Die Armeelieferung | 25 Sept. 1898
The following article is a translation of Mark Twain's "The Facts in the Case of the Great Beef Contract" which was originally published in the The Galaxy in 1870 (9:5, 718-721). The version below might be a shortened reprint of Wilhelm Thal's translation (published in Der Deutsche correspondent: Die Armeelieferung | 10 Sept. 1897).
Key to annotations on German translations of Mark Twain's original texts
| Transcription | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Die Armeelieferung | The army provisions delivery |
| Humoristische Skizze aus dem Bürgerkriege, von Mark Twain. | {Humorous sketch from the Civil War, by Mark Twain.} |
| Gelegentlich der Klagen, welche während des letzten Krieges über die Armeelieferungen laut geworden sind, berichtet Mark Twain ein köstliches Stückchen ans dem Bürgerkriege und über den bureaukratischen Zopf, der damals herrschte: | {On the occasion of the complaints that were made about the provision supplies to the army during the last war, Mark Twain gives a delightful account of the Civil War and the bureaucratic hassle that prevailed at that time:} |
| John Wilson Mackenzie aus Rotterdam, Provinz Chemung, Staat New Jersey, zur Zeit schon verstorben, hatte am 10. Oktober 1861 einen Vertrag mit den Ver. Staaten auf Lieferung von 30 Tonnen Pökelfleisch, lieferbar an die Armee des General Sherman, abgeschlossen. Die Sache erscheint ziemlich einfach, aber, als Mackenzie die Waare abliefern wollte, hatte der General Washington verlassen und sich nach Manassas begeben. John Wilson reiste ihm mit seinen Tonnen nach, aber er kam zu spät. Sherman war nach Nashville aufgebrochen, von Nashville nach Chattanooga und von Chattanooga nach Atlanta. | <In as few words as possible I wish to lay before the nation what share, howsoever small, I have had in this matter - this matter which has so exercised the public mind, engendered so much ill-feeling, and so filled the newspapers of both continents with distorted statements and extravagant comments. The origin of this distressful thing was this - and I assert here that every fact in the following resume can be amply proved by the official records of the General Government:> John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county, New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government, on or about the 10th day of October, 1861, to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef. Very well. {This seemed easy enough.} He started after Sherman with the beef, but when he got to Washington Sherman had gone to Manassas; so he took the beef and followed him there, but arrived too late; <he followed him to Nashville> {Sherman had gone to Nashville}, and from Nashville to Chattanooga, and from Chattanooga to Atlanta <- but he never could over take him>. |
| Wieder tauchte John mit seinem Pökelfleische auf, er hoffte den General wenigstens am Ufer des Meeres zu treffen, aber auch diesmal kam er wieder einige Tage zu spät. | <At Atlanta he took a fresh start and followed him clear through his march to the sea.> {Again John appeared with his beef hoping to, at last, catch up with the General at the coast.} He arrived too late again by a few days, |
| Nun erfuhr er, Sherman hätte sich auf dem Schiffe „The Quäker City“ nach dem heiligen Lande eingeschifft, und so reiste er selbst nach Beirut, natürlich immer in Begleitung seiner Pökelfleisch-Tonnen. Als er in Jerusalem ankam, erfuhr er, daß der General „The Quäker-City“ niemals betreten, sondern, daß er gegen die Prärie-Indianer ausgezogen sei. | but hearing that Sherman was going out in the Quaker City excursion to the Holy Land, he took shipping for Beirut, {of course accompanied by his barrels of beef} <calculating to head off the other vessel>. When he arrived in Jerusalem with his beef, he learned that Sherman had not sailed in the Quaker City, but had gone to the Plains to fight the Indians. |
| Er kehrte also nach Amerika zurück und wandte sich den Rocky Mountains zu. Nach einer mühsamen Reise von 68 Tagen fiel der arme Wilson, als er sich ungefähr viertaufend Meilen vom Hauptquartier Shermans befand, unter dem Tomahawk der Indianer, die sich des Pökelfleisches bemächtigten, nachdem sie den Lieferanten skalpirt hatten. Nur ein einziges Tönnchen entging der Plünderung und fiel den Soldaten Shermans in die Hände, so daß Mackenzie seinen Vertrag selbst noch nach seinem Tode zum Theil erfüllen konnte. In seinem Testamente hinterließ er seine Schuldforderung seinem Sohne Bartholomäus. Dieser stellte kurz vor seinem Tode folgende Rechnung aus: | He returned to America and started for the Rocky Mountains. After eighteen ["sixty-eight"] days of arduous travel on the Plains, and when he had got within four ["four thousand"] miles of Sherman's headquarters, he was tomahawked and scalped, and the Indians got the beef. They got all of it but one barrel. Sherman's army captured that, and so, even in death, the bold navigator partly fulfilled his contract. In his will, which he had kept like a journal, he bequeathed the contract to his son Bartholomew <W.>. Bartholomew <W.>. made out the following bill and then died: |
