ly to symbolize the genius of religion acting through science and heroism for the security and development of the Great Republic of the future. Gen. Mitchell was a Christian, a scholar, a hero. After a brief but brilliant military career, he fell in his country's cause. He will, therefore, never dishonor the symbol we have adopted. Besides these five representative figures, we insert four groups of distinguished Americans, all acknowledged Christians, or men who have received their distinction from their Christian birth, education, and principles. The first is a group of distinguished philanthropists. We have selected these men from the large number of noble Americans whom we deem most worthy of honor as lovers of their race. The second is a group taken from the number of our great statesmen and orators. The third is a group of celebrated American divines. They represent the thorough Puritan and six different Christian denominations: and, taken together, they are distinguished among the hosts of Christían ministers who can be claimed exclusively by no church; whose reputation and influence as teachers of religion, and leaders of soul-liberty, make them truly national. The fourth is a group of civilians and warriors, whose opinions and acts have entered largely into the history of American jurisprudence and of the emancipation of the nation. Here also the choice has been from a large number of truly great and national men, with the idea of representing true Christianity, either direct and personal or generally diffused, from different periods of our history, and portions of our country. Our readers will discover that this volume, though not professing to present the full details of our country's progress, will answer the most valuable purposes of a new history of the United States, grouping the more important events, and using them, with a large number of facts not in any of our histories, to present to the American people a truthful picture of the Great Republic as it is and ought to be. Among the most valuable works quoted in this volume, it gives us pleasure to mention Bancroft's and Hildreth's Histories of the United States; Cooper's Naval History of the United States; Greene's Historical View of the American Revolution; The Pulpit of the American Revolution; Sir Morton Peto's Resources and Prospects of America; Stevens's History of the Methodist-Episcopal Church; Baird's Religion in America; Statistical History, by Goss; Partridge on the Making of the American Nation and on Democracy; The Power of Prayer, by Irenæus Prime; The American Conflict, by Greeley; America Before Europe, by Count de Gasparin; Decisive Battles of the War, by Swinton; The Eighth Census of the United States, by Kennedy; Our Country, its Trials and Triumphs, by George Peck, D.D.; Mineral Re sources of the United States, by J. Ross Brown and James M. Taylor; and Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States, by B. F. Morris, — a valuable "compilation," which the writer had not seen until half of the copy of this work, including the Preface, had been sent to the printer. The author would also gratefully acknowledge his obligations to Alexander Delmar, Director of the Bureau of Statistics at Washington, for important public documents; and to his friends, named in the proper places, for valuable papers contributed from their respective points of observation. If the authors of quotations have been inadvertently omitted in our notes of reference, we hope this general acknowledgment may be deemed sufficient. In addition to the above, the author has consulted God in History, by Reed; God in History, by Cumming; The Civil Policy and Civil War of America, by Draper; Wyoming, its History and Romantic Adventures, by George Peck; New-York Convention Manual, by Hough; Appleton's American Cyclopædia; Grant and Sherman, their Campaigns and Generals, and Farragut and our Naval Commanders, by Headley; The Lost Cause, by Pollard; The Women of the War, by Frank More; Putnam's Rebellion Record; and a great variety of official documents and reports. |