The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-09
AMONG THE BOOKS
Memories OF Henry Willard Have
Been Published.
Story Of Life That Reads Like
Romance.
LIGHT ON THE WAR.
Fearless in His Criticism of the
Generals.
Adds to the Fund of Lincoln
Literature.
LIGHT ON THE WAR

Memoirs of Henry Willard. Journalist and
illustrated; Cloth 1sO Sss and sss pages. has
fin & co.
The Memoirs of Henry Willard
embrace two of the great critical
periods in American history, in both
of which he played a brilliant part,
says the Washington Post Review. In
the struggle for national integrity in
the civil war, as a correspondent he
was in the thick of it, and a quarter
of a century later finds him one of
the dominating figures in the conflict
of financial Titans for mastery in the
northwest. The theme is one of alb
sorbing interest. and it is presented
with a wealth of new material from
| the point of view of a man who knew.
1t is distinct loss that the pen
| dropped from Wizards hand before
| his memoirs were completed. The
first person is used only up to the bat
ties around Chattanooga. From that
| period the memoirs are finished in the
third person out of material left by
him.
| Wizards life reads like a romance.
He was born at Speyer, in 1885, and
J to America. Young as he was at that
time, the revolution of 1848 enlisted
his sympathies, as it did the best of
Germany's young manhood. The fall
emigration to the United States. 1t
was another case where America prof
tied by the reactionary stupidity of
Europe.
The boy landed in America penni-
| less and handicapped by ignorance of
the English language. His first year
was spent in discouraging efforts to
earn a living, in the course of which
he drifted Westward through Ohio
Indiana, and Illinois. He mastered
English. studied law, and drifted into
! journalism and politics. He Joined
the Free Soil party, and became the
editor of a German party organ at
Racine. His reputation was estab-
lished by his success in reporting the
famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in
1858 for a New York newspaper. This
fixed his journalistic career.
His work brought him into init
mate relation with Lincoln, and some
of the most interesting chapters of
the book are those which treat of
the great rail-splitter. Willard was
repulsed by the coarser side of Lin
coin. but the lack of breeding did
ness of the man. To the Lincoln ira
dition much new material is added,
but its main features are left un-
sullied.
As war correspondent, Willard wit
messed the first battle of Bull Run.
and then took part in the first cam
paign in Kentucky and the middle
south He was at Shiloh, Corinth.
y
by the Tribune to the Army of the
Potomac. He was in the midst of
the slaughter at Fredericksburg, and
was the first to carry the news of
the disaster to Washington. After
witnessing the fruitless attack upon
Charleston. Willard was sent west
again. and was with Rosecrans at
Murfreesboro, and saw the siege of
Chattanooga.
Willard is fearless in his criticisms.
and neither Grant nor Sherman es-
cape unscathed from Wizards analy-
sis of their campaigns. Burnside.
however. is the target for Wizards
most severe censure. These chapters
upon the civil war are fresh and full
of new matter, and undoubtedly will
be made the topic of considerable con-
troVersy.
Wizards work as agent of the Ger
man stockholders in the bankrupted
Northern Pacific in the '70s is a book
in itself. 1t made him a power in
Wall street, and under his direction
the great northwest was brought into
touch with the rest of the country.
and began its wonderful progress. In
the sketch of the battle of financial
giants that followed, Mr.. Willard does
not permit his brilliant successes to
overshadow the failures and reverses
that came to him, and the story is
told with fairness.
One of the most interesting features
of the second book is the interview
between Bismarck and Willard at
FREDERICKSBURG. when the man of
blood and iron was smarting under
the sting of his dismissal from Of
fee. Bismarck talked so freely and
with so little restraint that there was
much that Willard could not repeat |
with propriety. but there is enough
left to throw Illuminating side lights |
upon the character of the man who |
for so many years dominated the poll |
tics of Europe.
The books are well supplied with |
maps and has a good index. They will |
find a wide circle of readers.
ROCK NOTES