“Grant and Twain: The Men and the Memoirs”

By Professor Earnest Veritas · Originally published December 2021 · p. 30

Samuel Clemens, left, was portrayed by Warren Brown, and General Grant portrayed by Curt Fields, PhD.

Presented in Papillion, Nebraska, for the celebration of Papillion 150th

By Professor Earnest Veritas, Special Correspondent to the Civil War News

Twain and Grant on stage at the Chrysalis Event Center.

Papillion, Nebraska, is a town born because of the transcontinental railroad crossing the plains. General of the Army, Ulysses S. Grant, kept an eye on its progress after the war and after being elected President. The last spike was driven only weeks after he took office in March 1869. One prominent man involved in completing the railroad was General Grenville Dodge. He was a general during the Civil War under Grant and served as Grant’s spy master; among other duties. The presentation “Grant and Twain: The Men and the Memoirs” is a two-man presentation about their lives and friendship and encompasses a meeting to discuss publishing Grant’s Memoirs. In the first of two parts, President Grant and Samuel Clemens each separately talk about their upbringing and life in general. In this discussion, it is shown how they were influenced and how similar their lives were. After an intermission, they are shown meeting at the president’s home in New York City talking about getting Grant’s memoirs published. The deals by Century Publishing and Charles Webster and Company are discussed to reveal what President Grant was considering and why. The former president, now broke and heavily in debt, is hesitant for Clemens

Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant. New York: Charles Webster, 1885. First Edition in original publisher’s deluxe Morocco of Grant’s memoirs, illustrated throughout with numerous steel engravings, facsimiles, and over forty maps. Written during the final days of Grant’s life and seen through to publication by Mark Twain, the Memoirs provide a personal and poignant record of some of the most significant events in American history. These two volumes sold for $3,000 by 1stDibs.com.

to do the job. Why he went with Clemens company Charles Webster is explained. The dialogue was presented in Papillion, Neb., for one of the Papillion 150th celebration events. A statement released by the Papillion Historical Society described the event, in part: “This was such a fun event! We hope they come back and do this again! As part of commemorating Papillion’s 150th anniversary, the City of Papillion and Papillion Area Historical Society partnered to host a performance of “Grant and Twain: The Men and The Memoirs.” The performance was Oct. 3, 3 p.m. at Papillion Landing in the Chrysalis Event Center. The event was for all ages and free to attend. This two-act play is co-written by living history scholars Dr. Curt Fields and Warren Brown. The play tells the little-known story of the friendship between Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain and how the unlikely journey of their lives respectively culminated in the publication of one of the greatest American novels and one of the most remarkable American military memoirs. This intriguing, yet often overlooked story provides insights into their early years, their families, their friendship, and their profound, defining partnership and its conclusion in 1885. Fields and Brown were available for a Q&A session after the performance.” The performance was funded by the Nebraska Humanities, led by Humanities Nebraska executive director, Chris Sommerich. Sommerich was at the presentation and chatted with the President and Mr. Clemens after the presentation. The presentation ran about 90 minutes with an intermission. After the presentation, President Grant and Mr. Clemens answered questions from the audience. More information about this presentation is available on the Facebook page – Grant and Twain: The Men and the Memoirs. Simply put, always endeavor to tell the simple truth; simply. Professor E. Veritas Humanities Nebraska executive

director,

Chris