104-605: The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant are an autobiography , in two volumes, of Ulysses S. Grant , the 18th President of the United States . The work focuses on his military career during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War . The volumes were written in the last year of Grant's life, amid increasing pain from terminal throat cancer and against the backdrop of his personal bankruptcy at
208-509: A best seller . Ulysses S. Grant sought to deliver his moral, political, economic and social argument for waging the war against the South in his Personal Memoirs . As the commander of the Union army and a two-term president, he had a unique perspective on the war that interested both the public and historical scholars, as they wanted to hear his side of the story. Although he was a clear figure in
312-429: A $ 25,000 advance (equivalent to $ 850,000 in 2023) paid from Twain's own pocket. Over the two years following publication this percentage would generate more than $ 450,000 (equivalent to $ 15,300,000 today) in royalties for Julia Grant . Twain moved in to Grant's New York City townhouse and remained literally at Grant's side while the dying man wrote up his life. Twain provided literary and copy editing at all stages of
416-507: A B.S. in 1871. Johnson's first work was as a clerk in Chicago, Illinois, agency of the educational books of Charles Scribner's Sons , and in 1873 he entered the firm's New York office, beginning his long connection with The Century Magazine , then Scribner's Monthly , under Josiah Gilbert Holland . The Century Magazine was directed at political, religious, artistic, and social opinion leaders. One of his first major projects for Scribner
520-707: A commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy in 1919, an officer of the Order of Leopold II (Belgium) in 1919, and the commander of the Order of St. Sava (Serbian) in 1920. He received the Grand Cordon Order of SS. Maurice and Lazarus (Italian), conferred by King Victor Emanuel III in 1921; was named grand officer of the French Legion of Honor in 1922; and received the grand cordon, with star, Order of Polonia Restituta in 1931. A member of Phi Beta Kappa , he
624-652: A conference of governors to conserve the forests of the Eastern states, which grew into the White House Conference on Conservation. In 2017, a plaque commemorating Johnson's role in Muir's relationship was erected at Tuolumne Meadows, where Johnson and Muir discussed land preservation in 1889. Their story was recounted in Ken Burns's public television series on Our National Parks. As a founding director of
728-460: A conversation about old army times. He remarked that he remembered me very well in the old army; and I told him that as a matter of course I remembered him perfectly, but from the difference in our rank and years (there being about sixteen years' difference in our ages), I had thought it very likely that I had not attracted his attention sufficiently to be remembered by him after such a long interval. Our conversation grew so pleasant that I almost forgot
832-502: A ghostwriter, are routinely published. Some celebrities, such as Naomi Campbell , admit to not having read their "autobiographies". Some sensationalist autobiographies such as James Frey's A Million Little Pieces have been publicly exposed as having embellished or fictionalized significant details of the authors' lives. Autobiography has become an increasingly popular and widely accessible form. A Fortunate Life by Albert Facey (1979) has become an Australian literary classic. With
936-454: A good portion of whom were in the room during the whole of the interview. What General Lee's feelings were I do not know. As he was a man of much dignity, with an impassible face, it was impossible to say whether he felt inwardly glad that the end had finally come, or felt sad over the result, and was too manly to show it. Whatever his feelings, they were entirely concealed from my observation; but my own feelings, which had been quite jubilant on
1040-554: A living witness to the correctness of this prophecy; but I feel it within me that it is to be so. The universally kind feeling expressed for me at a time when it was supposed that each day would prove my last, seemed to me the beginning of the answer to "Let us have peace." The expression of these kindly feelings were not restricted to a section of the country, nor to a division of the people. They came from individual citizens of all nationalities; from all denominations—the Protestant,
1144-532: A memoir, as William Tecumseh Sherman had recently done to great acclaim. Facing his own mortality and the prospect of his family's destitution after his death, Grant approached Century with a proposal to publish his personal memoirs, serially and then in bound volumes. Century agreed to publish the work and drew up a contract in which the dying man would receive 10% of every sale of the book. Grant's personal friend Samuel Clemens (better known under his pen name Mark Twain) soon heard news of this publishing deal and
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#17327880881021248-483: A pace that Grant maintained for more than four months. Throughout his career Grant had repeatedly told highly detailed stories of his military experiences, sometimes making slight mistakes in terms of dates and locations. As a hardscrabble farmer in St. Louis just before the war he had kept his neighbors spellbound until midnight while they "listen[ed] intently to his vivid narrations of Army experiences." In calm moments during
1352-470: A patriotic appeal just as the famous general's death was being mourned. Ten thousand agents canvassed the North for orders, following a script that Twain had devised. Many were Union veterans dressed in their old uniforms, who went door-to-door offering the two-volume set at prices ranging from $ 3.50 to $ 12, depending on the binding ($ 120 to $ 410 in 2023). These efforts sold 350,000 two-volume sets in advance of
