[
7]
Publishers' Preface.
General Butler has said in his introduction that every point is to be proven.
This has necessitated a large staff of workers to carefully search the records of the War Department, and the consequent proof corrections have occasioned a long delay in the publication of the work, and required the reprinting of many folios.
The work has in consequence been increased in number of pages and illustrations not originally announced or contemplated, making, we trust, valuable and interesting additions.
The historical documents have been placed in an appendix with references at the bottom of each page, thus elucidating and proving all statements, and adding accordingly to the value of the work as an authentic autobiographical history.
The object of placing these documents in an appendix was to retain the logical sequence of historical events and not to break the thread of the story.
Among the vast amount of data it is very possible that some errata may appear in the first edition, but mistakes will be duly rectified in the subsequent editions.
An impression prevails that by waiting a short time after the publication of a popular book sold by subscription, it may be bought at reduced prices at bookstores,
dry-goods stores, news stands or as premiums for periodicals.
This impression owes its inception to the practice of some publishers, who, for reasons — probably of a financial nature — have found it to their advantage to reduce the price of subscription books, after the first popular sale is over, and place them in bookstores, expose them in public libraries, and even permit them to be advertised and given as cheap premiums for periodicals, newspapers, etc. Besides this, of late years there has been a constant effort by bookstores and
dry-goods stores to sell standard subscription books below cost as an advertisement.
It is not surprising that the public sometimes looks with distrust upon the promises of subscription book publishers, or their agents, who, having pledged themselves that the original price shall be maintained, have in many cases deliberately broken faith.
