It was the author's aim to embody in as comprehensive a form as possible all that could be learned of Cumberland and its adjacent area in Western Maryland, and he succeeded admirably. Emphasis is on the pioneer, political, and military history of Cumberland, particularly the latter, which includes a description of Washington's first campaign, the Battle of Fort Necessity, Braddock's Expedition, and a history of the area during the period of the Civil War. In addition to the conventional, and to some extent routine, accounts of churches, roads, and businesses, the work also contains a verbatim transcription of General Braddock's Orderly Books, which are invaluable for an appreciation of events leading to the Revolutionary War.