Chapter 5

New York Evening Post.

A GOOD BOOK AND A GOOD DEED.

In the early part of the war Mr. Charles C. Nott, a lawyer in this city, received from General Fremont the appointment of captain of cavalry in a Western regiment. Soon after his entrance into active service he began a series of letters to one of our great public schools, of which he had previously been a trustee. These letters were read in school, were copied and recopied for manuscript circulation, and were at length published during their author's absence, under the title of "Sketches of the War." The first edition met with a ready sale, and when Captain (now Colonel) Nott returned from a year's imprisonment in Texas, he found that it was entirely exhausted. For some months after his return the Colonel devoted his time to organizing a Bureau of Employment for disabled soldiers, but on leaving it to accept the appointment of Judge of the United States Court of Claims, which the late President conferred upon him, he published a second edition of his book, and presented it, with the stereotype plates and five hundred copies, to the Executive Committee of the Bureau of Employment, to be devoted exclusively to the aid of our disabled veterans.

In the early part of the war Mr. Charles C. Nott, a lawyer in this city, received from General Fremont the appointment of captain of cavalry in a Western regiment. Soon after his entrance into active service he began a series of letters to one of our great public schools, of which he had previously been a trustee. These letters were read in school, were copied and recopied for manuscript circulation, and were at length published during their author's absence, under the title of "Sketches of the War." The first edition met with a ready sale, and when Captain (now Colonel) Nott returned from a year's imprisonment in Texas, he found that it was entirely exhausted. For some months after his return the Colonel devoted his time to organizing a Bureau of Employment for disabled soldiers, but on leaving it to accept the appointment of Judge of the United States Court of Claims, which the late President conferred upon him, he published a second edition of his book, and presented it, with the stereotype plates and five hundred copies, to the Executive Committee of the Bureau of Employment, to be devoted exclusively to the aid of our disabled veterans.

The following interesting correspondence took place in March last:

"New York, March 4, 1865."Messrs.Howard Potter,Wm. E. Dodge, Jr., andTheodoreRoosevelt,Ex. Com. Protective War Claim Association:"Gentlemen:—Enclosed you will find an order on my publisher for five hundred copies second edition "Sketches of the War," an assignment of the copyright of that work, and an orderputting the stereotype plates at your disposal so long as you may wish to continue the publication for the benefit of disabled soldiers."I do this, trusting the sale may furnish to some of our greatest sufferers temporary employment. I have also indulged the hope that if our manufacturers should fail to furnish suitable employment to men who have lost an arm or leg, or suffered some equal disability, this little bequest of mine may lead to some similar action on the part of other officers. There is a much stronger tie between officers (who deserve that name) and soldiers than is generally supposed to exist, and I am confident there are numbers in New York who will come forward whenever the necessity is made known to them, and do all in their power to aid those soldiers who bear such unmistakable marks of their honorable service."I remain, gentlemen, very respectfully,"Charles C. Nott."

"New York, March 4, 1865.

"Messrs.Howard Potter,Wm. E. Dodge, Jr., andTheodoreRoosevelt,Ex. Com. Protective War Claim Association:

"Gentlemen:—Enclosed you will find an order on my publisher for five hundred copies second edition "Sketches of the War," an assignment of the copyright of that work, and an orderputting the stereotype plates at your disposal so long as you may wish to continue the publication for the benefit of disabled soldiers.

"I do this, trusting the sale may furnish to some of our greatest sufferers temporary employment. I have also indulged the hope that if our manufacturers should fail to furnish suitable employment to men who have lost an arm or leg, or suffered some equal disability, this little bequest of mine may lead to some similar action on the part of other officers. There is a much stronger tie between officers (who deserve that name) and soldiers than is generally supposed to exist, and I am confident there are numbers in New York who will come forward whenever the necessity is made known to them, and do all in their power to aid those soldiers who bear such unmistakable marks of their honorable service.

"I remain, gentlemen, very respectfully,"Charles C. Nott."

"Hon.C. C. Nott,Judge of Court of Claims, etc., etc.:"Dear Sir:—We have your valued favor of the 4th instant, conveying to us an edition of your admirable 'Sketches of the War,' with the copyright and stereotype plates of the same, for the benefit of disabled soldiers applying for employment at our bureau."We accept the trust most gratefully, the more so as evincing your continued interest in the work you have so ably inaugurated."Congratulating you on the high position to which you have been called, we are, very sincerely, yours,"Howard Potter,"Theodore Roosevelt,"Wm. E. Dodge, Jr.,"Executive Committee.""New York, March 14, 1885."

"Hon.C. C. Nott,Judge of Court of Claims, etc., etc.:

"Dear Sir:—We have your valued favor of the 4th instant, conveying to us an edition of your admirable 'Sketches of the War,' with the copyright and stereotype plates of the same, for the benefit of disabled soldiers applying for employment at our bureau.

"We accept the trust most gratefully, the more so as evincing your continued interest in the work you have so ably inaugurated.

"Congratulating you on the high position to which you have been called, we are, very sincerely, yours,

"Howard Potter,"Theodore Roosevelt,"Wm. E. Dodge, Jr.,"Executive Committee."

"New York, March 14, 1885."

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