slc/mt
Oct. 13.
My Dear Sir:
The woman is a fraud—her assertions are without any foundation whatever. I am very glad you wrote me.1 I have sent a note to the Courier-Journal in which I took the liberty of saying you had inquired of me about Mrs. Bonner—& I then went on to say that I was not in co-partnership with any woman in a book. I asked Mr. Watterson to print my note in case Mrs. B. had been imposing the same story upon him. —& if I think she must be the same woman who wrote & asked me once to help her write her book. I declined very positively—& behold she has forged my handwriting, now, I suppose. I thank you very much for writing me about this matter.2
Yrs Truly
Samℓ. L. Clemens 3
Explanatory Notes
In the preparation of this book for the press, I have been greatly aided by the gentleman who has consented
to act as my editor. Although during the war he was on the other side, he has interested himself most heartily in assisting me to
get my narrative into the best shape for presentation to the public, and has shown a remarkable skill in detecting and correcting
errors into which I had inadvertently fallen. I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to him. (Velazquez, 6) The title page gave this summary of the book’s contents: Full Descriptions of the numerous Battles in which she participated as a Confederate Officer; of her Perilous
Performances as a Spy, as a Bearer of Despatches, as a Secret-Service Agent, and as a Blockade-Runner; of her Adventures Behind the
Scenes at Washington, including the Bond Swindle; of her Career as a Bounty and Substitute Broker in New York; of her Travels in
Europe and South America; her Mining Adventures on the Pacific Slope; her Residence among the Mormons; her Love Affairs, Courtships,
Marriages, &c., &c. Bonner’s book has long been accepted as reliable, and she is now thought to have been one of
“as many as 250 women in the ranks of the Confederate army” (Blanton). Worthington, for example, wrote in his
“Editor’s Prefatory Note”: Madame Velazquez, whose enthusiasm for the cause of Southern independence induced her to discard the garments
of her sex, and to assume male attire for the purpose of appearing upon the battle-field, is a typical Southern woman of the war
period; and there are thousands of officers and soldiers who fought in the Confederate armies who can bear testimony, not only to
the valor she displayed in battle, and under many circumstances of difficulty and danger, but to her integrity, her energy, her
ability, and her unblemished reputation. Upon these points, however, it is not necessary to dilate; her story will speak for itself,
and that it is a true story in every particular, there are abundant witnesses whose testimony will not be disputed. (Velazquez, 10) A year passed before Bonner replied to Clemens’s “note to the Courier-Journal”
(that is, the enclosure with the previous letter). She wrote a protest on the letterhead of the Southern Publishing Company of
Atlanta, printers and publishers of “Standard Subscription Books,” which included an advertisement for
“The Woman in Battle, The Greatest War Book Ever Published—Agents Wanted” (CU-MARK): Watterson forwarded Bonner’s letter to Clemens on 22 November 1875, with the following note on the back: On Watterson’s envelope Clemens wrote, “Female fraud.”
The United States collector of customs at New Orleans was James F. Casey, appointed by Grant in March 1873; his
wife was Mrs. Grant’s sister. Clemens wrote on the envelope of McKinney’s letter: “Concerning Mrs
Bonner the fraud.” If McKinney did write again, enclosing a reprint of the 25 August Mobile Register article (see the previous letter, n. 7), his letter is not known to survive (Soards, 204, 926; New York Times: “The Public Service,” 15 Mar 73, 7; “Dispatch to the Associated
Press,” 23 Mar 73, 1; “The wife of Collector Casey . . . ,” Mobile
[Ala.] Register, 18 Oct 74, 1).
Source text(s):Previous publication:
L6, 254–56.
Provenance:donated by Margaret McKinney.