| 30 Tonnen Pökelfleisch á $100 gleich $3000; Reise uud Transportkosten $14,000, zusammen $17,000. | <The United States in acct. with John wilson Mackenzie, of New Jersey. deceased, Dr.> To thirty barrels of beef <for General Sherman>, at $100 - $3,000 To travelling expenses and transportation - $14,000 Total - $17,000 <Rec'd Pay't.> |
| Als der Sohn John Wilsons gestorben war, ging die Schuldforderung in die Hände von William Martin über, welcher ebenfalls darüber hinweg starb und sie einem gewissen Barker Allen vermachte. Anson Rogers, der diesen Barker beerbte, bemühte sich eifrigst, zu seinem Gelde zu gelangen, aber der Tod raffte ihn hinweg, nachdem er neun Controlbureaus seine Sache vorgetragen; einer seiner Verwandten aus Connecticut, ein gewisser Hopkins, folgte ihm und starb, als er bis zum zwölften Controlbureau vorgedrungen war; er vermachte sein Guthaben einem seiner Onkel, Charles Johnson; der Unglückliche hatte nicht die Kraft zu einem solchen Kampfe; seine letzten Worte waren: „Weint nicht um mich, mit amerikanischen Behörden kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.“ Sieben andere Personen erbten diese berühmte Schuldforderung und theilten das Schicksal ihrer Vorgänger. | He died then; but [translated as "When John Wilson's son died,"] he left the contract to Wm. <J.> Martin, who tried to collect it, but died before he got through. He left it to Barker <J.> Allen, <and he tried to collect it also>. He did not survive. Barker <J.> Allen left it to Anson <G.> Rogers, who attempted to collect it, and got along as far as the Ninth Auditor's office, when Death, the great Leveller, came all unsummoned, and foreclosed on him also [translated as "when he died"]. He left the bill to a relative of his in Connecticut, <Vengeance> Hopkins by name, who <lasted four weeks and two days, and made the best time on record, coming within one of reaching> {died when he had reached} the Twelfth Auditor. In his will he gave the contract bill to his uncle, by the name of O-be-joyful ["Charles"] Johnson. It was too undermining <for Joyful> [translated as "The unfortunate man had not the strength for such a fight"]. His last words were: “Weep not for me <- I am willing to go> {with American government agencies, even gods fight in vain}.” And so he was, poor soul. Seven people inherited the contract after that. But they all died. |
| Endlich ließ mich einer meiner Verwandten, Bethlehem Hubbard aus Indiana, mit dem ich längere Zeit erzürnt gewesen, an sein Todtenbett rufen, versöhnte sich mit mir und übergab mir weinend die Schuldforderung über das Pökelfleisch. | So it came into my hands at last. It fell to me through a relative by the name of Hubbard - Bethlehem Hubbard, of Indiana. He had had a grudge against me for a long time; but in his last moments he sent for me, and forgave me everything, and weeping gave me the beef contract. |
| *** | {***} |
| So stand die Sache, als das berühmte Dokument in meine Hände fiel. Ich reiste mit meiner Schuldforderung ab und suchte den Präsidenten der Ver. Staaten auf. | This ends the history of it up to the time that I succeeded to the property. I will now endeavor to set myself straight <before the nation> in everything that concerns my share in the matter. I took this beef contract, and the bill for mileage and transportation, to the President of the United States. |
| „Was wünschen Sie, mein Herr?“ fragte er mich. | He said: “Well, Sir, what can I do for you?” I said: |
| „Sire, erwiderte ich, John Wilson Mackenzie aus Rotterdam, Provinz Chemung, Staat New Jersey, zur Zeit verstorben, hatte am 10. October 1861 einen Vertrag mit den Ver. Staaten auf Lieferung von 30 Tonnen Pökelfleisch, lieferbar an die Armee des Generals Sherman, abgeschlossen.“ | “Sire: On <or about> the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county, New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef - ” |
