Taken by the Enemy

Taken by the Enemy

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Taken by the Enemy, by Oliver Optic
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Title: Taken by the Enemy
Author: Oliver Optic
Release Date: June 14, 2006 [EBook #18579]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TAKEN BY
THE ENEMY ***

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THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--AFLOAT
Two colors cloth Emblematic Dies Illustrated Price per volume $1.50

TAKEN BY THE ENEMY WITHIN THE ENEMY'S LINES ON THE
BLOCKADE STAND BY THE UNION FIGHTING FOR THE
RIGHT A VICTORIOUS UNION
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY--ON LAND
Two colors cloth Emblematic Dies Illustrated Price per volume $1.50
BROTHER AGAINST BROTHER IN THE SADDLE A
LIEUTENANT AT EIGHTEEN (Other volumes in preparation)
Any Volume Sold Separately. Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston

[Illustration: "Three Cheers for Captain Passford" (Page 75)]

The
BLUE AND THE GRAY
Series
[Illustration]
By Oliver Optic
TAKEN by the ENEMY

The Blue and the Gray Series
TAKEN BY THE ENEMY
by OLIVER OPTIC
Author of "The Army and Navy Series" "Young America Abroad"
"The Great Western Series" "The Woodville Stories" "The Starry-Flag

Series" "The Boat-Club Stories" "The Onward and Upward Series"
"The Yacht-Club Series" "The Lake-Shore Series" "The Riverdale
Series" "The Boat-Builder Series" etc.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
BOSTON
LEE AND SHEPARD Publishers

Copyright, 1888, by Lee and Shepard All rights reserved.
Taken by the Enemy.

To
My Nephew,
HERBERT W. ADAMS,
This Book
is Affectionately Dedicated.

PREFACE
"TAKEN BY THE ENEMY" is the first of a new series of six volumes
which are to be associated under the general title of "The Blue and the
Gray Series," which sufficiently indicates the character of the books. At
the conclusion of the war of the Rebellion, and before the writer had
completed "The Army and Navy Series," over twenty years ago, some
of his friends advised him to make all possible haste to bring his war
stories to a conclusion, declaring that there could be no demand for
such works when the war had come to an end. But the volumes of the

series mentioned are as much in demand to-day as any of his other
stories, though from their nature the field of their circulation is more
limited. Surprising as this may appear, it is still the fact; and certainly
the author has received more commendatory letters from young people
in regard to the books of this series than concerning those of any other.
Among these letters there has occasionally been one, though rarely, in
which the writer objected to this series for the reason that he was "on
the other side" of the great issue which shook the nation to the centre of
its being for four years. Doubtless the writers of these letters, and many
who wrote no letters, will be surprised and grieved at the
announcement of another series by the author on war topics. The writer
had little inclination to undertake this task; for he has believed for
twenty years that the war is over, and he has not been disposed to keep
alive old issues which had better remain buried. He has spent some
time in the South, and has always found himself among friends there.
He became personally acquainted with those who fought on the
Confederate side, from generals to privates, and he still values their
friendship. He certainly is not disposed to write any thing that would
cause him to forfeit his title to the kind feeling that was extended to
him.
It is not, therefore, with the desire or intention to rekindle the fires of
sectional animosity, now happily subdued, that the writer begins
another series relating to the war. The call upon him to use the topics of
the war has been so urgent, and its ample field of stirring events has
been so inviting, that he could not resist; but, while his own opinions in
regard to the great question of five-and-twenty years ago remain
unchanged, he hopes to do more ample justice than perhaps was done
before to those "who fought on the other side."
The present volume introduces those which are to follow it, and
presents many of the characters that are to figure in them. Though
written from the Union standpoint, the author hopes that it will not be
found unfair or unjust to those who looked from the opposite point of