The age-herald., 1901-05-26
THE LAST VOLUME HAS BEEN PRINTED The Historical Record of Civil
 War is Complete OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS Required to Collect and Compile the Date for the Records of the
 War Between the States
 Now Published.
OVER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

From the New York Sun.
 Washington-The last volume of text of the Union and Confederate Records of the Rebellion" has just been issued and the work is completed except for the gen eral indexes and supplemental volumes of statistics. which will be finished within the coming fiscal year. It has cost the government upward of three million dol lars to collect compile and publish these records, which in their printed form in- clude. as the preface states, everything having any apparent historical value ,'' such value being determined by the con- pliers. The entire issue, excluding the general index and statistical volumes now in press, is comprised in 127 books of an average of 1000 pages each, or an aggre- gate of 127OOO pages of printed matter.
 In the preface to the first edition of his personal memoirs, dated St. Louis, Jan uary 21, 1875, General Sherman referred somewhat sarcastically to the delay in issuing the book. At that time not a volume in its present form had appeared. He said: At the rate of progress for the last ten years S~--~~~-S come before they are published"
 This sheer was doubtless thrown out for the purpose of expediting the work. Little did the old hero imagine at the time that twenty-five years would be consumed in its publication, and no more did he com prehend the scope of the work. At that time it was estimated that forty volumes would fulfill all the requirements.
 Ten years later in a preface to the sec ond edition of his revised memoirs, the iras2;ble sherman, in a similar strain, again reverted to the war records. "I am afraid" he said, If I assume again the character of prophet I must extend the time deep into the next century, and pray meanwhile that the official records of the war may approach completion before the next war or, rather, that we, as a people, may be spared another war until the last one is officially recorded"
 His prayer was not fulfilled; there was another war ere the records of the Rebel lion were finished in book form, but their completion will not extend any deeper into "the next century, than a few months hence. There has, perhaps, been cause for complaint, although 1t was a critical undertaking, which required care and time.
 The job was started tentatively thirty six years ago, but it did not take actual form unLu l6l4 NOlun6 was lSSu6u III 1880. The compilation was at first in charge of civilians connected with the War department, but afterward was more fully organized by an army officer, Lieu tenant Colonel R. N Scott. After Scott's s death, board of publication was provid- ed for by Congress. composed of an army officer, who was president, and two civil lans.
 In December, 1S98 the greater part of the books being completed, this board was dissolved by the Secretary of War, and the unfinished volumes handed over to an army officer again.
 From 1891 to 1898 more than 100 persons were employees in the war records off1ce It has been a gigantic undertaking, but after all, it has repaid the cost. It is largely by means of this vast government publication, involving such enormous out lays and so many years of painstaking labor that the true greatness and patriot ism of the people on both sides of the line are now more fully understood and appre- ciated and the annimosities of the war days greatly allayed.
 The first series, with a set of maps of which there are thousands, deals princi- pally with the battles and campaigns. and includes official reports, orders, returns, letters and telegraphic dispatches on every conceivable subject relating thereto. The second series embodies the same sort of