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LORD JOHN RUSSELL
(From Trevelyan's "Garibaldi and the Making of Italy")

EPHRAIM DOUGLASS ADAMS

GREAT BRITAIN
AND
THE AMERICAN
CIVIL WAR

TWO VOLUMES BOUND AS ONE

VOLUME I.
VOLUME II.

PREFACE

This work was begun many years ago. In 1908 I read in theBritish Museum many newspapers and journals for the years1860-1865, and then planned a survey of English public opinion onthe American Civil War. In the succeeding years as a teacher atStanford University, California, the published diplomaticcorrespondence of Great Britain and of the United States werestudied in connection with instruction given in the field ofBritish-American relations. Several of my students preparedexcellent theses on special topics and these have been acknowledgedwhere used in this work. Many distractions and other writingprevented the completion of my original plan; and fortunately, forwhen in 1913 I had at last begun this work and had prepared threechapters, a letter was received from the late Charles Francis Adamsinviting me to collaborate with him in preparing a "Life" of hisfather, the Charles Francis Adams who was American Minister toGreat Britain during the Civil War. Mr. Adams had recently returnedfrom England where he had given at Oxford University a series oflectures on the Civil War and had been so fortunate as to obtaincopies, made under the scholarly supervision of Mr. Worthington C.Ford, of a great mass of correspondence from the Foreign Officefiles in the Public Record Office and from the private papers inthe possession of various families.

The first half of the year 1914 was spent with Mr. Adams atWashington and at South Lincoln, in preparing the "Life." Twovolumes were completed, the first by Mr. [V1:pg vi] Adams carryingthe story to 1848, the second by myself for the period 1848 to1860. For the third volume I analysed and organized the newmaterials obtained in England and we were about to begin actualcollaboration on the most vital period of the "Life" when Mr. Adamsdied, and the work was indefinitely suspended, probably wisely,since any completion of the "Life" by me would have lacked thatindividual charm in historical writing so markedly characteristicof all that Mr. Adams did. The half-year spent with Mr. Adams wasan inspiration and constitutes a precious memory.

The Great War interrupted my own historical work, but in 1920 Ireturned to the original plan of a work on "Great Britain and theAmerican Civil War" in the hope that the English materials obtainedby Mr. Adams might be made available to me. When copies weresecured by Mr. Adams in 1913 a restriction had been imposed by theForeign Office to the effect that while studied for information,citations and quotations were not permissible since the generaldiplomatic archives were not yet open to students beyond the year1859. Through my friend Sir Charles Lucas, the whole matter wasagain presented to the Foreign Office, with an exact statement thatthe new request was in no way related to the proposed "Life" ofCharles Francis Adams, but was for my own use of the materials.Lord Curzon, then Foreign Secretary, graciously approved therequest but with the usual condition that my manuscript besubmitted before publication to the Foreign Office. This has nowbeen done, and no single citation censored. Before this work willhave appeared the limitation hitherto imposed on diplomaticcorrespondence will have been removed, and the date for openresearch have been advanced beyond 1865, the end of the CivilWar.

Similar explanations of my purpose and proposed work were madethrough my friend Mr. Francis W. Hirst to the [V1:pg vii] owners ofvarious private papers, and prompt approval given. In 1924 I cameto England for further study of some of these private papers. TheRussell Papers, transmitted to the Public Record Office in 1914 andthere preserved, were used through the courtesy of the Executors ofthe late Hon. Rollo Russell, and with the hearty goodwill of LadyAgatha Russell, daughter of the late Earl Russell, the only livingrepresentative of her father, Mr. Rollo Russell, his son, havingdied in 1914. The Lyons Papers, preserved in the Muniment Room atOld Norfolk House, were used through the courtesy of the Duchess ofNorfolk, who now represents her son who is a minor. The Gladstone