| Bei dieser Stelle unterbrach mich der Präsident und verabschiedete mich höflich, aber entschlossen. Dann besuchte ich den Staatssekretär, den Marine-Minister, den Minister des Innern, den General-Postmeister, den Minister der Landwirthschaft, brauchte dazu zwei Wochen und wurde überall um schleunigen Rückzug ersucht, da keiner der Herren etwas mit Pökelfleisch zu thun hatte. Ich bekam schließlich doch noch eine Auskunft; man erklärte mir kurz und bündig, ich sollte mich mit meiner Forderung an den öffentlichen Schatz wenden. | He stopped me there, and dismissed me from his presence - kindly, but firmly. The next day I called on the Secretary of State. <He said: “Well, Sir?” I said: “Your Royal Highness: On or about the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county, New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef - ” “That will do, Sir - that will do; this office has nothing to do with contracts for beef.” I was bowed out. I thought the matter all over, and finally, the following day, I visited> the Secretary of the Navy, <who said, “Speak quickly, Sir; do not keep me waiting.” I said: “Your Royal Highness: On or about the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Mackenzie, of Rotterdam, Chemung county, New Jersey, deceased, contracted with the General Government to furnish to General Sherman the sum total of thirty barrels of beef - ” Well, it was as far as I could get. He had nothing to do with beef contracts for General Sherman either. I began to think it was a curious kind of a Government. It looked somewhat as if they wanted to get out of paying for that beef. The following day I went to> the Secretary of the Interior. <I said: “Your Imperial Highness: On or about the 10th day of October - ” “That is sufficient, Sir - I have heard of you before. Go - take your infamous beef contract out of this establishment. The Interior Department has nothing whatever to do with subsistence for the army.” I went away. But I was exasperated now. I said I would haunt them; I would infest every department of this iniquitous Government till that contract business was settled; I would collect that bill, or fall as fell my predecessors, trying. I assailed the Postmaster-General; I besieged> the Agricultural Department; <I waylaid the Speaker of the House of Representatives. They had nothing to do with army contracts for beef I moved upon the Commissioner of the Patent Office. I said: “Your august Excellency: On or about - ” “Perdition! have you got here with your incendiary beef contract, at last? We have nothing to do with beef contracts for the army, my dear Sir.” “Oh, that is all very well - but somebody has got to pay for that beef. It has got to be paid now, too, or I'll confiscate this old Patent Office and everything in it.” “But, my dear Sir - ” “It don't make any difference, Sir. The Patent Office is liable for that beef, I reckon; and liable or not liable, the Patent Office has got to pay for it.” Never mind the details. It ended in a fight. The Patent Office won. But I found out something to my advantage.> {It took me two weeks and I was asked everywhere to leave promptly, as none of the gentlemen had anything to do with beef. Eventually I did get some information.} I was told that the Treasury Department was the proper place for me to go to. |
| Ich befolgte den guten Rath; nach nur dreistündigem Warten führte man mich zu dem Schatzmeister. | I went there [translated as "I followed the advice"]. I waited two hours and a half ["three hours"], and then I was admitted to the First Lord of the Treasury. |
| „Hochedler, würdiger und erlauchter Herr,“ sagte ich, mich verneigend. „Am 10. October l861 hatte John Wilson Mackenzie....“ | I said: “Most noble, grave and reverend Signor: On <or about> the 10th day of October, 1861, John Wilson Macken - ” |
| „Es ist gut, mein Herr, man hat mir schon von Ihnen erzählt, gehen Sie zu meinem ersten Rath.“ | “That is sufficient, Sir. I have heard of you. Go to the First Auditor of the Treasury.” |
| Ich begab mich schleunigst zu dem ersten Rath, der mich zum zweiten schickte. Der zweite schickte mich zum dritten und der dritte sandte mich zum ersten Kontroleur der Abtheilung für Pökelfleisch. | I did so. He sent me to the Second Auditor. The Second Auditor sent me to the Third, and the Third sent me to the First Comptroller of the Corn-Beef Division. <This began to look like business. He examined his books and all his loose papers, but found no minute of the beef contract. I went to the Second Comptroller of the Corn-Beef Division. He examined his books and his loose papers, but with no success. I was encouraged.> |
| Im Laufe der Woche kam ich bis zum sechsten Controleur, in der folgenden Woche war ich beim Reklamations-Bureau angelangt, und acht Tage darauf warf man mich aus dem Bureau der verlorenen Rechnungen hinaus. | During that week I got as far as the Sixth Comptroller in that division; the next week I got through the Claims Department; the third week I began and completed the Mislaid Contracts Department, <and got a foothold in the Dead Reckoning Department. I finished that in three days.> |