1456-641: A persistent opposition to Soviet intrusions. A detailed description of the Celebration of Vittorio Veneto – enemy losses topped 500,000. A description of hosting a dinner for the King and Queen of Denmark is rich in description of rituals, atmosphere, and attire. We purchased Zeppelin Roma, and there is an extensive description of two trips. He, and many in the diplomatic corps, operated independently, receiving little operational funding or response to their queries from
1560-551: A personal loyalty to the executives of Century, and considered it dishonorable to back out of his contract after all details had been agreed upon and papers drawn up. Twain grew exasperated and confessed that he himself had far better terms from his own publisher, the American Publishing Company. The key element in Mark Twain's proposal to Grant was publication through a subscription scheme. Twain himself
1664-553: A poem at the laying of the cornerstone of the Academy's permanent home. Page 439 is an accounting of the Academy's history. John Hay said," An Academy was more needed in our democracy than in an old-world monarchy, which has its own traditions and inherited standards since here we are more subject to the tyranny of vogue." As Secretary of the American Committee, he was a driving force for the effort to acquire and preserve
1768-521: A religious conversion, often interrupted by moments of regression. The author re-frames their life as a demonstration of divine intention through encounters with the Divine. The earliest example of a spiritual autobiography is Augustine's Confessions though the tradition has expanded to include other religious traditions in works such as Mohandas Gandhi 's An Autobiography and Black Elk 's Black Elk Speaks . Deliverance from Error by Al-Ghazali
1872-405: A series of moments in time". Autobiography thus takes stock of the autobiographer's life from the moment of composition. While biographers generally rely on a wide variety of documents and viewpoints, autobiography may be based entirely on the writer's memory. The memoir form is closely associated with autobiography but it tends, as Pascal claims, to focus less on the self and more on others during
1976-462: A subscription scheme, tens of thousands of dollars would be generated before the finished book was even bound. Twain was famously persuasive and this upfront cash was a powerful inducement to a man in Grant's situation, however it was only after Frederick suggested the present contract be set aside for 24 hours, until the facts of Twain's claims could be investigated, that his father agreed put off signing
2080-410: A trip around the world in 1877 after his second term in office. Personally financed, this tour left him short on liquid assets on his return. He was nearly 60 and he looked for something to engage his time and replenish his finances. In 1878, he moved to New York City and entered into business with his son Buck ( Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. ) and Ferdinand Ward . Ward was a young investor and personal friend of
2184-507: A war he did not support. Grant believed it was very unjust for the larger, stronger United States to pick on a weaker country as they were doing. Grant used his Personal Memoirs as a way to respond to negative criticism immediately following the war, especially present in his description of the Battle of Shiloh . The two leading generals of the Union army at Shiloh were Grant and General Don Carlos Buell and they had very differing accounts of
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#17327880881022288-523: A way to record and publish an account of their public exploits. One early example is that of Julius Caesar 's Commentarii de Bello Gallico , also known as Commentaries on the Gallic Wars . In the work, Caesar describes the battles that took place during the nine years that he spent fighting local armies in the Gallic Wars . His second memoir, Commentarii de Bello Civili (or Commentaries on
2392-884: Is William Hazlitt 's Liber Amoris (1823), a painful examination of the writer's love-life. With the rise of education, cheap newspapers and cheap printing, modern concepts of fame and celebrity began to develop, and the beneficiaries of this were not slow to cash in on this by producing autobiographies. It became the expectation—rather than the exception—that those in the public eye should write about themselves—not only writers such as Charles Dickens (who also incorporated autobiographical elements in his novels) and Anthony Trollope , but also politicians (e.g. Henry Brooks Adams ), philosophers (e.g. John Stuart Mill ), churchmen such as Cardinal Newman , and entertainers such as P. T. Barnum . Increasingly, in accordance with romantic taste, these accounts also began to deal, amongst other topics, with aspects of childhood and upbringing—far removed from
2496-606: Is Grant's military career during the Mexican–American and Civil Wars. Grant's writing has been praised for its conciseness and clarity—a sharp contrast from contemporary Civil War memoirs, which tended to reflect the Victorian fondness for elaborate language. With regard to the Mexican–American War, Grant recorded his belief that it had been waged unjustly: Generally, the officers of the army were indifferent whether
2600-902: Is an early example. Charles Dickens ' David Copperfield is another such classic, and J.D. Salinger 's The Catcher in the Rye is a well-known modern example of fictional autobiography. Charlotte Brontë 's Jane Eyre is yet another example of fictional autobiography, as noted on the front page of the original version. The term may also apply to works of fiction purporting to be autobiographies of real characters, e.g., Robert Nye 's Memoirs of Lord Byron . In antiquity such works were typically entitled apologia , purporting to be self-justification rather than self-documentation. The title of John Henry Newman 's 1864 Christian confessional work Apologia Pro Vita Sua refers to this tradition. The historian Flavius Josephus introduces his autobiography Josephi Vita ( c. 99 ) with self-praise, which
