The New York herald., 1879-10-28
"ANNAI.s OF THE WAR. !"

1.-THE Annals of the War. written by Leading Ear
tcipants, North and South" is the title OF hano-
some volume of 800 pages. issued by the fniiaoei-
phia Times Publishing Company. The contents con-
sist of of articles which originally appeared
in the weekly edition of the Tunes ana they cover
ground but little touched before Inc writers are
not all .eadns participants though the list affords
sufcient leayen to warrant the of the word for
we find in tho long list the names. General I. D..
Imboden. General G. T. Beauregard, General
G. NJ. Wilcox General James Longstreet GEN
eral James H. Wilson, General Maury. Gen.
eral John McCsusland, General Alfred Pleas
onton Secretary Gideon Wellcs and others
equally well known. The articles themselves can
not be properly called historical. but they are inn
portant affordng material for future historians
for they present facts personally known to be true
to the authors and therefore cannot fail to be of
value in the future The fact that many of the gen.
tlemen who have contributed their quota to this
bulky volume are not SO well known those we
have mentioned does not detract from the value Of
the book, for it is only by opening the door to all
that authentic material can be gathered.
General Longstreet describes the campaign Of Lee
in Pennsylvania. and has also a chapter "The
Mistakes of Gettysburg" viewed from Con-
federate standpoint. He claims that had Lee seen
on the first day the advantages of his posi-
tion tl annals of the war would probably
have been Vastly different. He assumes that neither
Meade Lee appreciated the full extent Of their
opportunities when they first found themselves face
to face. This is probably correct view, for we
know that Meade relied more on the dogged deter
mnation of his veterans than on his own skill,
though he too good soldier not to take prompt
advantage of the natural advantages Of the ground
on which Lees tardiness had placed his army.
General McCausland. the cavalry leader who burned
<xru-
paper, in which he states what his orders
were and tho reasons that led to the step.
Colonel Diddle writes "Meade at Gettys-
burg" and furnishes q tolerably clear state
ment of the tactical movements Of the four days
In that memorable month Of July. He. however, is
in error W hen describing the seizure Of the Little
Round Top, for he says that General Warron had
taken possession Of that important point reay the
key to Meades left before Longstreet had attacked
and doubled up the Third corps. under Sickles. In
point of fact. tho Little Round Top was in posses
sion Of considerable Confederate force at the very
moment that the Fifth corps arrived on the ground
10 succor the Third. When Sickles' command had
fallen back and the Fifth faced the brunt Of Long
streets assault General Warren ordered Vincent's
aud Weeds brigades to storm the Round
Top. The position speedily taken. but not
without some desperate fighting. for among the
killed were both of the brigade commanders and
ORourke. the gallant colonel of the 14oth Now York
We make this correction. not to condemn the whole
chapter, but to show how easily errors may creep
into a work Of this kind.
To the general reader. especially Of the rising gen.
esaon who seeks to obtain idea of the actual
and campaigns witnessed by the actors themselves
these "Annals OF the Late War" supply want long
felt. Being entirely distinct from each other. the
chapters may be read at random ut long intervals
and the information stored in the memory just when
it happens be fitted receive the Impressions Of
the writer. As such it will be welcomed by those
unable to gather libraries. and should have large
sale.