Editorialana. 295
THE MEMOIRS OF RUFUS PUTNAM.
Compiled and annotated by Miss Rowena
Buell, Marietta, Ohio.
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston and
New York.
This is a work of rare historical value,
and one which every
student of history, and particularly of
Ohio history, will covet and
consult with great satisfaction. It
consists mainly of the official papers
and correspondence connected with the
life and deeds of General Rufus
Putnam, who was the leader in the little
band of pilgrims who came
from New England, and in the later
Mayflower sailed down the Ohio
and landed, on that memorable 9th of
April, 1788, at the present site
of Marietta. Next to the settlement of
Plymouth by the passengers
of the first Mayflower, this second
voyage was fraught with greatest
results to American history. The
"Adventure," as the Mayflower was
first called, was to the great northwest
empire what that little ship,
which landed upon the bleak shores of
Cape Cod, in December, 1620,
was to the American colonies of the
new-born American republic.
The material comprising this book is
historical, and admirably ar-
ranged and edited by Miss Buell. The
first part is autobiographical,
giving the family history and descent of
Rufus Putnam, beginning with
his first American ancestor, John
Putnam, who came to Salem in
1634. The second part covers General
Putnam's military and public ser-
vices until 1804. General Putnam was a
distinguished participant in the
Revolutionary War, enjoying the personal
friendship and esteem of
Washington; he was an engineer of
superior attainment and superin-
tended all the defenses of New York in
1776, and aided in construct-
ing the fortifications at West Point.
The War of the Revolution over,
he began the second period of his
career, perhaps more distinguished,
certainly more romantic and not less
courageous, by his services in direct-
ing the first settlement in the
Northwest Territory.
Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, and
President Perry, of Marietta
College, contribute introductory pages
to this volume, which is pub-
lished under the auspices of The Society
of Colonial Dames of America
in the State of Ohio.
It is a volume which should be in every
Ohio library, and which
will be of value to all students of
early American history, and particularly
of the foundation and development of the
Northwest Territory and the
state of Ohio. Miss Buell has
contributed a most valuable volume to Ohio
literature.
THE VANISHED EMPIRE.
"The Vanished Empire," by
Waldo H. Dunn; published by The
Robert Clark Co., Cincinnati.
296 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
This is a little volume just issued from
the press, in which the author
recounts "A tale of the Mound
Builders." The location of the events
of the story is mainly at Serpent Mound
and Marietta, at which latter
place the author locates the capital or
abiding place of the king of the
Mound Builders, whom he calls Oko. The
story is not intricate, and is
simply and speedily told. It is an
imaginative portrayal of the life and
character of the Mound Builders, whose
king is Oko, husband of Queen
Gurda. There is a treacherous officer of
the court known as Bodo,
who becomes the spy and accomplice of
the race under King Inca, who
came from the south, attacked and
vanquished the Mound Builders. The
author has, evidently, studied the chief
pieces of literature concerning
the Mound Builders. He gives a vivid
description of Serpent Mound
and the ceremony of worhsip supposed to
have been their custom at
that place, one Gilgo acting as high
priest. Mr. Dunn's book is rather
unique, in that it deals almost
exclusively with that mysterious race
concerning which we really know very
little. His book is calculated
to arouse an interest in the people of
that vanished empire and stimulate
the inspection of their remaining works,
and the study of such authors
as have dealt with this long-buried
race. The book has some illustra-
tions, particularly two excellent ones
of Serpent Mound, around which
the story revolves. The book is honored
with an introduction by Prof.
J. P. MacLean, the distinguished scholar
of American archaeology.
ST. MEMIN PORTRAITS.
Dr. William J. Campbell, the wellknown
bookseller of Phildelphia,
is writing an elaboratework on St. Memin
portraits. It will be in eight
volumes with over eight hundred and
thirty engraved portraits, all on
separate pages.
The basis of the book will be the famous
"Collection" of 761
proofs, made by the artist himself,
which has recently come into Dr. Camp-
bell's possession.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art and the
Library of Congress, both of
which have extensive collections, are
co-operating with the author, giving
him the free use of any portraits that
they possess that are not in his own
collection.
Any of our readers who have information
either biographical or
genealogical, about any portrait that
St. Memin made, or any information
as to the present location of any
original crayons, coppers or engravings,
will confer a favor on the author by
communicating with him.
Due credit will be given in the book for
all information received.
Dr. Campbell's address is 1218 Walnut
street, Philadelphia.