2704-419: Is another example. The spiritual autobiography often serves as an endorsement of the writer's religion. A memoir is slightly different in character from an autobiography. While an autobiography typically focuses on the "life and times" of the writer, a memoir has a narrower, more intimate focus on the author's memories, feelings and emotions. Memoirs have often been written by politicians or military leaders as
2808-479: Is considered one of the great masterpieces of western literature. Peter Abelard 's 12th-century Historia Calamitatum is in the spirit of Augustine's Confessions , an outstanding autobiographical document of its period. In the 15th century, Leonor López de Córdoba , a Spanish noblewoman, wrote her Memorias , which may be the first autobiography in Castillian . Zāhir ud-Dīn Mohammad Bābur , who founded
2912-429: Is followed by a justification of his actions as a Jewish rebel commander of Galilee. The rhetor Libanius ( c. 314 –394) framed his life memoir Oration I (begun in 374) as one of his orations , not of a public kind, but of a literary kind that would not be read aloud in privacy. Augustine of Hippo (354–430) applied the title Confessions to his autobiographical work, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau used
3016-480: Is particularly notable: When I had left camp that morning I had not expected so soon the result that was then taking place, and consequently was in rough garb. I was without a sword, as I usually was when on horseback on the field, and wore a soldier's blouse for a coat, with the shoulder straps of my rank to indicate to the army who I was. When I went into the house I found General Lee. We greeted each other, and after shaking hands took our seats. I had my staff with me,
3120-707: The Army of the Potomac 's final review in Washington in May 1865. Grant deliberately avoids comment on Reconstruction , apart from saying that he favored black suffrage. The final chapter, "Conclusion," is a reflection on the war and its effects, the actions of foreign countries during it, and the reconciliation of North and South. In the final paragraphs, Grant makes note of his own condition and expresses optimism that "Federal and Confederate" can live together. I cannot stay to be
3224-592: The Keats-Shelley museum from a museum the rooms in Rome on Spanish Steps leading up to the Santa Trinita dei Monti church where the poet John Keats and his friend Joseph Severn spent Keats's final months in 1821. Percy Shelley resided temporarily in a home across the steps. Johnson served as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy from April 1920 to July 1921 and represented the United States as an observer at
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3328-585: The Memoirs immense contemporary interest. The Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant received universal acclaim on its publication and has remained highly regarded by the general public, military historians, and literary critics. Positive attention is often directed toward Grant's prose, which has been praised as lean, intelligent and effective. He candidly depicts his battles against both the Confederates and his internal Army foes. Grant and his wife Julia took
3432-562: The Mexican-American and Civil Wars . Grant suffered greatly in his final year. He was in constant pain from his illness and was sometimes beset by choking episodes that only abated after Grant had vomited a large quantity of blood. Despite his condition, he wrote at a furious pace, sometimes finishing 25 to 50 pages a day. The cancer spread through his body and at his doctor's urging in June 1885 to make his last weeks more comfortable
3536-541: The Mughal dynasty of South Asia kept a journal Bāburnāma ( Chagatai / Persian : بابر نامہ ; literally: "Book of Babur" or "Letters of Babur" ) which was written between 1493 and 1529. One of the first great autobiographies of the Renaissance is that of the sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571), written between 1556 and 1558, and entitled by him simply Vita ( Italian : Life ). He declares at
3640-533: The US State Department . The Italian government decorated him in recognition of his work for good relations between Italy and the United States. For his service in securing international copyright, he received the honorary A.M. degree from Yale University, the decoration of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor in 1891, and the Cavaliers of the Crown of Italy in 1895. In addition, Johnson was made
3744-616: The Battle of Shiloh, I, as well as thousands of other citizens, believed that the rebellion against the Government would collapse suddenly and soon, if decisive victory could be gained over any of its armies. … After Shiloh, I gave up all idea of saving the Union except by complete conquest. … The Northern troops were never more cruel than the necessities of war required." Geoffrey Perret , the author of Ulysses S. Grant: Soldier and President staunchly disagreed with Grant's assertion that he
3848-628: The Catholic, and the Jew; and from the various societies of the land—scientific, educational, religious or otherwise. Politics did not enter into the matter at all. I am not egotist enough to suppose all this significance should be given because I was the object of it. But the war between the States was a very bloody and a very costly war. One side or the other had to yield principles they deemed dearer than life before it could be brought to an end. I commanded
