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With the number for November, 1884, the first issue of a new volume, there began to appear in this magazine a series of separate papers, the object of which is to tell in clear and graphic manner the stories of the great battles of the War for the Union; the authors being leading officers on both the Federal and Confederate sides, often the first in command, and always a participant in the engagement under consideration.  The extraordinary increase in the circulation of the magazine since these papers were begun, and the reception by the public and the press of the material already printed, indicate the wide-spread popular interest in the plan.

THE NOVEMBER CENTURY contains the paper by General G.T.  Beauregard, of the Confederate army, describing “The Battle of Bull Run,” with more than twenty illustrations, including portraits of McDowell, Johnston, “Stonewall” Jackson, and others.  General Beauregard not only describes the battle, but touches upon his relations with Mr. Jefferson Davis, and the general conduct of the war.

THE DECEMBER CENTURY contains the graphic description of “The Capture of Fort Donelson,” by General Lew Wallace, with portraits of Buckner, Floyd, Pillow, and others among the illustrations, and a frontispiece portrait of General Grant, from a little-known photograph; also an autographic reproduction of General Grant’s famous “Unconditional Surrender” letter, written to the Confederate commander at Fort Donelson.

THE JANUARY CENTURY contains an illustrated article by Rear-Admiral Walke, describing the “Operations of the Western Flotilla,” including engagements at Belmont, Fort Henry, Fort Pillow, Fort Donelson, Memphis, and Island No. 10.  Captain James B. Eads (who built the gun-boats) contributes to the same number a paper on “Recollections of Foote and the Gun-boats.”

New readers of THE CENTURY desiring to secure these three numbers, November, December, and January, and thus begin the War Series and Mr. Howells’s new novel, “The Rise of Silas Lapham,” can obtain them for $1.00 of the publishers (who will send them to any address, post-paid, on receipt of price), or of dealers everywhere.  New editions will be printed as rapidly as the demand requires.  November is now in its sixth edition.

THE FEBRUARY CENTURY, the Midwinter number, contains a remarkable list of attractions, including a richly illustrated paper on “Winter Sports in Canada,” an illustrated story by Mark Twain, entitled “Royalty on the Mississippi,” etc., etc.  In this issue appears THE FIRST OF GENERAL GRANT’S ARTICLES in the war series, being his long-looked-for paper on “The Battle of Shiloh.”  For reasons which he recounts in the opening of the article, general Grant never made to the Government the usual full report touching this engagement.  The paper is a comprehensive treatment of his relations to the battle, including much of picturesque and personal interest concerning its progress and a discussion of the main points of controversy, together with his own estimates of the military character and services of certain of the leading officers in both the Union and Confederate sides.