"Michael Burlingame provides the third (and the most complete and scholarly) edition of John Hay's Civil War letters. Hay believed that "real history is told in private letters," and the 220 surviving letters and telegrams from his Civil War days prove that to be true.".

"Along with Hay's personal correspondence, Burlingame includes his surviving official letters. Burlingame also includes some of the letters Hay composed for Lincoln's signature, including the celebrated Letter of Condolence to the Widow Bixby."--BOOK JACKET.