Spread of English-Speaking Peoples 261 



fight, each believed by a goodly number of men, 

 and no two relating the story in an even approxi- 

 mately similar " fashion. Mr. Gilmore apparently 

 accepts all such accounts indiscriminately, and em- 

 bodies them in his narrative without even a refer- 

 ence to his authorities. I particularize one or two 

 out of very many instances in the chapters dealing 

 with the Cherokee wars. 



Books founded upon an indiscriminate accept- 

 ance of any and all such traditions or alleged tra- 

 ditions are a little absurd, unless, as already said, 

 they are avowedly merely historic novels, when they 

 may be both useful and interesting. I am obliged to 

 say with genuine regret, after careful examination 

 of Mr. Gilmore's books, that I can not accept any 

 single unsupported statement they contain as even 

 requiring an examination into its probability. I 

 would willingly pass them by without comment, did 

 I not fear that my silence might be construed into 

 an acceptance of their truth. Moreover, I notice 

 that some writers, like the editors of the "Cyclope- 

 dia of American Biography," seem inclined to take 

 the volumes seriously. 



