The Portland daily press., 1889-08-22
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NEW RLlCATtONS.

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, pub
lished by the Century Company, is the valu-
able history of the conflicts of the CT vii war
extant. Neither in the future is there likely
to be anything to rival it or equal it as an ac-
curate and graphic description of the great
conflict Of '61-'65. Almost every one of the
distinguished leaders on both sides have
contributed to the work. In the list appears
the names Of Grant, Sherman, Mcclellan,
Lew Wallace, Beauregard, Longstreet, Fitz-
Hugh Lee, o. o. Howard, Rosecrans. Cor
don, Sigel, and Fremont, besides numerous
others not known to fame, but who held
high positions in the army and took promi-
nent parts in the conflicts they describe.
This work can never be duplicated, for many
of the most distinguished combatants are
dead, and 1t will be but few years before
every one of them has passed away. The
structure If the WORK is such as to ensure
absolute correctness, as far as possible In
human production. 1t comes from first
hands, that is, from men who were personal
ly acquainted with the facts. 1t is written,
too, by men on both sides of the conflict, the
practical effect OF which is TO afford the
reader an impartial narrative of the battles.
Everybody who could throw any light upon
the facts has aided in doing so; generals,
colonies, commodores, captains, private SOL
diers and sailors. private citizens, nurses in
hospitals, etc. The tine of its writing is
suspicious, for twenty years have passed,
and with it the passions that would tend to
bias the writers.
AS a statistical work merely, it is one of
very great value All the statistics relating
to every battle in the civil war; whether by
sea or land; the rosters of every regiment,
brigade and division, with the colonel or
general in command; and the losses in killed,
wounded and missing in both the Union and
Confederate armies. These statistics, espe-
cially for the Confederate army, have only
been attainable within the last few years,
and, consequently, are given correctly for
the first time in this work. The figures,
which have been obtained from government
archives, have been certified to whenever
possible by the officers in command in the
different engagements from all parts of the
country, North and South. The expense of
the work has been very large, several hun
dred thousand dollars being paid to the
writer's alone. In matter of illustrations, the
work is also very notable one. There are
17,0C0 in all, about 1000 of them battle scenes,
showing positions and movements of troops
and vessels in different engagements. Every
one Of these battle scenes is either from
sketch made on the spot, or has been sub
mitted for criticism and review to some one
who was on the spot at the time; conse-
quently their perfect accuracy may be relied
upon. There are over three hundred field
maps. all of which are taken from the off,
cial maps made by the typographical corps,
which accompanied the army, and showing
the exact position of every brigade, battery
and skirmish line, both in the Union and
Confederate armies, on every battlefield.
There are over four hundred portraits of
eminent men on both sides in the war. Many
of these portraits are from pictures loaned
by the families of the men represented, and
show many of our most distinguished men
in feature, dress and attitude, hitherto un-
known to the public.
The work is composed of thirty-two parts,
and the price of each part is 80 cents. Balch
Brothers, Sc Bromfeld street, Boston, are
the New England agents.