At this juncture the editor of the Century Magazine asked me to write a few articles for him.

I consented for the money it gave me; for at that moment I was living upon borrowed money.

The work I found congenial, and I determined to continue it.

The event is an important one for me, for good or evil; I hope for the former.
In preparing these volumes for the public, I have entered upon the task with the sincere desire to avoid doing injustice to any one, whether on the National or Confederate side, other than the unavoidable injustice of not making mention often where special mention is due.

There must be many errors of omission in this work, because the subject is too large to be treated of in two volumes in such way as to do justice to all the officers and men engaged.