Captain Charles D.Sigsbee
TO MY SHIPMATES OF THE" MAINE," THE DEAD AND THE LIVING, I DEDICATE THIS, MY PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE GREAT DISASTER.
- THE AUTHOR.
This electronic book was scanned and created from the original book by Captain Sigsbee. There has been only minor editing; the text is almost completely original. This material is not copyrighted, as items this old (pre-1923) are considered to be in the public domain.
I hope this material can give people an insight to some events leading to the Spanish-American war. It's an interesting glimpse into the experience of a man in the middle of historical turmoil. It is complete with the cultural stereotypes and racial images of the day, yet also shows surprising amounts of heroism, care and humanity from all sides during a horrific event. It is interesting to see how Captain Sigsbee's description of his treatment by the Spanish authorities does not match an event sometimes portrayed as the hostile act to trigger a war.
- Dave Simmons, February 2007