MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES OF INCIDENTS DURING THE LATE AMERICAN WAR. FOUNDED ON FACT. WITH POEMS. This text uses UTF-8 (Unicode) file encoding. If the apostrophes and quotation marks in this paragraph appear as garbage, you may have an incompatible browser or unavailable fonts. First, make sure that your browser’s “character set” or “file encoding” is set to Unicode (UTF-8). You may also need to change the default font. The text of Alida is given twice. First it is presented “straight”, as printed. This is followed by the same text, shown in parallel with its sources where known; some significant errors of fact are also noted. Page numbers link between equivalent pages in the two versions. Footnotes are in the original. French and Italian quotations are shown as printed, retaining obvious errors. Most English spellings are unchanged, including: fulfil; mattrass; visiter; pourtray; Genessee; wo The use of “filial” for “parental” and the random variation between “meantime” and “mean time” are also unchanged. In Chapter XXVII, “team-boat” is not an error. Typographical errors are shown in the text with mouse-hover popups. Contents Having read the new work entitled “Alida,” or Miscellaneous Sketches of Occurrences during the late American War, which abounds with elegance of language, sublime poetry, and useful lessons—as an American, I have a pride in saying, that our press has seldom been honoured with a work as improving and interesting to the reader, and as well written as any to be found either among the older or modern authors. J. H. Hardenbrook. It may be here proper to rectify a slight mistake in two of the complimentary pieces written on the contents of Alida, in which the work was innocently stated to have been expressly written for the aid of benevolent purposes; instead of which it should have read [expressly printed] for the aid of benevolent purposes. The truth is, some part was written as a journal of incidents, and to amuse leisure hours somewhat usefully; other parts to commemorate some particular facts for the gratification of the author and near relatives, not expecting any other eye to meet a single line of it. But on being looked over by an affectionate pious friend, the author was solicited to allow it to be printed. It was at length acceded to, on the ground that the proceeds, however little over the expenses attending it, should be appropriated to charitable purposes. It is but just to embrace this opportunity to express the reciprocal kind feelings of the author, not only for the friendly and encouraging encomiums above alluded to, with other kind approvals which have appeared in print,—but for the call of a third edition so soon, being within the first year of its appearance. The favourable reception which the former editions of this work has met with from the public, in these trying times (when so many valuable works are permitted to lay useless on the shelves of the book-sellers,) encourages the editor to attempt the publication of another edition. The author has embraced the opportunity carefully to revise and correct the typographical mistakes in the former editions, and to enlarge the work with additional prose and poetry, which it is humbly hoped will be found both pleasing and useful.
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