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Lynda Lasswell Crist, Editor
Mary Seaton Dix, Coeditor
Introduction by Frank E. VandiverVolume 7 of The Papers of Jefferson Davis offers a unique view of 1861, the first year of the Confederacy, Davis' presidency, and the Civil War.On January 21 Davis made his affecting farewell speech before a hushed Senate, then left for Mississippi. His uncertainty over a military or political course vanished when he received news of his unanimous election as president of the Confederate States of America. Inaugurated at Montgomery, Alabama, on February 18, Davis quickly set to work to forge a government, in a race with events to select a cabinet, establish departments, and plan for the common defense.Hopes for a peaceful separation from the North ended with the firing on Fort Sumter; subsequent documents reveal a president absorbed by the problems of waging a war that soon stretched from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Victory at Manassas produced euphoria among southerners but plunged the president into the first of several unfortunate controversies with his generals, this one over the failure to pursue the enemy and capitalize on success.Throughout 1861 the Confederate commissioners in Europe reported to Davis on their expectations of recognition, convinced that the demand for cotton would induce Great Britain and France to break the North's blockade of southern ports and help supply arms for the defense of the fledgling nation.Volume 7 provides a rare opportunity to assess anew Davis' strengths and weaknesses as executive, to reexamine his relationship with generals, governors, congressmen, cabinet officers, the press, and the public. Davis ended the year as he begun, aware of the difficulties of the course the South had adopted and confident that its cause would ultimately triumph. Containing illustrations, maps, and more than 2,500 documents drawn from numerous printed sources and more than seventy repositories and private collections, Volume 7 covers a year of paramount importance in our country's history.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Title Page, Copyright Page
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  1. Introduction
  2. pp. v-viii
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. ix-xiv
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  1. Editorial Staff
  2. pp. xv-xviii
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  1. Editorial Method
  2. pp. xix-xxiv
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  1. Symbols and Abbreviations
  2. pp. xxv-xxviii
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  1. Repository Symbols
  2. pp. xxix-xxx
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. xxxi-xxxviii
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  1. Chronology, 1861
  2. pp. xxxix-xliv
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  1. The Papers of Jefferson Davis Annotated Documents 1861
  1. From Joseph E. Davis . . . January 2
  2. pp. 3-6
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  1. To Edwin De Leon . . . January 8
  2. pp. 6-10
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  1. To Isaac W. Hayne . . . January 15
  2. pp. 10-14
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  1. To George Lunt . . . January 17
  2. pp. 14-15
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  1. To Clement C. Clay . . . January 19
  2. pp. 16-17
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  1. To Franklin Pierce . . . January 20
  2. pp. 17-18
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  1. Farewell Address . . . January 21
  2. pp. 18-23
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  1. From Francis W. Pickens . . . January 23
  2. pp. 23-27
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  1. To Alexander M. Clayton . . . January 30
  2. pp. 27-29
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  1. Library of Congress Loan Record . . . [January]
  2. pp. 30-34
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  1. To John F. Callan . . . February 7
  2. pp. 34-36
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  1. From Robert Toombs et al. . . . February 9
  2. pp. 36-38
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  1. From James M. Mason . . . February 12
  2. pp. 39-40
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  1. To Varina Howell Davis . . . February 14
  2. pp. 40-43
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  1. Speech at Atlanta . . . February 16
  2. pp. 43-45
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  1. Inaugural Address . . . February 18
  2. pp. 45-51
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  1. From Louis T. Wigfall . . . February 18
  2. pp. 51-53
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  1. To Varina Howell Davis . . . February 20
  2. pp. 53-55
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  1. To Francis W. Pickens . . . February 20
  2. pp. 55-57
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  1. To Francis W. Pickens . . . February 22
  2. pp. 57-60
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  1. From Louis T. Wigfall . . . February 25
  2. pp. 60-64
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  1. To Anna Ella Carroll . . . March 1
  2. pp. 64-69
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  1. From Francis W. Pickens . . . March 17
  2. pp. 70-74
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  1. From John Forsyth . . . March 20
  2. pp. 74-79
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  1. To John F. Callan . . . March 21
  2. pp. 79-85
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  1. To Braxton Bragg . . . April 3
  2. pp. 85-87
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  1. From John A. Campbell . . . April 3
  2. pp. 88-92
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  1. To John A. Campbell . . . April 6
  2. pp. 92-94
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  1. From Braxton Bragg . . . April 7
  2. pp. 94-98
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  1. From Francis W. Pickens . . . April 9
  2. pp. 99-104
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  1. From Francis W. Pickens . . . April 16
  2. pp. 104-110
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  1. From A. Dudley Mann . . . April 20
  2. pp. 110-113
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  1. From James M. Mason . . . April 21
  2. pp. 113-117
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  1. From John A. Campbell . . . April 23
  2. pp. 117-121
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  1. From John Slidell . . . April 24
  2. pp. 122-123
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  1. From [John W. Ellis] . . . April 25
  2. pp. 123-128
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  1. From William Preston Johnston . . . April 26
  2. pp. 128-130
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  1. From John Bankhead Magruder . . . April 26
  2. pp. 130-134
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  1. From Charles J. Mitchell . . . April 27
  2. pp. 134-136
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  1. From John A. Campbell . . . April 28
  2. pp. 136-145
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  1. From Henry C. Wayne . . . May 3
  2. pp. 145-148
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  1. From James M. Mason . . . May 6
  2. pp. 148-153
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  1. Interview with William H. Russell . . . May [7]
  2. pp. 153-157
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  1. From Thomas O. Moore . . . May 9
  2. pp. 157-159
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  1. From Albert T. Bledsoe . . . May 10
  2. pp. 159-164
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  1. From William M. Brooks . . . May 13
  2. pp. 164-170
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  1. From Braxton Bragg . . . May 18
  2. pp. 170-173
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  1. To Leonidas Polk . . . May 22
