Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/202

 192 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Renew yol'R subscription at once, if you would do us a kindness, and help on our good cause. W'e need every cent of the somewhat large amount now due us, and we beg our friends not to put us to the expetise of sending either agents or circular duns after them, but to remit -without delay.

Literary Notices.

THE BLUE AND THE GRAY. By Rev Theodore Gerrish, Private

in the Army of the Potomac, author of " Reminiscences of the War," and

Rev. John's. Hutchinson, Private in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Bangor, Me : Brady, Mace & Co. 1884.

We have received from the publishers (through their agent, Captain James G. Read, corner Fifth and Clay streets, Richmond) a copy of this well gotten-up book. The preface avows as the objects of the book to give a full and impartial history of the campaigns of these two grand armies, showing the relative forces engaged, &c., to preserve the incidents, remi- niscences and amusing anecdotes of the private soldiers of both, and to show the fraternal feelings which now exists between the soldiers of tiiese once fiercely opposing armies.

There are very pleasant introductory letters from Colonel Augustus C. Hamlin, of Maine, and General Fitzhugh Lee, of Virginia.

Not having yet found time to read the book carefully, as we propose doing, we are not yet prepared to say how far tht-se gentlemen have been able to carry out their plan. But a casual dipping into it suffices to show that it is written in very pleasant style and in admirable spirit ; that some of its descriptions are very vivid and life-like; and that it is a valuable con- tribution to an itiside view of the life of the private soldier in both armies. We do not hesitate to advise our friends to buy the book, and we predict for it a wide sale.

As the authors cite Southern Historical Society Papers as among the authorities they have consulted, it may not be gracious in us to say so, yet we feel impelled to add that military critics will not be impressed with their citation of either Lossing or Pollard as authority on any mooted point. After we have studied the book we propose to give, in a full review, our impressions of this first attempt to blend in authorship "The Blue and the Gray." Meantime we wish our friends and brothers — the authors — every success in their venture.

ANECDOTES OF THE CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES. By Brevet Major-General E. D. Townsend, late Adjutant-General United States Army (retired). New York : D. Appleton & Co. 1884.

This is a very entertaining book, well written by one who was in position to see and hear many things of absorbing interest, and gotten up in the style for which the Appletons are famous.

But it would take much stronger testimony than General Townsend has adduced to convince us of the authenticity of the interview he reports be tween General Lee and General Scott, and General Lee and General Thomas. Nor are we satified that E. M. Stanton was a saint. But we will recur to these and some other matters again.