Lengthy and historically important Autographed Letter Signed to his editor on personal letterhead

PULESTON, Fred (1864 - 1930)

Published by Daytona Beach, 1929

About this Item

8 pages (front and back), 11 x 8.5 inches, Dayton Beach, August 5, 1929, apologizing for not sending her the manuscript for "African Drums," as Farrar & Rinehart had decided to publish it, and then writing seven and a half additional pages to refute socialite Anne Campbell's accounts of Captain Thomas Horn's "historical" book explorations in Africa, in small part: ".Mrs. Campbell says she knew Captain Horn. Well I think she has him mixed with some other man for she says he was with Hattan & Cooksman 10 years before she reached Africa. I wonder why Horn does not mention Mrs. Campbell in his book? The reason is because he did not know her. Mrs. Campbell says she only finds one error in his book, the one where he accuses Livingston of having black mistresses. It's a puzzle to me why they bug poor Livingston -- they do not seem to realize that Livingston died in 1873, eight years before Campbell reached Africa and that Mary, his wife, died nearly 20 years before. Lots of time for a little scandal to die down yet her letter gives you the idea it was current scandal, whereas, there never was the slightest scandal until Horn started it. Then, if that is the only error, such ridiculous stuff as Horn shipping pickled gorillas to President Grant -- pickled apes, peacocks, etc. to London, his charting of a river as the Admiral of a Cannibal fleet, exploring more of Africa than Stanley is all true.[She] cannot find something more important than me saying that Horn did not rescue Cecil Rhodes. Cecil Rhodes was never rescued by Horn from a crocodile; the facts neither Mrs. Campbell nor Mr. Lewis know what they are talking about." On the subject of rescuing Nina from Peru from the Cannibals, Puleston writes: "If Nina went to Peru then she never returned, but if she did return.she must have returned by the next steamer for Horn did not rescue her until 1884 and Campbell left Africa in 1887 -- too short an interval. Mrs. Campbell conveys to me the impression they knew Nina in Gabon. Well -- if she did, then Nina was never a captive up the Ogrove by Cannibals, for she could not be in five places at one time. If Nina was a product of Gabon then she spoke English and French and yet Horn says she and he made signs to each other. I think Mrs. Campbell is terribly mixed -- probably she is thinking of some good looking octoroon who had been educated at the mission station for Horn's Nina was simply a savage.I did not make the slightest criticism of the book -- but -- when he publicly accused Stanley of killing his men and took to himself the credit of exploring more of Africa than Stanley then I along with Viztetley of the Literary Digest -- got busy.You may be surprised to learn that Stanley was quite snobbish but Stanley's life was so horribly horribly hard (starvation, fighting, sickness, intrigue and all kinds of difficulties) that he lost it all. When you read my manuscript -- you will say like I do 'if you know Africa, the literal truth is interesting and thrilling enough'." This small portion of a most remarkable letter was written when Puleston was the last surviving member of Stanley%u2019s famous expedition. Except for signed books, Puleston is exceedingly rare in letters concerning Africa. Boldly signed twice, natural folds plus a few creases, some portions underlined in pencil; very good(-) condition. English-born adventurer and explorer who left home at 17 and went to Africa as an agent for Hattan & Cooksman. Soon thereafter he became well acquainted with Sir Henry Morton Stanley, becoming a member of the latter's last expedition into the interior, before becoming British consul to the Congo at the age of 25. He later traveled to the United States where he became an accomplished physician/surgeon and the head of the Puleston Sanitarium. In 1930 he released a bestselling book titled "African Drums.".

Seller Inventory # 272670

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Lengthy and historically important Autographed Letter Signed to his editor on personal letterhead
• Publisher: Daytona Beach
• Publication Date: 1929
• Binding: unbound
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • AFRICA
  • EXPEDITION
  • TRAVEL
  • CONGO