Johnson, Fry & Co., Puhlishers, to write a work for them on the military and naval history of this country. This was his first hook, although he had already heconie known among historical writers, hy "The Park and its Vicinity," written for and published in the " Manual of the Common Council of the City of New York " for 18');); the " Life and Times of Anne Hutchinson," written for the Baptist Historical Society ; and "The Retreats through Westchester County, in 1776," written for the New York Historical Society.

"The Battles of the United States by Sea and Land," which is the title of the military and naval work, written for Messrs. Johnson, Fry & Co., was published, as a serial, in forty numbers, the first luunber appearing in the autumn of 1858. ]5esides its merits as a ])()pular work, it is of recognized value as an historical auth' rity, the events of each battle being given in detail with copious references, the principal documents relating to the engagement, and, occasionally, biograjihical sketches of the prominent actors. The success of the work was so decided that he undertook to write a complete military history of the United States, but the Civil W ar stopped the work as it also did the progress of the " Life and Times of Governor Daniel D. Tompkins," which he had undertaken at the rcfpiest of the family.

While writing the " Battles," he became involved in a controversy concerning the merits of Major General Israel Putnam, with Messrs. Griswold and Doming, of Hartford, Conn., in the Daily Post of that city. The correspondence attracted the attention of scholars throughout the entire country, the Legislature of Connecticut being led by it to take special action on the subject; and the letters were subsc- (picntly collected and published in a handsome volume, copies of which have commanded prices as high as fifty dollars each.