Excerpt from The History of Montgomery Classes, R. C. A History has been spoken of as a mere chain of facts, which serve the purpose of comparing knowledge, but this is the lesser half of the truth, for while we need the guidance of established facts, systematically arranged, and their true connection with preceding and succeeding events, we submit that by far the larger purpose of history is to unite ourselves with these facts, to fix our personal responsibility as heirs of the past, and to determine our present duty to ourselves and to others, in the light of such knowledge. If men and women were unrelated and individual units of humanity we might review the past and forecast the future with such pleasure as comes naturally from historical research, as we weave into one body the warp and the woof of the story of the centuries. But history, as we interpret it, is not knowledge merely, but in a higher sense it is power, for it is inclusive of those fine relationships that link men to their homes, their country and their God. In recent years there has been a wholesome revival of historical study, which finds development in local and general celebrations, in state and national expositions, in pageants and antique loans, in translation and reprint of the church records, cemetery inscriptions, and the papers preserved in the archives of state and nation. This is not a work of vanity or of self-aggrandizement, but a wholesome exercise of the mind and soul of the people, through which we get life's true bearings, and gain courage and inspiration with which to meet the days before us. Such study and research as may be provoked by this Classis History cannot help but weave its influences into our lives, and thus mould our character and direct our conduct. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.