Literary notices.
I.--The outbreak of rebellion. By John G. Nicolay, Esq., Private Secretary to President Lincoln; late Consul-General to France, etc. A preliminary volume, describing the opening of the war, and covering the period from the election of Lincoln to the end of the first battle of Bull Run.
Ii.--From Fort Henry to Corinth. By the Hon. M. F. Force, Justice of the Superior Court, Cincinnati; late Brigadier-General and Brevet Major General U. S. V., commanding First division, Seventeenth corps; in 1862, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Twentieth Ohio, commanding the regiment at Shiloh; Treasurer of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee. The narrative of events in the West from the summer of 1861 to May, 1862; covering the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, the battle of Shiloh, etc., etc. These two volumes, from a series of twelve volumes on the “Campaigns of the civil war,” we have received from the publishers, Charles Scribner's Sons, through Messrs. West & Johnston, of Richmond. They are gotten up in the best style of the book-maker's art, are sold at $1 per volume, and, while we have not yet found time for a careful perusal, seem to be written in a very fair spirit, though they abound in mistakes, which we shall take the liberty of pointing out in future numbers of our Papers. This series of the Messrs. Scribner will no doubt prove a valuable contribution to history; but it is to be regretted that they did not commit the writing of some of these volumes to the many able Confederates, who could give “the other side.” Perhaps, however, they intend to have another series of twelve volumes written by Confederate soldiers. We shall see.
Theon. A tale of the American civil war. By Sallie Neil Roach, of Louisville. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. We propose to give hereafter some extracts from this charming little book, that our readers may judge for themselves of its merits. We have only time now to say that its simple plot is skillfully woven, its story is sweetly told, and its versification is of a high order of merit. We believe that this is Mrs. Roach's first attempt at authorship, but this book will at once rank her among our sweetest singers, and we predict for her a brilliant literary career. The volume is, of course, a fine specimen of the book-maker's art, and should find a place in many homes.
Campaign in Northern Virginia in August, 1862. By Major F. Mangold, of the Royal Prussian Engineers. We had hoped to receive ere now a review of this able book from a competent German scholar and critic, who has it in charge. But meantime we advise all who read German to procure a copy, with the assurance that they will find it an able and impartial account (from an accomplished Prussian officer who has studied both sides) of the splendid campaign, by which our peerless Lee unhorsed the champion braggart, John Pope.
The century and St. Nicholas lose nothing in interest or value under their new management, but seem to improve every month.