| Jetzt blieb mir nur noch eine Behörde, das Bureau der diversen Angelegenheiten. | There was only one place left for it now. I laid siege to the Commissioner of Odds and Ends. |
| Ich suchte den Vorsteher auf. Er war ausgegangen. In dem Zimmer, welches ich betrat, saßen etwa fünfzehn junge, hübsche Damen und machten unter der Leitung von sieben jungen Leuten Notizen in große Bücher. Die Damen lächelten, die jungen Leute lächelten, und alle waren vergnügt, wie bei einer Hochzeit. | <To his clerk, rather -> he was not there himself [translated as "he had gone out"]. There were sixteen ["fifteen"] beautiful young ladies in the room, writing in books, and there were seven well favored young clerks showing them how. The young women smiled up over their shoulders, and the clerks smiled back at them, and all went merry as a marriage bell. <Two or three clerks that were reading the newspapers looked at me rather hard, but went on reading, and nobody said anything. However, I had been used to this kind of alacrity from Fourth Assistant-Junior Clerks all through my eventful career, from the very day I entered the first office of the Corn-Beef Bureau clear till I passed out of the last one in the Dead Reckoning Division. I had got so accomplished by this time that I could stand on one foot from the moment I entered an office till a clerk spoke to me, without changing more than two, or maybe three times. So I stood there till I had changed four different times. Then I said to one of the clerks who was reading: “Illustrious Vagrant, where is the Grand Turk?” “What do you mean, Sir? whom do you mean? If you mean the Chief of the Bureau, he is out.“ ”Will he visit the harem to-day?“ The young man glared upon me a while, and then went on reading his paper. But I knew the ways of those clerks. I knew I was safe, if he got through before another New York mail arrived. He only had two more papers left.> |
| Nach ziemlich langer Pause fragte mich ein junger Mann, was ich wünschte. | After a while <he finished them, and then he yawned, and> {one of the young men}asked me what I wanted. |
| „Am 10. October 1861....“ | “<Renowned and honored Imbecile:> On <or about> {the 10th day of October} ” |
| „Ah! Sie sind der Mann mit der Pökelfleischlieferung, geben Sie mir Ihre Papiere.“ | “You are the beef contract man. Give me your papers.” |
| *** | {***} |
| Ich beeilte mich, ihm dieselben zu übergeben und er blätterte etwa anderthalb Stunden in seinen Akten. Endlich sah ich, daß er das betreffende Fascikel und die auf das Pökelfleisch lautenden Stücke gefunden hatte. Ich war tief gerührt und im Uebermaß meiner Freude sagte ich zu ihm: | {I hurried to pass them to him} <He took them>, and for a long time he ransacked his odds and ends. Finally <he found the North-West Passage, as I regarded it -> he found the long-lost record of that beef contract <- he found the rock upon which so many of my ancestors had split before they ever got to it>. I was deeply moved. And yet I rejoiced <- for I had survived>. I said with emotion, |
| „Geben Sie mir bitte, das Dokument. Die Regierung kann mir jetzt die Bezahlung meiner Forderung nicht mehr verweigern.“ Er wandte mir den Rücken und meinte, es wären noch einige Formalitäten zu erfüllen. | “Give it me. The Government will settle now.” He waved me back, and said there was something [translated as "there were some formalities"] yet to be done first. |
| „Erstens,“ fragte er mich, „wo ist dieser John Wilson Mackenzie?“ | “{Firstly:} Where is this John Wilson Mackenzie?” said he. |
| „Er ist todt. Ein Tomahawk hat ihn umgebracht.“ | “Dead.<” “When did he die?” “He didn't die at all - he was killed.” “How?” “>Tomahawked.” |
| „Wer hat ihn mit diesem Tomahawk umgebracht?“ | “Who tomahawked him?” |
| „Natürlich ein Indianer, oder glauben Sie vielleicht, daß es ein Schulmeister war?“ | “Why, an Indian, of course. You didn't suppose it was a superintendent of a Sunday school, did you?” |
| „Nein, wer war dieser Indianer?“ | “No. <An Indian, was it?” “The same.” “>Name of the Indian?” |
| „Das weiß ich nicht.“ | “<His name!> I don't know his name.” |
| „Wir müssen seinen Namen haben; wer hat gesehen, daß dieser Mackenzie getödtet wurde?“ | “Must have his name. Who saw the tomahawking done?” |
| „Das weiß ich nicht.“ | “I don't know.” |
| „Sie waren also nicht bei seinem Tode?“ | “You were not present yourself then?” |
| „Meine unbeschädigte Kopfhaut beweist es Ihnen zur Genüge.“ | “Which you can see by my hair. I was absent.” <“Then how do you know that Mackenzie is dead?” “Because he certainly died at that time, and I have ever reason to believe that he has been dead ever since. I know he has, in fact.” “We must have proofs. Have you got the Indian?” “Of course not.”> |
