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Show CENERAL SHERMAN'S memoirs. II Papers und rii r Vlue Wnjr lie Did ot Write au Autoll"grphy. New York World. Tho public may not know that General Gen-eral (Sherman's death was watched with an eagerness that had in it much of sordid longing for gain. For throe years before the veteran's death he was literally besieged by publishers and their agents for his memoirs and maps. The enormous amount of money made by General Grant's memoirs, and tho great fortune which resulted from the publication of (Sheridan's biography, lifted General Sherman into great promineuco as a speculative figure. The value of his biography will unquestionably unques-tionably bo greater from a military and literary standpoint than those of Graut or Sheridan, for Sherman kept every scrap of pappr used during his campaigns, cam-paigns, and he had his entire experience in tabulated form. He was a man of orderly habit of thought and for twenty years after the war ended ho worked steadily over the details of tho great conflict. As ho wn the last of the three great and heroic figures of the war, the prcsuro upon him for his biography was enormous. It is no secret that General Sherman's heirs were responsible for his refusal to give up his papers and prepare an autobiography. There is no doubt that he felt inclined on many occasions to undertake the work, and that he was very anxious to see a life written which should be, absolutely occuratc. On many occasions ho received oilers ranging rang-ing as high as $."0,'ot)0 in cash and 10 per cont royalty, and he always took these offers under serious consideration. considera-tion. Rut the opposition of his heirs invariably prevailed. They were not sellish, though, of course, it is understood under-stood that a biography of a hero is more valuable after his death than before it. The general's children were afraid the additional strain of preparing the work might have a disquiting etlect upon the old soldier's" declining years. |