Ulysses Grant
New York, NY, ca. 1885 and 1886
1st Ed. Two Volume Set of the "Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant"
Multivolume

The first edition of Ulysses S. Grant's Personal Memoirs, Two Volume Set. New York: Charles L. Webster & Company, 1885 and 1886. First edition, octavo. Volume I is 584pp, with a frontispiece and 17 maps and illustrations. Featuring a facsimile signature and dedication from Grant on the page adjacent to the copyright page. The inscription reads, ?These volumes are dedicated to the American soldier and sailor/New York City, May 23rd 1885.? Volume II is 647pp, with a frontispiece, 30 maps and illustrations, and 1p of Errata. Bound in dark green cloth, with elegant, presidential gilt seals on the front and back covers, and gilt embossed spines. The floral paper pastedowns and endpapers. The facsimile in Volume I of General Buckner's dispatch is present. The fold-out map at the back of Volume II is present, as is the facsimile of the terms of Lee's surrender. Both volumes have light soiling and scratching to the covers, with additional wear and rubbing to the edges and corners. Slightly cocked binding. The spines are cracked but the binding is sound. Minor toning and stiffness to the internal pages. The foldout dispatch, map, and facsimile letter have creasing with some small tears and separations in places but are otherwise very good.

Grant's finances had been severely strained towards the end of his life, despite his outstanding military service record and the popular role he had performed in public life. To help ease the burden, Grant's friend Mark Twain offered him an advance of $25,000 to complete his memoirs and also provided him with remarkably generous 70% royalty terms. Grant worked feverishly on the memoirs during the remaining months of his life (he had been diagnosed with throat cancer in October 1884.) The memoirs were completed shortly before he died in 1885 and were the first two volumes in Twain's "Shoulder Strap" series. The memoirs proved extremely popular and have since been deemed two of the most important books concerning the Civil War. Sales of the book also provided Grant's widow, Julia Dent Grant, with a substantial nest egg of $450,000 in the mid-1880s.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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6" x 9"