eral Fowlers rendered important services to the Republic of Texas and the whole book illustrates a chief characteristic of that land hungry race from whom this family sprung-a desire for more land and better land.

When books are printed in serials the editor of the series is always in danger of getting inferior workmen for his assignments, as he must provide writers for a certain number of volumes covering certain clearly defined fields. The field may be and occasionally is such that no author has made it his own. The person employed to prepare the volume in question must be taken for his general training, or for his ability as a writer in other lines, rather than because he is master of the particular subject. The result is a volume below the level of the series in which it appears. Witness several volumes in the Story of the Nations, the American Statesmen and the American Commonwealths.

The latest volume in the Commonwealth series is that on Texas by Professor George P. Garrison, of the University of Texas. Excluding volumes on Virginia and Maryland, which were published years ago, no other Southern States have been represented save Texas, now published, and Louisiana, announced as in preparation by Albert Phelps. It is understood that the reason assigned by the publishers for not treating any States in this section is that the sales there are not large enough to justify the venture. It is hoped that this beginning with the great State of Texas will justify further essays in this rich and unworked field.

The Commonwealth series does not undertake to give in its small and handy volumes a detailed history of the State in question. It is not so much a history of the State as it is a study based on that history. It seeks to embody and present what is distinct and peculiar in the evolution and growth of each; to show how the particular one differs from others, to point out what it stands for as contrasted with

others and to show what it has contributed that is essential in the making of the nation.

In his work on Texas Professor Garrison has been very successful in following the general plan of the series. He has omitted many details, yet has included enough to make clear the outlines of the earlier struggle of Spanish and French civilizations in the 17th century in this border land between new Spain and Louisiana. The French civilization failed not because it was essentially less fit to survive, but because French efforts were even weaker and more spasmodic than those of Spain. It is not until the time of Mexican independence and the coming of Moses Austin that any effort to settle the Texas country is worthy of more than passing notice.

About one-third of this volume deals with the Texas of the Spanish and French periods. Then come Austin and other empresarios and the flood of Anglo-American colonists.

Certainly no American State can boast a history as full of brave deeds and picturesque daring as can Texas during the years from the beginning of the struggle for the constitution of 1824 against the Mexican centralists till the beginning of the war between the United States and Mexico. The annals of the short-lived Republic are full of courage and sacrifice, but an outsider is forced to ask why the Texans made no effort to relieve Travis and thus prevent the tragedy of the Alamo, and why they thought fit to honor Houston despite the inaction and negligence which he displayed at San Jacinto. Nothing could have been more cowardly and uncertain than his course; his army held together in spite of his lack of decision and the battle was finally won by the bravery of his men, not by his generalship. Yet this battle made him president of the Republic!

There are no foot-notes and no bibliography, but the author has held his subject well in hand. It is evident that he

knows his field. In carefully proportioning his work, in touching only the salient episodes, in carefully suppressing details, in avoidance of temptation to go into fine writing on picturesque places, in broad insight and philosophic judgment the volume stands very high in the series to which it belongs.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

SOUTHERN HISTORICAL SOCIETY PAPERS, Volume 30, paper, pp. 376, 1902. Richmond, Va.

There are forty contributions, mostly reprints, some adding but little either to knowledge or expression, but the whole volume is an invaluable repository of data.

In an address of great force and beauty, delivered before the Phi Beta Kappa of Chicago June 17, 1902, Charles Francis Adams defends Lee's conduct in going with his State, and urges the eminent fitness of a statue to Lee, in the same way the English have erected one to Cromwell. "Shall Cromwell have a statue?" 33 pages.

The military record of Confederate West Point graduates has been listed by Captain W. Gordon McCabe. "Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Y., who served in the Confederate States army," pp. 3476.

In his report to the Confederate Camp at Wytheville, Va., Oct. 23, 1902, Hon. Geo. L. Christian, chairman of the History Committee, masses considerable evidence from original sources, that on the U. S. authorities should rest the great mortality in Southern prisons during the Civil War, as they refused to exchange captives. Unhappily the tone is not judicial enough. This is the fifth report by this committee, all touching on the attitude of school histories. The four others argued that (a) the South did not fight for slavery, (b) the right of secession was the issue, (c) the North was the aggressor, and (d) that the South was humane and North inhumane in the conduct of the war. "Treatment and exchange of prisoners," pp. 77-104.

From the standpoint of a private, Samuel D. Buck gives incidents of the disastrous defeat of Early, due to straggling

of his men, even though he was outnumbered three or four "Battle of Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864," pages

to one. 104-110.

372.

Additional matter by M. N. Moorman, pp. 371

The perennial interest in the question of the shooting of Jackson is illustrated in the collation from diary and memory of Major Marcellus N. Moorman, with letter from Randolph Barton, arguing that it was done by the 28th North Carolina. Narrative of Events and observations connected with the wounding of General T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson. Pages 110-117.

General Joe Shelby, according to Wallace Putnam Reed, aimed to keep up the fight west of the Mississippi by forming an alliance with Maximilian, and did go over into Mexico-nothing new in this account. The last forlorn hope of the Confederacy. Pages 117-121; from Sunny South Nov. 30, 1902.

At the 13th annual banquet of the Confederate Veteran Camp of New York, Jan. 26, 1903, Chas. F. Adams declares Lee's "humanity in arms" "his surest and loftiest title to enduring fame," and again calls for a monument to him. Henry Watterson pays tribute to Lincoln and Davis. Lee, Davis and Lincoln. Pages 121-124.

Charles L. C. Minor holds that "the best technical education that the world has ever seen" was the negro training in slavery. The Old System of Slavery. Pages 125-129, from Baltimore Sun June 14, 1902.

A horrible incident, if true, is given by Capt. James Dinkins, the military execution by General Hooker of an illiterate Confederate boy as a guerrilla, in the latter part of May, 1865, at Cincinnati, but article refers to no authorities. The Last Tragedy of the War. Pp. 129-134, from N. O. Picayune, Jan. 18, 1903.

War, from the woman's viewpoint, does Mrs. G. G. Wilcox paint. War times in Natchez. Pp. 135-138, from Picayune, Jan. 18, 1903.