3952-551: The Century contract. Knowing the former general's reputation for stubbornness, Twain privately fretted that 24 hours would not be enough time to convince Grant to change his mind. In the end it was Grant's sense of honor, coupled with his fear the memoirs would prove a flop, that persuaded him to accept Twain's plan: Twain had recommended Charles Webster Publishing, a new house run by his wife's nephew and largely capitalized by Twain himself. A subscription would not require Grant to put
4056-577: The Civil War ) is an account of the events that took place between 49 and 48 BC in the civil war against Gnaeus Pompeius and the Senate . Leonor López de Córdoba (1362–1420) wrote what is supposed to be the first autobiography in Spanish. The English Civil War (1642–1651) provoked a number of examples of this genre, including works by Sir Edmund Ludlow and Sir John Reresby . French examples from
4160-430: The Civil War he often spoke of his recent experiences, typically "in terse and often eloquent language." Grant had told and retold his war stories so many times that writing his Memoirs was often simply a matter of repetition and polish instead of a more typical summarization of his recollections. This fact, as much as any reticence to discuss his childhood or presidency, may account for the Memoirs ' overwhelming focus on
4264-467: The Hall of Fame of New York University , he helped shape its principles "to instill in both Americans and foreigners, and especially in the youth, the principle of patriotism, a healthy conservatism, and reverence for the traditions of high achievement" along with "respect for scholarship and at the best traditions and standards; secondly, maintenance of the dignity and insistence on the value of literature and
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4368-660: The San Remo conference of the Supreme Council of the League. The Italian government decorated him in recognition of his work to promote good relations between Italy and the United States. In 1916, he was pallbearer for the funeral of Alexander Wilson Drake , director of the Century Magazine art department, and a notable engraver from New Jersey . Johnson's activities during World War I allowed him to "present
4472-721: The US ranged from his position at The Century as an officer of the Copyright League, lobbying Members of Congress, participation in a conference to secure support from labor unions, negotiating with the Congressional conference committee. Johnson was called the father of international copyright law . Johnson advocated for the forest reservation system and a scientific national conservation policy. In 1889, after Johnson and naturalist John Muir met in San Francisco,
4576-507: The United States. In his first week on the job, he represented the United States as an observer at the San Remo conference of the Supreme Council of the League (1920.) In his biography, he describes in some detail lamenting the lack of an official record of the proceedings or decisions despite meaningful topics such as Armenia , the status of Constantinople , Yugoslavia , borders and troop positions in Italy, Germany as well as Palestine and
4680-495: The Zionists. "It is amazing how frequently Italy seemed to be in the throes of an inescapable crisis, which, however, passed by like a summer storm – much noise and turmoil but little damage." Informed by his research into the Civil War, he visited the lower Alps battlefields. His duties were largely socially diplomatic but included conversations with American businesses interested in working in Italy, including Charles M. Schwab, and
4784-457: The annexation was consummated or not; but not so all of them. For myself, I was bitterly opposed to the measure, and to this day regard the war, which resulted, as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory. His account of Lee 's surrender at Appomattox Court House
4888-462: The anti-sex and anti-marriage Manichaeism in attempts to seek sexual morality; and his subsequent return to Christianity due to his embracement of Skepticism and the New Academy movement (developing the view that sex is good, and that virginity is better, comparing the former to silver and the latter to gold; Augustine's views subsequently strongly influenced Western theology ). Confessions
4992-557: The arts; and thirdly, realization that its authority must rest on the experience and the achievement of its members." (RY) He became permanent secretary of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, whose formation started in 1899 with Johnson successfully proposing the charter from Congress (1916), the purchase of the Venetian Renaissance home on 155th Street, NYC, and the raising of funds for an endowment noting
5096-400: The author's departure in May 1885. Badeau eventually settled with Grant's heirs for $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 339,000 in 2023) in the fall of 1888. The Memoirs are divided into two volumes. The autobiography is unusual, but not unique, in that large sections of Grant's life such as his childhood and the presidency are given either brief mention or not discussed at all. The focus of the book
5200-471: The autobiographer's review of their own life. Autobiographical works are by nature subjective. The inability—or unwillingness—of the author to accurately recall memories has in certain cases resulted in misleading or incorrect information. Some sociologists and psychologists have noted that autobiography offers the author the ability to recreate history. Spiritual autobiography is an account of an author's struggle or journey towards God, followed by conversion
5304-707: The basis of Grant's Memoirs . He married Katharine McMahon in Washington, DC, on August 31, 1876. They had a son, Owen McMahon Johnson (1878–1952), who became an American writer in his own right, and a daughter, Agnes McMahon Johnson (1880–1968). After their honeymoon, which included attendance at the Philadelphia Exhibition , the couple relocated to the Murray Hill neighborhood in New York City. While in New York City, Johnson's love of nature and exploration extended to outings and ramblings. He
