THE BOOK THAT NEARLY WASN'T Magee would spend four years writing his manuscript only to finally discover there were no funds for publication. "Various means of raising money have been tried," Magee wrote, only to be abandoned as failures; and the writer who had spent so much time and money in the gathering of the material, was more than once upon the verge of despair." Finally, company D's former captain--later the regiment's acting commander, Chester Thompson, advanced the money necessary for publication of the book. Magee predicted somewhat gloomily, "Indeed, he will do well if he is so fortunate as to get all his money back." |
HISTORY of the 72d INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY of the MOUNTED LIGHTNING BRIGADE |
BENJAMIN F. MAGEE The above 1882 photograph of the author appeared in his book (Magee was 47 years old). |
BEN MAGEE'S BOOK. This original copy once belonged to John Wesley Hargrave |
Pictured on the first page: the 72nd Indiana's Colonel, Abraham O. Miller. Colonel Miller personally signed this book (below his picture): "A.O. Miller Col 72nd Regt Ind Vol" |
THE RELUCTANT, AND WEARY AUTHOR Benjamin Magee, in the very first line of his preface (certainly written as the last element of his book) made clear his reluctance and reservations about writing a regimental history at all. Magee's six hundred-page saga began thus: "A paraphrase of the 31: 35 of Job would read..."O, that mine enemy would write a book!" And no doubt the old patriarch believed that in no other way could his enemy so completely give himself away. "In early modern times, becoming an author was considered the greatest misfortune that could possibly befall anyone...from the very first my position has been a most unenviable one....I have waded through almost insurmountable difficulties and drained the cup of misfortune and disappointment to the very dregs...I am compelled to say that no amount of money would ever induce me to undertake another such job." |
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