The Confederate cause and conduct in the war between the states

Front matter

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Preface

The " History Keports '■ contained in this volume ( with the exception of the last one) were prepared for the Grand Camp of Confederate Veterans of Virginia, and are republished just as they were submitted to that body.

When these papers were severally read to the Grand Camp, they were enthusiastically received and approved, were published in many of the newspapers of the country, and five thousand copies of each report were directed to be' printed for general distribution. The fact that this issue has been exhausted, coupled with the further fact that many letters have been received from nearly every section of the country commending these reports, has been deemed a sufficient reason to warrant their publication in this more permanent form.

It will be noticed that there is some little repetition in the last report of some of the statements contained in some of the others; but it must be remembered that this last report was prepared for the United Confederate Veterans which had already endorsed many of the former reports prepared for the Grand Camp of Virginia, and had directed that these should be incorporated in, and form a part of, the history reports of that great body of Confederate Veterans.

The lecture on " Stonewall " Jackson and the account of the last hours and death of this remarkable man, prepared by his late Medical Director, are such interesting contributions to history, and have been so favorably received, that no apology is deemed necessary for inserting them in this volume.

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Contents

Report by Dr. Hunter McGuire, Chairman, ... 1

I. Slavery not the cause of the war.

II. Attempt of Northern writers to misrepresent tlie South and its cause.