Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 1
It is my intention in commencing this book to improve my style of writing by means of it as well as to record one of the most interesting periods of my life, for my amusement. In visiting all the places in which the nation itself is interested, I could not help thinking that in case I should live for any space of time, it would be a pleasant thing to me to recollect, by means of this as a refresher of the memory, those scenes which so early in life I witnessed, and which are about to have a material influence upon this country.
This plan will also be advantageous to me as it will exercise my own memory with respect to the sentiments of the different individuals to be noted down, as I intend to call in no help from newspaper accounts. The observations made at that time were clearly impressed upon my mind and although it is sometime since, I see no reason to think that I have now forgotten them.