| „Wir müssen den Indianer haben. Haben Sie den Tomahawk aufgefunden?“ | “Well, you must get him. Have you got the tomahawk?” |
| „Ich gestehe aufrichtig, ich habe an so etwas gar nicht gedacht.“ | “I never thought of such a thing.” |
| „Wir müssen den Tomahawk haben und den Indianer, der sich seiner bediente. Können Sie die Beweise vom Hinscheiden Mackenzie's beibringen, so dürfen Sie Ihren Fall der Kommission für streitige Angelegenheiten unterbreiten; Sie haben dann Aussicht, daß Ihre Kinder eines Tages die Summe bekommen, die Sie heute reklamiren. Aber ich kann Ihnen schon heute sagen, daß die Regierung niemals die Transport- und Reisekosten bezahlen wird, welche Herr Mackenzie beansprucht! - Man wird Ihnen vielleicht die eine Tonne ersetzen, welche die Soldaten Sherman's wirklich bekommen haben, was aber die anderen 29 Tonnen, welche die Indianer geplündert haben, anbetrifft, so brauchen Sie sich keiner Hoffnung hinzugeben.“ | “You must get the tomahawk. You must produce the Indian and the tomahawk. If Mackenzie's death can be proven by these, you can then go before the commission appointed to audit claims, with some show of getting your bill under such headway that your children may possibly live to receive the money and enjoy it. <But that man's death must be proven.> However, I may as well tell you that the Government will never pay that transportation and those travelling expenses of the lamented Mackenzie. It may possibly pay for the barrel of beef that Sherman's soldiers captured, <if you can get a relief bill through Congress making an appropriation for that purpose;> but it will not pay for the twenty-nine barrels the Indians ate.” |
| „Warum haben mir der erste und der zweite und der dritte Kontroleur nicht gesagt, wie die Sache steht? Warum hat man mich in den Bureaus und in den Abtheilungen, an die ich mich gewandt habe, nicht unterrichtet?“ | “<Then there is only a hundred dollars due me, and that isn't certain! After all Mackenzie's travels in Europe, Asia, and America with that beef; after all his trials and tribulations and transportation; after the slaughter of all those innocents that tried to collect that bill!> Young man, why didn't the First Comptroller of the Corn-Beef Division tell me this?” <“He didn't know anything about the genuineness of your claim.”> “Why didn't the Second tell me? why didn't the Third? why didn't all those divisions and departments tell me?” |
| „Das konnte Niemand. Hier geht Alles ordnungsmäßig zu; Sie haben den richtigen Weg eingeschlagen und man hat Ihnen die betreffende Auskunft ertheilt. Das war das Einzige, was Sie thun konnten. Wir gehen langsam, aber sicher vor!“ | “None of them knew. We do things by routine here. You have followed the routine and found out what you wanted to know. It is the best way. It is the only way. It is very <regular, and very> slow, but it is very certain.” |
| „Ich will Ihnen was sagen, junger Bureaukrat, Sie lieben jenes entzückende Geschöpf mit den blauen Augen, die dort die Feder hinter dem Ohr hat, ich sehe es an Ihren verliebten Blicken. Sie möchten sie heirathen, aber Sie haben kein Vermögen. Geben Sie mir Ihre Hand, junger Mann, hier haben Sie die Forderung über das Pökelfleisch, nehmen Sie sie und seien Sie glücklich! Gott segne Euch, meine Kinder!“ | “<Yes, certain death. It has been, to the most of our tribe. I begin to feel that I, too, am called.> Young man, you love the bright creature yonder with the gentle blue eyes and the steel pens behind her ears - I see it in your soft glances; you wish to marry her - but you are poor. Here, hold out your hand - here is the beef contract; go, take her and be happy! Heaven bless you, my children!” |
| *** | {***} |
| Damit verließ ich das Bureau. Der Beamte, dem ich die Schuldforderung übergeben, ist seitdem gestorben; von der Tonne Pökelfleisch habe ich nie wieder etwas gehört: Gott habe sie beide selig! | <This is all that I know about the great beef contract, that has created so much talk in the community.> {Thus I left the bureau, delighted to have done a good deed.} The clerk to whom I bequeathed it died. I know nothing further about the contract <or any one connected with it. I only know that if a man lives long enough, he can trace a thing through the Circumlocution Office of Washington, and find out, after much labor and trouble and delay, that which he could have found out on the first day if the business of the Circumlocution Office were as ingeniously systematized as it would be if it were a great private mercantile institution.> {God bless both of them!} |