Slavery and four years of war : $b a political history of slavery in the United States, together with a narrative of the campaigns and battles of the Civil War in which the author took part, 1861-1865. Vols. 1-2

The work weaves a thorough political narrative of American slavery, tracing its roots from the colonial era through the rise of sectional tensions that pulled the nation toward rebellion. It explains how the institution shaped party politics, fueled the doctrine of states’ rights, and ultimately forced the country into a violent split. By laying out the sequence of secessions and the attempts made to avert war, the author gives listeners a clear framework for why the conflict erupted.

Interlaced with that analysis is a first‑hand account from a Union volunteer officer who rode alongside the armies that decided the nation’s fate. He describes the early campaigns in western Virginia, the fierce fighting in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi, and the march toward Richmond, while also noting the New York riots of 1863 and the fragile peace negotiations that followed. The narration stays grounded in personal observation, offering a vivid glimpse of the battlefield and the people who shaped those pivotal years.