easily have been supplied; but most readers will be best satisfied that I have chosen to dwell chiefly on those great actions which constitute his title to renown. By his public life he will be chiefly known; and henceforward he is of course destined to be one of the most conspicuous public characters of the country. The notices of those events of the war in which General Taylor was not immediately concerned, are given in order to render the work more complete ; and the biographical sketches of distinguished officers are introduced with the same view. Some materials for these sketches, having been received by me too late for insertion in the body of the work, have been thrown into the appendix. To the President of the United States, the Secretary of War, and other official authorities at the seat of government, I am under obligations for facilities afforded me in procuring despatches, and documents, as well as to my friends Mr. James Madison Cutts, and Dr. J. F. May, of Washington, for their friendly aid in effecting the same object. I am also indebted to Mr. Moulton of New York for an abundant supply of materials relating to the battle of Buena Vista. My thanks are also due to the family of the lamented Major Vinton for the admirable portrait of General Taylor, drawn by the skilful hand which now lies cold in the tomb. Mr. Root of Philadelphia and Mr. Van Loan of Washington, will also be pleased to accept my thanks, the former for his excellent daguerreotype of Commodore Conner, and the latter for his spirited daguerreotypes of Lieutenant Colonel May and Brigadier General Shields. To other friends whom I am not at liberty to mention publicly, I am under still further obligations. Like all cotemporary biography, this work is liable to error from a variety of causes which it is unnecessary to point out. I hope it will be found generally accurate; and I shall always hold myself in readiness to correct any error which future research may discover. |