Bill, another of the editing protocols they used was the deletion of casualty lists. I understand that they had to pick and choose what to publish -- the sheer volume of available material was overwhelming -- but all too often the material they decided to edit out is exactly the material I'm looking for.

However, they deserve praise for resisting the temptation to edit for "politically correct" purposes. The material they published includes "the good, the bad and the ugly" of both sides. For all its faults, the O.R.'s are a national treasure. They are also unique -- no other country in the world would fairly present the reports, correspondence and memoranda of the losing side in a civil war. All other countries made it a national policy to suppress the records of their "rebels". Just one more characteristic that makes our beloved country one-of-a-kind.