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#17327880881025408-449: The battle. Many criticized Grant for being tremendously unprepared and Buell goes as far as to credit himself for the victory, while Grant proclaims the opposite story, stating the Union win was inevitable. Grant was able to use this book to portray his own personal memories of the events of the war and dispute any negative press he may have received. Grant also used his Personal Memoirs to explain his battlefield action and his motives for
5512-479: The book received universal critical praise. Twain compared the Memoirs to Julius Caesar 's autobiographical Commentaries on the Gallic Wars . British cultural critic Matthew Arnold praised both Grant and his book in an 1886 essay. Twain, however, felt Arnold's tone was condescending, and the two authors feuded until Arnold's death in 1888. Writer Gertrude Stein also admired the book, saying she could not think of Grant without weeping. The Memoirs quickly became
5616-448: The book's actual printing. This made the Memoirs one of the bestselling books of the 19th century, in its first year outselling even the publishing behemoth Uncle Tom's Cabin —an extremely unusual result for a non-fiction book. By way of comparison, the memoirs of Grant's colleague William Tecumseh Sherman , published in 1876, were an immense financial success for their author, selling 25,000 copies during its first decade in print. In
5720-423: The book's composition, often offering advice on a page-by-page basis as he sat next to his furiously scribbling friend. Despite his worsening condition and the constant pain it produced, Grant wrote as a man possessed. During the evenings Twain would read all pages produced during that day and make suggestions to enhance consistency and tone. These evening readings often amounted to an astonishing fifty pages of draft,
5824-581: The creation of Yosemite National Park in California in 1890 and 1913. He served as chairman of a national commission for preserving that area and is credited with writing the bill. Muir dedicated his book The Yosemite to Johnson. Johnson also persistently, though vainly, opposed the city of San Francisco, California 's acquisition of the Hetch-Hetchy Valley as a reservoir. In 1906, in letters to President Theodore Roosevelt , he proposed
5928-443: The critical and commercial success in the United States of such memoirs as Angela’s Ashes and The Color of Water , more and more people have been encouraged to try their hand at this genre. Maggie Nelson 's book The Argonauts is one of the recent autobiographies. Maggie Nelson calls it autotheory —a combination of autobiography and critical theory. A genre where the "claim for truth" overlaps with fictional elements though
6032-557: The dedication: "These volumes are dedicated to the American Soldier and Sailor. / U. S. Grant / New York City / May 23rd, 1885." There are also numerous facsimile letters and correspondence bound into Volume II. The press and public followed Grant's symptoms throughout his final year, and his work on the book was well known. While interest in his memoirs would have been high had Grant not been ill, his struggle to finish it before his death gave it even more attention. On release,
6136-486: The earlier tradition of a life story told as an act of Christian witness, the book describes Margery Kempe 's pilgrimages to the Holy Land and Rome , her attempts to negotiate a celibate marriage with her husband, and most of all her religious experiences as a Christian mystic. Extracts from the book were published in the early sixteenth century but the whole text was published for the first time only in 1936. Possibly
6240-447: The end Grant's widow, Julia , received about $ 450,000 ($ 15,300,000 in 2023) from Twain during the first three years of publication, suggesting that Grant received around 30% of each sale (i.e., a 30% royalty rate). Despite being explicitly written for money, and with a focus on those aspects of Grant's life most likely to induce sales, the combination of an honest man exploited in a financial scheme and then marked for death by cancer lent
6344-553: The family moved to a cottage in Mount MacGregor, New York . He raced to finish the book, propped up in chairs and too weak to walk. Friends, admirers, and even a few former Confederate opponents made their way to Mount MacGregor to pay their respects. Grant completed the manuscript on July 18; he died five days later. In the early stages of writing his Memoirs Grant had the assistance of Adam Badeau , an author and former army officer, who had served on Grant's staff during
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#17327880881026448-465: The firm. But Grant was largely disengaged from the company's business, often signing papers without reading them. This proved disastrous, as Ward had used the firm as a Ponzi scheme , taking investors' money and spending it on personal items, including a mansion in Connecticut and a brownstone in New York City. Grant & Ward failed in May 1884, leaving Grant penniless. That fall, the elder Grant
6552-583: The first publicly available autobiography written in English was Captain John Smith's autobiography published in 1630 which was regarded by many as not much more than a collection of tall tales told by someone of doubtful veracity. This changed with the publication of Philip Barbour's definitive biography in 1964 which, amongst other things, established independent factual bases for many of Smith's "tall tales", many of which could not have been known by Smith at
6656-506: The future of the United States Army" by applying "maximum firepower, maximum mobility" while relying on "the wide envelopment" as his principal form of maneuver. Given over a century of favorable literary analysis, according to reviewer Mark Perry , the Memoirs are "the most significant work" of American non-fiction . I had been comparing the memoirs with Caesar 's Commentaries . …I was able to say in all sincerity, that
