"Water!" He murmured, "Water!"Page 115
The Blue and the Gray—On Land
AN UNDIVIDED UNION
BY
OLIVER OPTIC
AUTHOR OF "THE ARMY AND NAVY SERIES" "YOUNG AMERICA ABROAD, FIRST ANDSECOND SERIES" "THE BOAT-CLUB STORIES" "THE GREAT WESTERN SERIES" "THEWOODVILLE STORIES" "THE ONWARD AND UPWARD SERIES" "THE LAKE SHORESERIES" "THE YACHT-CLUB SERIES" "THE RIVERDALE STORIES" "THEBOAT-BUILDER SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY—AFLOAT" "ALL OVER THEWORLD—FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD SERIES" "THE BLUE AND THE GRAY—ON LAND"ETC. ETC. ETC.
COMPLETED BY
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
AUTHOR OF "THE OLD GLORY SERIES" "BOUND TO SUCCEED SERIES" ETC.
BOSTON
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
1899
Copyright, 1899, By Lee and Shepard.
All Rights Reserved.
An Undivided Union.
Norwood Press
J. S. Cushing & Co.—Berwick & Smith
Norwood Mass. U.S.A.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
The outline and incomplete material of An Undivided Union were leftamong the papers of the late William T. Adams ("Oliver Optic"), and thesame notes that were to complete the "Blue and Gray—On Land" seriesalso closed the life-work of America's best-known writer of boys'stories.
There has been a constant demand that this unfinished concluding volumebe prepared for publication, and Mr. Edward Stratemeyer, author of theremarkably popular "Old Glory" series, based upon the Spanish-Americanwar, undertook the task of picking up the threads of the narrative andcarrying it to such a conclusion as was evidently intended. He hasperformed the work devotedly and successfully, and sustained the harmonyof the series to the end.
The publishers take this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of Mr.Adams, whose name has been inseparably connected with this house for somany years. Such was his loyalty that no manuscript for publication inbound form was[Pg vi] ever given to any other publisher, and the presentvolume is the one hundred and eighth to bear the magical name of"Optic." It is gratifying to be able to record that in return for hissteadfastness in remaining by the house of his choice through prosperityand adversity an actual sale of more than two million copies of Mr.Adams's books has been reached, while the present season finds themenjoying undiminished favor.
No more striking testimonial could be asked than the constantapplications from men of mature life for the books that so charmed themas boys, in order that