Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1914-11-04
New News Of Yesterday
A Book Which Was Never
Printed
ny Holland.

"Nly father could mover understand
why everybody seemed TO be interested
in whatever could be told about his
personality, his early life. his
peculiarities and particularly about
his fOndncss for cigar said Gen
Fred ID. Grant TO me just after he HAD
been appointed colonel Of the Four
teonth New York Regiment. with
which he began his service in the
Spanish war; in 1898.
Father appreciated fully the inter-
est and discussion which his campaign
caused and he had no fault to find with
those who criticized his military oper-
atlons. He was fond of talking about
some features of his campaign to inti-
mate friends, especially after he re-
turned TO private life in 1877. But it.
WAS always observed that he never
spoke of any Of his associates in the
army or any of the officers upon the
Confederate side excepting in the
kinGcst manner. and even when he
criticized them his comments were OF
kind which could have been heard
by fhe person concerned without caus-
ing NE slightest III feeling.
writing his -recollections, ! sometimes
suggested to him that he put in some
little incident OF anecdOto. for ] felt
that the people would be Interested in
narrative Of that kind. Father, how
ever. always refused to do that unless
the anecdote served to illustrate some
feature of a campaign.
Therefore ! made il point TO col
lect as many Of these as ] could ana to
iot down from time to time various
comments or stories which my iathe.
used in familiar conversation First
of all, ! collected a large mass of ma
terial which father rejected when he
was writing his recollections, not be-
cause he felt that it was of no value
but because he was somewhat
hurried in writing the work
and wanted to get through
with il as soon as possible
lie wanted to live long enough to COM
plete the book.
Some day hope to collect and edit
this material. with a view to publish
ing il as a volume supplementing my
fathers book. Some of the material
] have would throw important light
upon his life in the army and also in
the Presidency.
Father would have been dumfOund-
ed if he could have known how many
copies Of his book were to be taken
by the American people. He did not
think much of IL as a narrative and
did not have the slightest idea that il
would have more than an ephemeral
life.
MANY Of the reviews Of the book
spoke of the singularly lucid, simple
and dignified style of writing which
characterized it and there were some
critics who thought that style of that
kind could not be gained by a writer
until after long and patient study.
But every one who know my fathel
and who had opportunity TO talk L
him Immediately recognized the styl
in which the book was written as on
that was characteristic OF him in hi
ordinary conversation. He spoke in
formally and with friends exactly a
he wrote that book. and ! am certai
that he had no idea that the worI
would be accepted as classic an
ranked as so many authorities did
rank il, with Caesars Commentaries.
Copyright, 1914, by e. J. Edwards
All rights reservcd)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
How Col Roosevelt Bcfricndcd
Presidents SON