6760-454: The hands of an early Ponzi scheme . The set was published by Mark Twain shortly after Grant's death in July 1885. Twain was a close personal friend of Grant and used his fame and talent to promote the books. Understanding that sales of the book would restore the Grant family's finances and provide for his widow, Twain created a unique marketing system designed to reach millions of veterans with
6864-640: The indebtedness to the 'finest Spanish scholar in America, Archer M. Huntington ' and culminating in 1904 (?). The first members to be inducted by secret ballot of their peers were William Dean Howells , Augustus Saint-Gaudens , Edmund Clarence Stedman , John La Farge , Mark Twain , John Hay and Edward MacDowell . The second group inducted at the first meeting were Henry James , Charles Follen McKim , Henry Adams , Charles Eliot Norton , John Quincy Adams Ward , Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury , Theodore Roosevelt , and Thomas Bailey Aldrich . A core of fifty members
6968-454: The junior Grant. Ward was described by his great-grandson Geoffrey Ward as "a very plausible, charming, unobtrusive, slender person with a genius for finding older people and pleasing them, which he learned early on." The firm of Grant & Ward did well at first, bolstered by Ward's skills and Grant's name. The former president bragged to friends that he was worth two and a half million dollars, and family members and friends poured money into
7072-599: The little-known facts of Italy's important contributions to the Allied cause, and that in general, I had written much in prose and verse in admiration of that country and her people." In 1917, he organized and was chairman of the American Poets' Ambulances in Italy. In four months, this organization presented 112 ambulances and 37 field hospitals to the Italian army, built with Ford chassis from Milan. From 1918 to 19, he
7176-544: The memoirs was published by The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press . Titled The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant: The Complete Annotated Edition , it was edited by John F. Marszalek (Executive Director of the Ulysses S. Grant Association from 2008 to 2022), with David S. Nolen and Louie P. Gallo. They completed the project in order to contextualize the memoirs for the modern reader. In 2018, The Annotated Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant , edited by Elizabeth D. Samet ,
7280-500: The money Twain had invested in Charles Webster at risk to publish his memoirs, as the capital necessary for publication and distribution would have been generated by subscription prior to printing. Such was Twain's faith in Grant's prose and the national interest in his thoughts that he gave Grant a sizeable advance anyway. It is not known how large a role Twain's own financial difficulties played in his decision to intervene in
7384-430: The next three hundred years conformed to them. Another autobiography of the period is De vita propria , by the Italian mathematician, physician and astrologer Gerolamo Cardano (1574). One of the first autobiographies written in an Indian language was Ardhakathānaka , written by Banarasidas , who was a Shrimal Jain businessman and poet of Mughal India . The poetic autobiography Ardhakathānaka (The Half Story),
7488-504: The object of our meeting. After the conversation had run on in this style for some time, General Lee called my attention to the object of our meeting, and said that he had asked for this interview for the purpose of getting from me the terms I proposed to give his army. Grant also makes asides to clear up legends that had grown up around his leadership. After dismissing one tale, Grant wrote "Like many other stories, it would be very good if it were only true." The narrative ends shortly after
7592-438: The principles of "Cellinian" autobiography. From the 17th century onwards, "scandalous memoirs" by supposed libertines , serving a public taste for titillation, have been frequently published. Typically pseudonymous , they were (and are) largely works of fiction written by ghostwriters . So-called "autobiographies" of modern professional athletes and media celebrities—and to a lesser extent about politicians—generally written by
7696-421: The public eye, Grant was unknown to many people. After the war, Grant's close colleague, General William T. Sherman remarked that, although he had known Grant for decades, "to me he is a mystery, and I believe he is a mystery to himself." In his Personal Memoirs , Grant portrayed himself as representative character of the North. In volume 1, he describes his family background and points to his simple upbringing as
7800-415: The publication of Grant's memoirs or in his suggestion that the former president use a publisher in which Twain was a significant investor. Notwithstanding the money Twain stood to make from the successful publication of Grant's memoirs, the final terms agreed upon were immensely favorable to the dying man: he or his heirs would receive 70% of all profits generated by subscriptions and sales of the memoir, plus
7904-479: The reason for his solid, restrained virtues of a normal Northerner. Grant goes to the point of declaring himself as "unmilitary" while continually stressing his simple nature. Grant stated that he did not even want to attend West Point, only going because his father thought it would be best, as Grant believed "a military life had no charms for me." Grant wrote of his participation in the Mexican War of 1846–1848,
8008-440: The receipt of his letter, were sad and depressed. I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse. I do not question, however, the sincerity of the great mass of those who were opposed to us ... We soon fell into
