Excerpt from From Bunker Hill to Manila Bay: A Record of Battles for American Independence the Preservation of the Union and the Extension of Territory, Compiled in the Library of Congress From the Most Authentic Records

During the course of a year's study and research in the Library of Congress at Washington, collecting and arranging certain details of American history, I conceived the idea of presenting at least one class of facts in more condensed form than I had been able to find them.

The subject I first selected was the achievements of American arms, both on account of its widespread interest and extensive literature. I found that to get any exact data concerning the record of battles it was necessary to read through a mass of descriptive detail, cumbersome official reports and much irrelevant matter.

The shelves of our libraries are stacked with volumes of history, swelled with sworn affidavits, official reports and documents, to such size that the average American can not hope to read them all. Yet he wants to know and ought to know how his great estate was won, when, where, by whom and at what cost he is enabled to say My Country.

The Spartan grandsire who told the tales of heroism to the callow shepherd boy helped make a race of Grecian patriots. Whoever helps to keep before the busy American the story of the struggle of his people helps keep alive the spark that blazed up bright at Bunker Hill, at Gettysburg and on the land and sea at Santiago.

Writers of history as a rule generalize whenever they can do so consistently and safely, in order to avoid the dull recital of figures.

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