  2. pp. 174-175
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  1. To Braxton Bragg . . . May 23
  2. pp. 175-183
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  1. Speech at Richmond . . . June 1
  2. pp. 183-186
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . June 3
  2. pp. 186-188
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  1. From Thomas C. Reynolds . . . June 3
  2. pp. 188-193
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  1. From Joseph E. Brown . . . June [7]
  2. pp. 193-197
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . June 12
  2. pp. 197-198
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  1. To P. G. T. Beauregard . . . June 13
  2. pp. 199-202
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  1. To Joseph E. Davis . . . June 18
  2. pp. 203-208
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . June 22
  2. pp. 208-212
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . June 26
  2. pp. 212-214
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  1. From Joseph E. Brown . . . June 27
  2. pp. 214-221
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  1. To Abraham Lincoln . . . July 6
  2. pp. 221-225
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 8
  2. pp. 225-227
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  1. To John Letcher . . . July 9
  2. pp. 227-229
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  1. From Braxton Bragg . . . July 9
  2. pp. 229-231
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 10
  2. pp. 231-234
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . July 11
  2. pp. 234-238
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 13
  2. pp. 238-242
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 15
  2. pp. 242-245
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  1. To Isham G. Harris . . . July 17
  2. pp. 245-249
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . July 17
  2. pp. 249-251
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . July 18
  2. pp. 251-253
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 20
  2. pp. 254-255
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  1. From Pierre A. Rost . . . July 20
  2. pp. 255-257
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  1. To Samuel Cooper . . . July 21
  2. pp. 258-261
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  1. Speech at Richmond . . . July 23
  2. pp. 261-263
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . July 24
  2. pp. 264-266
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  1. From Douglas H. Cooper . . . July 25
  2. pp. 267-272
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . August 3
  2. pp. 272-282
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  1. To T. A. R. Nelson . . . August 13
  2. pp. 282-287
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  1. To William Porcher Miles . . . August 19
  2. pp. 287-289
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  1. From Thomas C. Reynolds . . . August 19
  2. pp. 289-296
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  1. From Lucius B. Northrop . . . August 21
  2. pp. 296-302
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  1. From Braxton Bragg . . . August 23
  2. pp. 302-304
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . August 23
  2. pp. 304-310
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  1. From Henry A. Wise . . . August 28
  2. pp. 311-314
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  1. From David D. Sanderson . . . September 1
  2. pp. 314-315
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  1. From Robert Toombs . . . September 1
  2. pp. 316-317
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  1. To Leonidas Polk . . . September 2
  2. pp. 318-320
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . September 3
  2. pp. 320-323
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  1. From Gustavus W. Smith . . . September 3
  2. pp. 323-325
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  1. From Isham G. Harris . . . September 4
  2. pp. 325-326
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  1. To Leonidas Polk . . . September 5
  2. p. 327
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  1. From Leonidas Polk . . . September 6
  2. pp. 328-329
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  1. From Jacob Thompson . . . September 6
  2. pp. 329-330
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  1. From Thomas O. Moore . . . September 7
  2. pp. 331-334
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . September 10
  2. pp. 334-337
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . September 13
  2. pp. 337-339
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . September 14
  2. pp. 340-352
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  1. To Varina Howell Davis . . . October 2
  2. pp. 352-358
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  1. To P. G. T. Beauregard . . . October 16
  2. pp. 358-361
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  1. From Mansfield Lovell . . . October 18
  2. pp. 362-365
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  1. To Judah P. Benjamin . . . [October 21]
  2. pp. 365-366
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . October 21
  2. pp. 366-368
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . October 22
  2. pp. 368-370
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  1. From Braxton Bragg . . . October 22
  2. pp. 370-373
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  1. From Edwin De Leon . . . October [24]
  2. pp. 374-378
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  1. From Jacob U. Payne . . . October 24
  2. pp. 379-383
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  1. On P. G. T. Beauregard's Manassas Report . . . [October 30]
  2. pp. 383-388
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  1. From James Chesnut . . . November 2
  2. pp. 388-393
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  1. To Joseph E. Johnston . . . November 3
  2. pp. 393-394
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  1. From A. Dudley Mann . . . November 4–6
  2. pp. 395-397
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  1. From Leonidas Polk . . . November 6
  2. pp. 398-399
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  1. From P. G. T. Beauregard . . . November 7
  2. pp. 399-402
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  1. From Leonidas Polk . . . November 7
  2. pp. 402-405
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  1. From Samuel Cooper . . . November 9
  2. pp. 405-407
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . November 10
  2. pp. 407-408
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  1. From Herschel V. Johnson . . . November 11
  2. pp. 408-412
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  1. To the Congress of the Confederate States . . . November 18
  2. pp. 412-422
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  1. From Joseph E. Johnston . . . November 22
  2. pp. 423-425
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  1. From Robert E. Lee . . . November 24
  2. pp. 425-427
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  1. From Francis W. Pickens . . . November 24
  2. pp. 427-433
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  1. To Wiley P. Harris . . . December 3
  2. pp. 433-440
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  1. From Nicholas E. Barnes . . . December 16
  2. pp. 440-444
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  1. From William Preston . . . December 28
  2. pp. 445-449
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  1. From William Lowndes Yancey . . . December 30–31
  2. pp. 449-454
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  1. Addenda, 1847–56
  2. pp. 455-458
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  1. Sources
  2. pp. 459-492
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 493-542
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  1. Images
  2. pp. 543-548
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