The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 420

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

account of war and diplomacy smacks of the patriotic, due prob-
ably to the fact that the author confined himself (as would appear
from the footnotes, a bibliography being lacking) to Americap ma-
terials.
In regard to the sources upon which the book is based, the author
has cited but a small part of the pertinent documentary materials
which are accessible in this country, and has cited none from for-
eign archlives, unless we except the Texan Diplomatic Correspond-
ence. Of the secondary literature which has appeared in mono-
graphic form, in historical journals and proceedings of state and
local societies and associations, he appears to have made practically
no use. The reviewer failed to find reference to the writings of E.
D. Adams, Cox, Reeves, Schafer, Meany, Chittenden, Bolton, Hod-
der, Ficklen, Winkler, Barker, Paxson, Shambaugh, Libby, Turner,
Reynolds, and many others who are laying a foundation for the his-
tory of the West. In the chapter on "The Annexation of Texas,"
Justin H. Smith's important book fails of citation. The journal in
which this review is printed, although now in its eighteenth year,
and dealing exclusively with the field covered by this volume, ap-
pears to have escaped notice. In the opinion of the reviewer, the
preparation of a history of the winning of the far west should
involve an exploration of foreign, national, state and local archives,
and an examination of all the secondary literature on the subject.
TIToOMAS MAITLAND MARSTIALL.
The True Ulysses S. Grant. By Charles King, Brigadier-General
IT. S. A. (Philadelphia and London: J. B. Lippincott Com-
pany, 10914. Pp. 400. $2.00.)
In certain very important respects General King's contribution
to the series of "True" biographies is a very decided success. It
is unusually well written, and it is an excellent portrayal of the
fundamental qualities of Grant's mind and character and of their
reaction to the varied environment of his career.
About one-third of the book is devoted to Grant's life prior to
the outbreak of the Civil War. Of this portion a large share is
devoted to conditions at West Point during Grant's cadetship and
to the Mexican War. His latest biographer succeeds in showing
that in Mexico Grant made a record as a remarkably efficient quar-

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