is the author of a “School history of the United States,” “The story of the Confederate States,” and has contributed articles to the Century and other magazines.
Col. J. J. Dickison, major-general commanding the United Confederate Veterans of Florida, is the author of the war history of that State. He is a native of Virginia, was educated in South Carolina, and became a citizen of Florida in 1856. He was identified with the organization of troops for Confederate service from the beginning, and soon becoming distinguished for ability as a cavalry leader, was entrusted with the defense of the eastern part of the State from the incursions of the enemy who held the seaports. Fighting for Florida from the opening to the close of the war, he was the Marion of his State, and achieved fame throughout the Confederacy.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler, of Alabama, who has prepared for this work an account of the part taken by his State and her people in the great conflict of 1861-65, is beloved by all the people of the South, as he has been since his days of gallant leadership as one of the great cavalry generals of the Confederacy. His laurels were won, and his rank of lieutenant-general attained, before he had reached the age of thirty years. The middle period of his life was given to the civil interests, the restoration of the prosperity, and the re-establishment of the political status of his people, whom he has continuously represented in the United States Congress. In the past year, and just after he had prepared the Alabama war history for this work, he renewed his military reputation as major-general of United States volunteers, commanding the cavalry in the Santiago campaign of the war with Spain, and attracted to himself, in addition to the love of the South, the admiration and pride of fellow-citizenship of the people in all parts of the united nation.
Col. Charles E. Hooker, of Jackson, Miss., author of the military history of that State, entered the Confederate service in 1861 as a volunteer in the First Mississippi regular artillery, and was captain of his company during the siege of Vicksburg, when he lost his left arm. He was surrendered with the army under General Pemberton, and upon being exchanged was promoted to colonel and assigned to duty as a member of the military court for the army of Mississippi. He was leading counsel in the defense of President Jefferson Davis during the trial at Richmond; was selected as the orator for the reunion of the United Confederate veterans at Atlanta, July, 1898, and as a citizen of Mississippi since the war has had honorable prominence as attorney-general for two terms, and member of Congress for sixteen years.
Hon. James D. Porter, author of the military history of Tennessee, entered the Confederate States service in 1861 as adjutant-general, with the rank of captain, on the staff of Gen. B. F. Cheatham, and with promotion to major he was on duty during the course of the war, either as a staff officer or as acting lieutenant-colonel of a regiment. His association with the army of Tennessee peculiarly qualifies him to give a correct account of its operations. His career since the war has been one of prominence. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1870, judge of the western circuit of the State, governor of Tennessee from January, 1875, to January, 1879, assistant secretary of State of the United States during Cleveland's first administration, and minister to Chili in 1892-96.
Col. J. Stoddard Johnston, of Louisville, author of the history of Kentucky for this work, is a native of New Orleans, was reared in Kentucky, and educated at Yale college and the Louisville law school. His service during the war as a staff officer with Generals Bragg, Buckner, Breckinridge and Echols, with the army of Tennessee and in the department of East Tennessee, where the Confederate soldiers of Kentucky were mainly engaged, enables him to follow their record through the four years with intelligence and just appreciation. Since the war period Colonel Johnston has held the offices of adjutant-general and secretary of state of Kentucky.
The preparation of a military history of Missouri was entrusted to Col. John C. Moore, of Kansas City, and his finished work may be confidently submitted to the verdict of the reader. Colonel Moore is well known as an accomplished writer, and for this work he is specially fitted by his Confederate service as a staff officer with Generals Marmaduke and Magruder, and as colonel commanding a regiment with Gen. Jo Shelby. The years that he has given to historical studies bearing on the general Confederate subject, and his complete sympathy with Southern ideas and ideals, have further equipped him for this faithful presentation of Missouri's part in the great conflict.
Col. John M. Harrell, of Hot Springs, Ark., has brought to the preparation of the war history of his State memories of four years service in her defense, and the ripened intellectual powers of a life devoted to the profession of law, in which he yet maintains a high rank. As a staff officer with Generals Holmes and Breckinridge he had opportunities for gaining valuable information regarding the operations which he now describes. As colonel of cavalry, also, and as commander of Cabell's brigade in the latter part of the war, he took a conspicuous part in the campaigns in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Indian Territory. The important military operations in that region, too often neglected in a view of the far-reaching war, are clearly and adequately presented in Colonel Harrell's work.
The military history of Louisiana has found spirited treatment at the hands of John Dimitry, A. M. Mr. Dimitry, now engaged in journalism and literary pursuits, is the eldest son of the late eminent scholar, Prof. Alexander Dimitry, and since his boyhood has been identified with Louisiana. Returning in 1861 from Central America, where he acted as secretary to his father, United States minister, he enlisted in the famous Crescent regiment of New Orleans, and going into battle at Shiloh received a severe and disabling wound. Subsequently he became chief clerk of the post office department at Richmond under Postmaster-General Reagan. He accompanied the presidential party in April, 1865, as far as Washington, Ga. On his return to Louisiana he wrote the famous epitaph for Albert Sidney Johnston, which is now carved upon the tomb erected by the association of the Army of Tennessee, at New Orleans.
Gov. Orin M. Roberts, author of the Texas history, is another who, since the completion of his work, has passed to the reward of an honorable life. He was a native of South Carolina, a descendant of Revolutionary ancestors, a graduate of the university of Alabama, and in 1840 a settler in Texas. As a lawyer at San Augustine he gained distinction; became district judge, and later associate justice of the supreme court. In 860 he was president of the State convention called to decide the future status of the commonwealth. When the war began, he organized a regiment, of which he became colonel, serving until the close of hostilities with a creditable record. He was elected to the United States senate immediately after the war, but was refused his seat; was chief justice of Texas 1874-78, and governor of the State 1878-84. Subsequently he was for ten years professor of law in the State university.
The illustrations include portraits of the leaders of the Confederacy, both in the civil administration and on the field of battle. Maps have been especially engraved to show each State as it was in the war period, indicating the battlefields and routes of important military movements. A great many battle maps are also given, where possible from Confederate sources, for which the publishers are indebted to the admirable atlas accompanying the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
The biographical department of this work includes sketches of the lives of the President, Vice-President and cabinet, other prominent officials of the government, and the war governors, and covers every grade in the military service. It has been the object of the Editor and Publishers to present brief biographies of every general officer commissioned by the Confederate States as such, and in addition, of as many of subordinate grades as would give to the reader and preserve for the study of future ages an adequate picture of that wonderful and unsurpassed character-flower of the manhood of the century now hurrying to an end — the Confederate Soldier.
Confederate Publishing Company.
LEGAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE SOUTH IN SECESSION.
The Southern States have shared the fate of all conquered peoples. The conquerors write their history. Power in the ascendant not only makes laws, but controls public opinion. This precedent should make the late Confederates the more anxious to keep before the public the facts of their history, that impartial writers may weigh and properly estimate them in making up the verdict of an unbiased posterity. Besides, as they have been the objects of persistent misrepresentation, and authentic records have been perverted to their prejudice,