JAMES FENIMORE COOPER - PREFACE - THE intention of this simply told persorloi life of Janles Fenimore Cooper, the creator of Aniei-ican romance, is to have all iliaterial all tllclltic. The pictures of men, woineii, places and things are, as nearly as possible, of Coopei- S associatioil with then1 to 1-epi-ocluce a background of his time ailcl to make the Illalz - not the author - its centi-al foi-egi-ouncl figure. Froill every available source since the earliest iileiltioil of the authors name, both in print and out, illatei-ial for these pages has been collected. 111 this wide gleaning in the field of lettei-S - a rich liar esfrto ni able and bi-illiant pcns - tlic gleaner herel y expresses grateful al l reciation of these transl lantetl values. Alucli, precious i11 vortlla nd attractive in interest, coilles into tllesc pages froin the generous and good anlong the relatives, friends, and adniirers of Fenimol-e Cooper. And 11101-e than all others, the authors is grand-ncpliew, the late Mr. George Pomeroy Iceese, of Coopcl-sto. n, Sew 7 hlais, paicl rich ancl I- re tribute to tl c liieliiory of his uilcle, with vholn vliena boy lie calne in lil ingt ouch. Appeals to Cool ers grandson, Ja iles 1 enimore Cooper, Esq., of Albany, New York, and also to his pul lisliers have been illet in a s1 irit so gracious and their giving has l een so generous as to command the g-ateful service of the writer. 1 or rare values, in service anc-1 material, special credits are due to Mr. George Pomeroy Iceese, Coopersto n K , . 1. Jaines Fenimore Cooper, Esq., Albany, N. Y. Mr. Francis biting Halsey, Ne v 1 ork City Mr. Edwin Tenney Stig-er, atertown, Xlass. General James Grant ilson, Xew York City All-. Horace G. acllin, Librarian, Messrs. Otto Fleischner, Assist nt Lil rai-ia i, 0. A. Ciet-stadt, F. C. I laisdell, ancl others, of the Eoston Pul lic Lil rary lliss Alice Bailey Keese, Cooperstown, N. 1. Mrs. T. Henry De. ey, Paris, Fi-ance Xlrs. Edu ard Einerson nters, Kew York City and Miss Mary C. Sheridan, Boston, Alass. RIAKY E. PIIILLIPS. A of COOP I, v ritteil wit11 sollle particular refereilce to the picturesclue villag-e among the Otsego hills, where he so long livetl and in whose soil he, for some sixty years or more, llas slept, has long beell needed. That such a book sl oulcl have beco ne a labor of love in the hands of Miss Pllillips is not inore interesting than it is fortunate that the task should have l een acconiplislied so conspicuously well. Miss Phillips has borne testiiilony to the resourcefulliess and rare devotion with vlihich the late Mr. ICeese assisted her ill researches extending over many years. Xone kiie v so well as he the personal side of Cool ers whole life story none so assicluously ailcl so lovingly, during a long life spent in Coopersto vn, gathered ancl tried to preserve iiz their integrity every sigilificaiit u id interesting detail of it. The turning point in Coopers life nras reached wlieii lie went to Cooperstown, although he was xi l little illore tliail a cliild in arnis. Rlost curious is it that his going sl ould have resulted from tlle foreclosure of a iiiortgage. This mortgage had been given in the late Colonial period l y Georg-e Croghan, and covered a vast tract of native forest lands in Otsego. 111 these lands, through the foreclosure, Coopers father, sooil after the Revolution, acquired a large interest, which led liiiil to abandon his hoille of ease and refinement in Curlington...