8112-430: The same high merits distinguished both books—clarity of statement, directness, simplicity, unpretentiousness, manifest truthfulness, fairness and justice toward friend and foe alike, soldierly candor and frankness, and soldierly avoidance of flowery speech. I placed the two books side by side upon the same high level, and I still think that they belonged there. On October 16, 2017, the first completely annotated edition of
8216-474: The same period include the memoirs of Cardinal de Retz (1614–1679) and the Duc de Saint-Simon . The term "fictional autobiography" signifies novels about a fictional character written as though the character were writing their own autobiography, meaning that the character is the first-person narrator and that the novel addresses both internal and external experiences of the character. Daniel Defoe 's Moll Flanders
8320-615: The same title in the 18th century, initiating the chain of confessional and sometimes racy and highly self-critical autobiographies of the Romantic era and beyond. Augustine's was arguably the first Western autobiography ever written, and became an influential model for Christian writers throughout the Middle Ages . It tells of the hedonistic lifestyle Augustine lived for a time within his youth, associating with young men who boasted of their sexual exploits; his following and leaving of
8424-400: The start: "No matter what sort he is, everyone who has to his credit what are or really seem great achievements, if he cares for truth and goodness, ought to write the story of his own life in his own hand; but no one should venture on such a splendid undertaking before he is over forty." These criteria for autobiography generally persisted until recent times, and most serious autobiographies of
8528-455: The time of writing unless he was actually present at the events recounted. Other notable English autobiographies of the 17th century include those of Lord Herbert of Cherbury (1643, published 1764) and John Bunyan ( Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners , 1666). Jarena Lee (1783–1864) was the first African American woman to have a published biography in the United States. Following
8632-430: The trend of Romanticism , which greatly emphasized the role and the nature of the individual, and in the footsteps of Jean-Jacques Rousseau 's Confessions , a more intimate form of autobiography, exploring the subject's emotions, came into fashion. Stendhal 's autobiographical writings of the 1830s, The Life of Henry Brulard and Memoirs of an Egotist , are both avowedly influenced by Rousseau. An English example
8736-606: The two camped out together at Soda Springs , in Yosemite Valley; subsequently, in a letter, Johnson encouraged Muir to "start an association" to help protect California's natural wonders, especially the Yosemite ;– his repeated urging eventually inspired the formation of the Sierra Club in 1892. Leveraging the influence of The Century in conjunction with Muir, Johnson was one of the driving forces behind
8840-457: The valley', he wrote a poem by that name, sent out a press appeal, and 'hundreds of dolls' were distributed to the Val." He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy from April 1920 to July 1921 and represented the United States as an observer at the San Remo conference of the Supreme Council of the League. The Italian government decorated him in recognition of his work for good relations between Italy and
8944-521: The war. Badeau left before the project was complete, having disputed with Grant and his family concerning how much he would be paid and how he would be credited for his research, editing , and fact-checking . This led Badeau to initiate and spread the persistent rumor (before the book was even published) that Twain ghostwrote Grant's memoirs. In fact, the original manuscript is written in only Grant's handwriting. Grant's son Frederick took over many of Badeau's fact-checking and research responsibilities after
9048-420: The way he led. After the war, Grant was portrayed as a ruthless leader who stopped at nothing to make sure the South was destroyed. However, Grant felt this was a harsh evaluation and sought to improve the public opinion of himself and defend the fact he believed he was a simple and fair man. Grant felt he was being abused by newspaper coverage that he believed was shoddy, inaccurate and defeatist. He stated, "Up to
9152-426: The whole of the mighty host engaged on the victorious side. I was, no matter whether deservedly so or not, a representative of that side of the controversy. It is a significant and gratifying fact that Confederates should have joined heartily in this spontaneous move. I hope the good feeling inaugurated may continue to the end. The work was published in a two-volume set after his death. Grant's printed signature followed
9256-495: The work still purports to be autobiographical is autofiction . Robert Underwood Johnson Robert Underwood Johnson (January 12, 1853 – October 14, 1937) was an American writer , poet , and diplomat . Robert Underwood Johnson was born in Centerville, Indiana , on January 12, 1853. His brother Henry Underwood Johnson became a member of Congress from that district (1881-1889). His father, Nimrod Hoge Johnson,
9360-843: Was a lawyer and judge. His mother, Catherine Coyle Underwood, was a suffragette . He was schooled in Calvinist Presbyterianism by his uncle by marriage, the Reverend Charles H. Raymond, who served as chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Texas at Washington before its admission as a state of the Union and by Quakerism of the Johnsons. He attended the Quaker Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, beginning at age fourteen and graduated with
9464-600: Was a proponent of the establishment of international copyright protections. As secretary of the American Copyright League, he helped pass the Law of 1891, for which the French and Italian governments decorated him. The silver fruit stand honoring his role is in the Academy of Arts & Letters collection. Johnson's role in the creation, initial passage, and reauthorization of the act to end intellectual piracy in
