PREFACE.

The class of readers which has been most in the author’smind in preparing the two volumes assigned him in theseries, is that which includes the surviving officers and menwho served in the late war. His aim has been to supple-ment their personal knowledge by the facts which are withinthe reach of recent research, and to give unity and sym-metry to the history of the campaigns here told, by examin-ing each in the light of the plans and purposes of theleaders on both sides.

The limits assigned to the volumes have made it neces-sary to choose between the narration of incidents whichwould enliven the story, and that fulness of strictly militarydetail which seemed necessary to make the several cam-paigns clearly intelligible, and to enable the reader to judge,with some degree of satisfaction, the character of the opera-tions. The former course would perhaps have made thework more popular, but the latter has seemed likely to makeit more useful and to meet the wishes of those for whom ithas been chiefly written. It is still hoped, however, thatthe general reader will not find it difficult to follow themovements described, and that the effort to do so will giveto such a broader understanding of what the great game ofwar really is.

The maps in both volumes are, with two exceptions, re-