The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
Of the third volume, Nemos wrote between a third and a half,
including, as he tells us, the leading institutional and political
parts, Savage a third, a writer named Griffin (George Butler Griffin
was a native of New York state, and a graduate of Yale. He was a
linguist, and had been an engineer in South America. Apparently early
in the eighties, his connection with the library had ceased. He died
by his own hand.) two or three chapters, and Peatfield a part.
Of volume four, Bancroft did one chapter, Peatfield a fourth of the
whole, and Savage a third. Nemos "assisted on parts," his work
aggregating a fourth of the volume.
The fifth volume of the Mexican History, embracing the period from
1804 to 1861, was known as Savage's volume. Of the manuscript, he
actually wrote about two thirds. Nemos did about a fourth, including
the fall of Mexico and the leading war episodes. Some of the writing
was done by Peatfield. (In conversation he claimed to have written a
large part of the Mexican War chapters.)
The last volume of the Mexican History was prepared chiefly by Nemos
and Savage, the latter writing the first and last chapters, the former
about two thirds of the volume, including the history of Maximilian
and the institutional chapters. Peatfield did a little work on this
volume. Oak's contribution to the History of Mexico, according to his
own statement, consisted of a "few slight parts."
The history of the northern part of Mexico, and the Southwest of the
United States was Oak's special field, designated by him as The
Spanish Northwest. The entire first volume of the History of the North
Mexican States is his work. The history of Lower California in this
volume, as well as that in the next, was based on a manuscript on
Lower California written several years before by Harcourt. But this
work was so altered by both Oak and Nemos in their respective volumes
through condensation, the changing of conclusions, and the adding of
new material, as to amount to a rewriting.
The History of Texas in North Mexican States, second volume, is the
work of Peatfield; the remainder of the volume, between a third and a
half, that of Nemos. (The Texas part was subsequently extended by
Peatfield for the edition now in circulation, that it might find a
better sale in that state.)
The volume on Arizona and New Mexico is the work of Oak alone.
Spanish and Mexican California likewise belonged to Oak's field and
the first five volumes of the History of California are from his pen.
(Nemos adds, "though he neglected to put in institutions, leaving
them for W. N. [himself] and Savage." In view of Oak's oft-repeated
assertion that he was sole author of these five volumes, this must
mean that they were supplied in other volumes. Moreover, there are no
institutional parts properly speaking in these five volumes, and if
such parts as "Mission Progress," "Commercial Affairs," and the like
are to be regarded, they make up half the work.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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