THE “ DICKSON MEMOIRS.” 
44/ 
When, in 1818— owing to the force of circumstances already explain¬ 
ed—it became known that Sir Alexander had conceived the ide& of col¬ 
lecting and arranging Artillery data lot only from its organisation as 
a Regiment in 1715, but from the earliest times down to 1794 (when 
his own Artillery services began), it is apparent that an officer of his 
unique position and influence had many willing co-ad jut ors both civilian 
officials and gunner officers—who placed also at his disposal their indi¬ 
vidual fragmentary collections, in addition to which he jotted down 
from time to time notes of his desultory reading in Authors ; and even 
in series B are to be found MSS. from brother officers with whom he 
served, relating y>.a, to the Siege of Copenhagen, and the expeditions to 
Buenos Ayres and Monte Video. 
Series C and D are wholly compiled by Sir Alexander, and include 
topics of confidential and delicate p and professional nature, 
which will have to be treated with much discrimination— a reservation 
which will perhaps equally apply to the diplomatic portion of series E 
relating to Royal Artillery officers in professional and international 
incidents during the military Angio-Turkish events from 1840 to the 
outbreak of the Crimean War. 
The ultimate value of the “ Dickson Memoirs ” in adding to or con¬ 
firming data for Artillery history—in particulars or generals —cannot 
of course, be predicated or determined until the work of collating and 
editing them shall have been completed; and may be enhanced or 
marred according to the capacity and faithfulness of the editor. 
