New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NAVAL. RECORDS or THE CIVIL WAR.

OFFICIAL REC0RDS or TH N THE fHiV VAR oF'
THE REBELLION. Svo pp $50. "ash'"s''"'
The Government Printing ONCE
Not for a considerable time after war can d
,,. and ;us. history of it be written But with
tho Ianse OF time the facts upon which the Juue-
ments must he founded tend to be forgotten 'uS'
as events begin 10 assume proper perspective '"o
witnesses die. so as the years go on every scrap
nj naner bearing evidence Of any KIND mas in'reas
ING va,uc The growing habit of nations 10 preserve
documents often seemingly unimportant Is one 20
no commended and one for which the historian VI
the future will be exceedingly thankful MANY
valuable books on the civil war have been written,
hu I, is safe to say that the defntive history OF
rho struggle is not yet in existence IN the 'aS' '
wears the Government has noted this fac' anu I'm"
oxtroroa care TO preserve al records ootaihaoie'
."rhe Army War Records" are recognized d. "'''o"S
the most valuable publications OF the ooNei"'i'e"
Thar work is now being followed up oy inc ~
a. the Records OF Both the Union ana Noh'
>-.;os The first volume of this series Is puoishe'
today The preparation OF the Work was M ~
taken IN accordance with an act OF CONGRESS ap
proved on July I, 1884. by Professor James ~ 80.
then librarian Of the Navy Department rrioi ="
tho action OF Congress the department hau 'r'e' u"
c,llec, the war records but little progress hau oee"
made Mr. Solely continued in charge oi '.ie en''
,r,so mill Julv 1890 when he became Assistant
coorc.arv 81 the Navy and his place was taken D!
Lieutenant Commander F. NJ WISE WIN ~
the work until June, 1898. when ne went ~ Sc, So,
Cd Lie
push This officer with the assistance OF MT hoo-
49,, IT woods has published the materials whlch
ho found on hand ready to be compiled anu mas
conc on gathering new records Wherever p'SS'o'e
The collection Of materials mas not pee" 80
Tho official records of the department were Harry
co,,o,ete so far as the correspondence OF coii-
n,anders OF fleets and vessels with the secretary
I'd ,bc,r renorts 10 MIN went but frequently e'-
ters between flag officers ana their supor"'""''
were missing and could only be obtained from PR
vate letter books and papers. Wherever po0H'"!o
those have been secured. on the Confederate sue
Tho records are far less complete \ large part VI
IN, Confederate archives were burned at the crosse
Of the war. and nearly all Of the ohicial uoou-
mems procured are duplicates which were hep' -"
tho personal files of the participants
The plan Of the publication has been 10 dlN'ue .io
work into two principal series, the first concerning
o,nrot,ons on both sides and the second ADMINS
trative matter especially that relating 10 'he ooii
s;ruction and outfit OF the fleets Both by 'he MI"
and South marvellous energy was snow" III 'H,7
direction 4 third series is promised 10 i''0lu'e
such correspondence orders and reports as may "o'
properly be included in the other two Inc p'e'."s
Volume Is the beginning of Series l. III gives '"e
REPORTS Of the operations of the cruisers Iroi' '@"
arv 1861 10 December 81, 1862 the Onioh anu VI"
Tolerate papers are separated. ana the Io'he' %
-, a good deal more than half Of the volume. "mle
This system separates reports concerning 'he SANE
o,oro,iors Il has the advantage of giving greater
continuity to the account Of the movements u
particular vessels and commanders. On uie JUN
hand this continuity is somewhat sacrhlced pS Inv
chronological arrangement Of documents frequent
" the story of operations in one region Is in'e'
r,n,ed nv papers bearing other affairs which nap
,oned 10 be written in the interval between TWO re-
norris on the first topic. This. however was "o' ~
he avoided in volume made up OF de'ac"eu wv"
rcents and wherever possible. even with some ue-
r,,,ra from strict chronological rue papers deal
ing with the same subject have been kept toge'her'
This IS perhaps all that may reasonably oe IN
rected for the work is frankly COLLECTION OF I'd"
material and not a history. There is not 'le s'sIi'-
est attempt at narrative or explanatory "oeS i"s
letters and reports are set down 10 tel 'he' o""
.., or ~ enable writers TO use them in making
a story.
The volume begins with Of the orders TO as
senllo the fleet from foreign stations and the cor
respondsnce OF civilians relative to the protection OF
commerce from Confederate prvateers After that
,ntc-nzt for a time is largely centred in the west
Inacs and the correspondence shows palmer than
the statement OF any historian the untrlehdIy us
,,o.:ion o, France and Great Britain toward the
Federal Government. The petty restrictions p'dce'
uoon United States vessels under the guise or heu-
,~,,.,. while every chance was given 10 the Con-
p leratA vessels TO coal. ship and escape re-
c,rs viydlv the attitude taken by the ola Word
officials toward Navy cary in the century Inc
papers in the Trent affair occupy large amount
of space and the attempts of American vesses 10
capture or keep from sailing the privateers htiei
ont in English ports admirably illustrator
ny rc:orts Of various officers Preoes I'M
fortunate failure TO keep the prvateer FLORIDA
from entering Mobile Harbor. and his dismissal from
tho service ana subsequent restoration are re-
counted The Confederate records cover mucn the
same ground Their most interesting features are
The rep,rts OF Commander Semmes 20 the Confed-
crate Government and his correspondence with the
English French and Spanish authorities al various
r,or.s with whom he maintained friendly relations
Voluminous extracts are also given from MS Jour
mas when commanding the Sumter and Alabama.
Pictures OF the most important Union and Confed-
crate vessels mentioned in the text are included
and the intention Is announced Of giving IN futu'e
volume; illustrations OF each class or type OF yes
Gels referred TO- order TO preserve the identity OF
,bose ships as they actually appeared during the
The editors express the hope that the pubhcaton
90 this first volume viii revive interest in the war
history 10 such an extent to lead persons In pos
session of papers bearing the naval struggle 10
hiring them to the attention Of the department II
is 70 be hoped that they viii be gratihed; Tor the
work so far accomplished gives promise or Vaiua-
BILE addition 10 the sources OF war history. IL -
all the more valuable in that ii deals with naval
oratIons for that branch of the service has never
had its fun share of credit for It's work in the sup
prcssion of the rebellion owing, perhaps, TO the
moro popular interest in the army, which came SO
much more closely home to the people