Mehr lesen
Excerpt from Biography of Revolutionary Heroes
There is 110 species Of writing so difficult as biography, and in an especial manner when it chances to be of some public character. To draw upon one's imagination, if the writer is gifted with any, is comparatively a work of little difficulty but where one is pinned down to stubborn facts, facts in the memory of men too, where the least devia tion, the most tri¿ing irregularity, even the mistake of a date, would subject one to be torn to pieces by the critics, is an afi'air of no small labor and anxiety.
In the present instance we are called to write on a theme of infinite interest, to all our countrymen certainly, but one so haeknied that it is almost impossible to say any thing new on the subject. The history of every Old soldier in the Revolution, is in fact but a repetition Of the Revolution it self. Wherever they took the trouble to keep a memoran dum of the events of their lives it would be impossible to give it in such a way as to make it understood without much repetition. To write such a biography then, in a way to make it interesting to the public, is an effort of no ordi nary magnitude. To add to the difficulties of such a work, there are two Classes of readers to please. One class is excessively offended if there is any thing in the story that sounds like romance, forgetful that truth is truth, let it be clothed in what language it may. They take offence if any thing like sentiment, or we had like to have said, refinement, is to be found ia' the whole book, and cavil at every sentence which is not confirmed by the pages of his. Tory, or attested to upon oath.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
