The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-10

MosBY aND HIS MEN Record of the Adventures Of
that renowned Partisan Ranger John S. Mosby Colo
mel C. S A., including the exploits OF Smith, Chap
man, Richards, Montjoy, Turner, Russell, Glasscock,
and the men under them By J. Marshall Crawford,
OF Company B. New York: @. ". Carleton & Co.
Charleston John Russell.
This is essentially Virginia book. The heroes,
whose exploits are here celebrated, are nearly all
yirghians, and their sphere of action was almost
exclusively confined to few counties on the South
ern slope of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia. There
are Gkenesses in the book of all the more distin-
euished officers and scouts connected with MosBYs
commsnd; but we do not think the work will have
much of a circulation beyond the borders Of the
Old Dominion.
TIE SHENANDOAH: OR The LAST CONFEDERATE CRUISER,
by Cornelius Z. Hunt Zone of her ofhcers) New York:
q. ". Carleton Co. Charleston: John Russell
Instead Of reading this book, and writing re-
view, we prefer to copy notice Of it from the last
number of the Round Table, which we have no
reason to consider other than just:
The age is rich in puerile books and the public
has grown very lenient but this is even below the
poorest endlrahle standard of weakness and folly.
mere transcript of the log Of the Shenandoah
future use; but the 'heayy ightness" and "seri-
GUS vanity'' of an attempt like MIR. Hunts are fit
for nothing but the paper makers. There has go!
to be so preposterous deluge of sketches and
personal stravels," "Reminiscences" and the like,
and readers have accepted them so toerantly, that
it really seems to be forgotten that, before rushing
into print there is some propriety in learning how
to write English. sailor may be pardoned,
perhaps, for not being literary purist, and we
might forgive occasional inelegances If they were
redeemed BY vigorous style and interesting Incl
dent But the latter essentials are precisely those
in which Mr.. Hunts book is conspicuously
deficient Tho few striking passages which
befeu the Soaking, alias the Shenandoah,
the author with uniform address, contrives to make
dull and commonplace in the narration; while the
staple Of the cruise, devoted as it chiefly was to
destroying blubbery, but otherwise inohensive:
old whalers, can only be reaa with mixture OF
enne and indignation which is anything but agree
able. The attacks, too, upon Captain Waddell,
whether justified by facts or not, have sinister
superior officer whatever the cause, when the lat
ter is placed by circumstances in defenceless po-
sition, and the hearing of his case is thus rem
dered an altogether er p0rte one The book ii
substantially trivial school-boyish, and, worse
than all for this kind Of book, surprisingly dull;
and the dash Of maleyolence which, like the sting
of Martials epigtams, winds up the tale, leaves an
impression az nnfavorable to the authors gener-
osity as the impression previously made is unfa-
vorable to his TASTE culture, and literary capacity.
Trash of this Sort whether written by Northerners
or Southerners has been dealt with Tar too hit
w. and il is high timea little truth were spoken OF
it, if only to warn publishers to be chary Of the
credit Of their imprint, and to have some little re-
spect for the patience, as vol the intelligence
Of their readers.