9568-485: Was acting out of necessity and declared Grant's wartime conquests were against his Northern virtues. In Perret's eyes, Grant was "above all a soldier, and not a reluctant one." Perret argued that Grant in fact liked West Point, had few reservations at the time about the Mexican War and was a very good junior officer. Perret backs these accusations with the fact Grant, while appointed the General-in-Chief, "evolved
9672-908: Was also an organizer in 1904 and permanent secretary of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an outgrowth of the National Institute of Arts and Letters, of which he had also been secretary. He was a member of the National Citizens Committee of the Third Hague Conference, the Independence Hall Conference to found the League to Enforce Peace, the National Association of American Speech, the Civil Service Reform Association, Sons of
9776-579: Was composed in Braj Bhasa , an early dialect of Hindi linked with the region around Mathura .In his autobiography, he describes his transition from an unruly youth, to a religious realization by the time the work was composed. The work also is notable for many details of life in Mughal times. The earliest known autobiography written in English is the Book of Margery Kempe , written in 1438. Following in
9880-482: Was diagnosed with terminal throat cancer. Long before his diagnosis Grant wrote a series of articles analyzing many of the battles he had overseen. The Century Company published these articles in their flagship periodical, Century Magazine . Century paid Grant a flat author's fee of $ 500 (nearly $ 16,000 in 2024) per article. The essays were well received by critics and in 1876 the editor of Century Magazine, Robert Underwood Johnson , suggested Grant expand them into
9984-432: Was in its present sense, by Robert Southey in 1809. Despite only being named early in the nineteenth century, first-person autobiographical writing originates in antiquity. Roy Pascal differentiates autobiography from the periodic self-reflective mode of journal or diary writing by noting that "[autobiography] is a review of a life from a particular moment in time, while the diary, however reflective it may be, moves through
10088-533: Was inducted and, in 1908, adopted a constitution. "The value of a great institution, like the value of a great personality, lies in the potentiality of its influence. Our national ideas need to be firmly established and maintained on an intellectual plane. ... We also need a revival of the gospel that the glory of man is his mind and his soul; and to remember that these, as well as the body, are exposed to starvation and dwarfism and disease and blindness." • In his book Remembered Yesterdays: "The Temple", Johnson wrote
10192-458: Was on the point of picking up his pen as the novelist arrived. Twain intervened in the signing and asked to read the contract himself. After finishing his review Twain declared the term giving Grant 10% of all sales was insultingly low and amounted to exploitation of the former president's dire situation. Twain insisted that he could secure a far more favorable publishing contract for Grant and pressed him for his proxy in new negotiations. Grant felt
10296-418: Was preparing to publish his own Adventures of Huckleberry Finn through a subscription plan. This involved door-to-door salesmen (often Civil War veterans) who collected upfront fees by which the eventual publication would be financed. Without a publisher's capital in play to cover printing and distribution, subscription gave the author far more power in determining their eventual share of sales. Further, under
10400-572: Was president of the New York Committee of the Italian War Relief Fund of America. He raised $ 235,000, distributed all over Italy "not merely to minister to the suffering but to show Italians everywhere the sympathy and cooperation of America…the blind, prevention or cure of tuberculosis among children of veterans, benevolent work of San Gregorio in Rome." After being shown a photograph of a child holding 'the only doll in
10504-483: Was published by Liveright Publishing Corporation. Autobiography An autobiography , sometimes informally called an autobio , is a self-written biography of one's own life. The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English periodical The Monthly Review , when he suggested the word as a hybrid, but condemned it as "pedantic". However, its next recorded use
10608-618: Was surrounded by social friends for musical and literary evenings and consumed all art forms, including opera and theater. His friends from the US and abroad included Tommaso Salvini , Paderewski , the Clemenses , Kipling and Eleonora Duse . By the 1890s, Johnson and his wife became friends with the inventor Nikola Tesla , for whom Johnson wrote a poem. He also collaborated with Tesla transliterating Serbian poems by Jovan Jovanović Zmaj in The Century Magazine . Johnson
10712-400: Was the editing of "Century War Series" (1883) and the subsequent four volumes Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (1887–88), to raise circulation (by 100,000), was a series on the great battles of the Civil War from the point of view of officers on both sides based on accounts sourced from soldiers' family records. Johnson secured four papers from General Ulysses S. Grant , which later formed
10816-467: Was unable to conceal his disapproval at how little money he thought Grant stood to earn if he agreed to Century's terms. Twain dropped everything and rushed to New York City from his home in Hartford , Connecticut . When Twain entered the Grant home on 66th St. he noticed Grant's eldest son, Frederick reviewing the Century contract one final time before his father signed it. Twain recalled that Grant
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