In 1884, a stenographer was hired so General Grant could dictate his memoirs. According to A. B. Paine's biography, "Webster & Co. offered to supply [Grant] with a stenographer, and this proved a great relief." The stenographer's name was Noble E. Dawson. I've known about some of Dawson's later activities for many years but only came across that Twain connection over the weekend. In 1894, Dawson wrote an article about his experiences with Grant (and Twain) for the Philadelphia Inquirer that can be found online at: Grant's Last Years http://www.mscomm.com/~ulysses/page60.html I'm sure all of you have been wondering what happened to that stenographer after Grant finished his memoirs :-) so here's what I know about his later years. On November 28, 1899, Dawson was fired from his job as confidential clerk to Gen. Nelson A. Miles in the War Dept. for sending out an official letter that made fun of President McKinley's tour through the western states. From 1900 to at least 1903, he was treasurer of the Washington (D.C.) Anti- Imperialist League and secretary of the Washington Liberty League that succeeded it. From 1903 through 1906, Dawson represented Rebecca J. Taylor after she was fired from her job as a clerk at the War Dept. in May of 1902 for publishing an article in the Washington Post that was critical of President Roosevelt. He handled her reinstatement case from the local appeals level to the Supreme Court. The December 1906 Supreme Court decision against Taylor is online at: http://laws.findlaw.com/us/203/461.html . Twain was also acquainted with and corresponded with William A. Croffut who was secretary of the Washington Anti-Imperialist League and president of the Washington Liberty League. Dawson's name was listed on the organization's stationery but I don't know if Twain would have made the connection, and they don't seem to have corresponded during those years. Does anyone happen to know anything else about Dawson? Jim Zwick