, General Badeau would
| never have lifted a pencil that manu-
| script If it had not been for benevolent
desire on General Grants part to COM
| pensate him indirectly for a foreseen and
| unavoidable loss. From this point of view
| the ingratitude of Badeau in bringing suit
for the $4,000 which he claimed
| pronounced as the impudence involved in
| doing il was proGgous.
1t only remains TO say that the family
| of General Grant did not resist the pay
| ment of the claim of Badeau per Sc. but
they did resist his pretensions to joint au-
| thorship of the Memoirs as the basis of
his claim. The Grants were willing that
| R2deau should have his money. however alb
surd 1t was to pay him such sum for moth
| ing: but they were justly and intensely UNI
willing to allow that the composition of the
| ..Memoirs' was the work of any but
| OF the hero of Appomattox. In reality the
claim of Badeau 10 be the author. or the
| inirt author. of that simple and sHhlin,e
work is as preposterous. in view of the
| respective styles of the two men. as 1t
would be for the Immortal ]. n. to claim
| that he wrote I.incon's address at Gettys-
| burt- Such things do not consist.
| JOHN CLARK RIDPATH
| fCsreencastle Ind. March q.
ADMINISTRATION in Japan.