Sectional divisions-Their disappearance-Circuit Courts-States-District Prostration of the country after the war-Congress has no effective control Causes of the war-Disasters in Canada-Successes on the sea-Barbarity of British and Indians-Incompetence of U. S. officers-Second Cam- paign-Brilliant naval successes-Mortification of the British-Political opposition to the war embarrasses the Government and encourages the enemy-Third Campaign an American success-Gen. Scott in Canada- Defeat of the British at Plattsburg, on Lake Erie; before Baltimore, at Results of the war highly favorable to the U. S.- Gains respect abroad — Causes of the war-Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma-Taking succession of victories- Enters the City of Mexico-Treaty of Guada - Real causes of the Civil War-The elections of Nov., 1860-Made the pre- text for Secession-South Carolina Secedes-Forts and property of the government seized in the South-Southern States successively Secede- Southern Confederacy formed-Want of energy in the Administration— Firing on Ft. Sumter-It electrifies the North-Call for troops-General mustering for war-Capture of Harper's Ferry and Gosport Navy Yard, Fighting in the border States-Experience gained in the general skir- mishing-Reluctance to join the great issue-Battle of Bull Run- Washington saved, if the battle is lost-Immense preparations by sea The large armies have acquired much discipline and experience-Move- ment of McClellan on Richmond - Movement flanking Confederate positions on the upper Mississippi-Severe battles near Richmond- McClellan's failure-Success in the West-The rising fortunes of Grant retreat-Battle of Fredericksburg-General results of the Campaign. Emancipation proclamation-The year remarkable for the large number of engagements and formidable character of the operations - Battle of Chancellorsville and advance of Lee into Penn. - His defeat at Gettysburg and return to Va.-Capture of New Orleans-Taking of Vicksburg-Defeat at Chickamauga retrieved by Grant-General results Struggle of Grant and Lee in Virginia - Sherman's "March to the Sea"- General discouragement in the South - Capture of Seaboard cities — Re Opposed reconstruction policy of Congress and President Johnson — Fi- - - - - Legal form of Will-Statement of Testator - Disposition of Property – THE FOOTPRINTS OF TIME. PART FIRST. CHAPTER I. SECTION I. THE DAWN OF HISTORY. 1. The early traditions of every nation that has undertaken to relate the story of its origin, have given us a confused account of supernatural persons and events which the judgment of more enlightened times has almost uniformly considered fabulous and impossible. It has always been an interesting inquiry how much of fact was veiled under this mythical dress, and a great variety of ingenious and contradictory explanations have been produced by the learned in all ages. In most cases, as in Greece, the national religion has been based on these legends which form its authority and explanation, and they passed with the people of all early times as facts which it was impious to question. So the wise and good Socrates was supposed to have denied the existence of the national gods, and was condemned to death. This sacred guard placed over early traditions, increased at once the interest and the difficulty involved in their examination. 2. During the present century the improved methods, larger range and more exact style of inquiry, and the assistance and hints which one branch of study has given to others, have produced the most surprising and satisfactory results. These inquiries are not yet complete; they seem, on the contrary, to have only commenced, and promise, ultimately, to satisfy all the useful purposes and legitimate curiosity of mankind; still, their conclusions, so far as they go, are unimpeachable. They prove themselves. The study of Ethnology, which gives an account of the races of mankind; a critical comparison of all languages, ancient and modern; the patient study and ingenious deciphering of architecture and inscriptions found in ancient ruins, and various relics of human activity imbedded in the soil of different countries, have thrown down the barriers which the glowing imaginations of the poets and the want of authentic documents in early times had raised, and have given us a clue to many of the secrets of history, and a safe guide through some of the dark passages of man's primitive life. To show how this is done would require a treatise on Ethnology, another on Comparative Philology, a third on Antiquarian Research, and a fourth on the Geological Antiquities of Man. Each of these brings a large and valuable contribution to early history. We give only a brief summary of their conclusions. 3. The human race appears to have had its birth on the high table lands of central Asia, south and east of the Caspian Sea. The structure and growth of language, and the remains of early art, indicate an extremely infantile mental condition and successive emigrations from the primitive home of the Families and tribes which had remained together long enough to build up a common language and strong general features of character and habit, at length separated and formed a number of families of allied races. race. 4. The first emigrations were made by the Turanian nations, which scattered very widely. Turanian means "outside," or "barbarian," and was given by the later and better known races who found them, commonly in a very wild, undeveloped state, wherever they themselves wandered in |