By Sir James Fergusson
Edited and with annotations and an introductory essay by Ben Wynne
Originally privately printed in Edinburgh in 1861
Lambertville, NJ: The True Bill Press.
ISBN 10: 0-9791116-3-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-979111631
Available September 2009. 176p. with index. $45.00 in hard cover only.
In late 1861 Sir James Fergusson, a British Conservative M.P., undertook a three-month tour of North America. His objectives were to assess the state of the opposing parties in the American Civil War. Fergusson was eminently qualified for these tasks as he was both well-connected and an ex-officer experienced in combat. On his return to Britain Sir James demonstrated his real concerns in submitting a report to the Prime Minister in a vain attempt to influence Britain to enter the War on the side of the Confederacy. Fergusson also wrote the book which is reprinted here, together with his report. The book itself was privately printed and was never made generally available. Fergusson's concern was evidently to influence policy directly, rather to mobilize public opinion on the South's behalf. It is rescued from obscurity and commercially published here for the first time. An introduction places the work in context. Extensive annotations document people encountered and places visited and explain military and contemporary words and phrases used.
Ben Wynne, the editor, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi and has published extensively on topics related to the Civil War. He is an Assistant Professor of History at Gainesville State College in Georgia.
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