After many unavoidable delays, this long-expected work issues from the press. It was projected by the late Rev. Dr. John Richards in Aug. 1858, but in March 1859 occurred his deeply lamented death, so that seven months only were occupied by him in a most arduous undertaking. Previous to the commencement of 1858, he had, however, assisted Prof. Sanborn in preparing the Triennial of that year for publication, and as I had furnished the dates of the deaths of Dartmouth Alumni, its Medical Classes and Alibi for the Triennials of 1849, 1852, and 1855, almost entirely, he applied to me for additional information. The consequence was, that I gave him the known ages of all the deceased in teh Triennials, and added, in relation to the Alumni, the days and months of the years when deaths had taken place, with the location thereof, to be treasured up in the College library. These items were so numerous that they drew from him in reply the epithet, "marvellous," and created the design of executing the present work. They were collected by me from 1844 to 1858, and were most cheerfully rendered to him. So also in about forty letters, all I know of dead and living graduates was duly communicated.

Such being the case, on the decease of the good Doctor, all that he and a daughter had obtained was transmitted to me for corrections and additions. But so great were the imperfections of every kind, that from that time to this I have been diligently employed in accumulating a mass of information which has astonished many graduates who have seen the old and new manuscripts. Thousands on thousands of newspapers have been consulted, with numerous town histories, family genealogies, classologies, and periodical works. Letters, both written and printed, have been freely despatched; advertisements inserted in papers and two Dartmouth Triennials, and the field of inquiry enlarged so as to include the maternal parentage and marriages. I found also that without exact dates of births as well as deaths it was impossible to give the correct age of the deceased, no distinction being often made between a current year and its completion, between the 70th year, for instance, and the full age of 70.

For one or two years after the papers came into my hands, Miss Julia A. Richards, now Mrs Booth, wrote at my request to several graduates, obtaining valuable returns, but then went on to near Port Gibson, Miss. and left me unaided by her. Some Class Secretaries and other Alumni, too numerous to mention, have likewise materially benefited me by their contributions. But Mr. Baxter Perry Smith, of the class of 1854, has far exceeded all others by the vast amount of intelligence he has succeeded in gaining for five or six years last past in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachussets, and New York city, through personal visits and letters to graduates, their relatives and friends. And yet, even now, there are deficiencies which living graduates could have supplied, and surviving relativew or friends can furnish. I have therefore concluded to publish at present only 500 copies of the Sketches, one of which will be interleaved and devoted to additions and emendations, which are earnestly requested by me from all interested, so that whether I survive or not ro a second edition, the materials for a more perfect production may be kept in preservation.

Some persons may object that no more has been said of the personal or religious character of many, especially deceased, individuals, but the little that does appear transcends the original design of Dr Richards, which was almost purely statistical, and has been adhered to for the most part lest too great a bulk should enhance the price of the volume and diminish its circulation. For the lives of the more distinguished, readers must repair to what has already been recorded at length, and content themselves with the limited annals which are here intended to preserve from oblivion the name of every educated son of Dartmouth, no matter what may be his claim to the remembrance of posterity. As changes of residence are continually occuring, it is to be understood that the last place known may not always be the right location now.

G. T. Chapman.