The continuation of this work has been prepared from unfinished manuscripts, documents, etc., left by Mr. Cooper, and from other most reliable and authentic sources, published, documentary and personal. Free access has been had to the archives of the Navy Department, and to the papers of actors in some of the scenes recorded: in addition to which, the whole has been carefully revised, especially in the portions within their personal knowledge, by several officers of the Navy, whose familiarity with its history, as well as their age, rank and position, rendered their aid of the highest value. Although the writer has aimed only at a plain narrative of facts, he has felt, with the members of Mr. Cooper's family who in the discharge of their responsibility have devolved the preparation of this edition upon him, that it was due to the subject and the author that no time nor pains should be spared to complete his design of making it a correct history of the navy to the present day. With this view, and after careful research, it is hoped that no error or omission of consequence has occurred. The first edition of the Naval History appeared in 1839, in two octavo volumes, which were immediately republished in London, Paris, and Brussels. Besides the subsequent reprints here of this edition, an abridgment was prepared by the author in 1841, omitting the documents and more elaborate reasoning. In 1846 he revised the unabridged work, correcting, condensing, rewriting in part, and adding considerable new matter. This copy, embracing the history to 1815, with his latest emendations, is followed in the present edition. In 1851, having for some time accumulated materials, he commenced the continuation of the history; but, after preparing only the portion upon the Mexican war, which is designated in its place, he was interrupted by the illness which resulted in his death, Sept. 14, 1851. . This edition has been optimized for Kindle with a table of contents and all end notes and illustrations.
