Southern History of the War

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1864. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. The auther, in preienting to the public a second edition cf ais work, has taken occasion to correct somo errors, to make material annotations, and to add a supplementary chapter, traeing the progress and developments of the war from the coneluding point of the first year of its history to the period of publieation. Ho desires to make his grateful acknowledgments for the favor with which his work has already boon received by the public) for Humorous kind notices of ihe newspaper (truss, Himi for wntiU of Mipoiimijuiflwit spoken by ninny whom he U proud In mil his friends, The, success with which his work has so far met, being unprecedented, ho belicves, In the literary enterprises of the South, has surprised and gratified the auther, lie protests, hewever, that, under any eireumstanees, he has but littlo literary vanity to be inflated; that he composed his work in haste, with neither timo nor purpose to polish his stylo, or to eaptivato the tasto 01 readers, and that he is content to aseribe the success of Lis book to the fact that, theugh rudely written and imperfect in many particulars, it is, as he believes, henest, fair, independent, and outspoken. While such has becn the general character of the reception givon his book by the public, the auther is sensible that somo attacks havo becn made upon it from malieious and disappointed sourees, and that the honest record which he has attempted of the truth of history, has boon eneountered by many unjust, ignorant, and contemptible eritieisms, emanating mainly from favorites of the government and literary slatterns in the Departments. The auther has mado no attempt to coneiliate either theso ereatures or their masters; he is not in thu habit of toadying to great men, and courting such publ...