catalogue three hundred twenty - four
American
Military History
W illiam R eese C ompany
409 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06511
(203) 789-8081
A Note
This catalogue is devoted to American military history from colonial times to World
War II, with substantial sections on the American Revolution and the Civil War, but also
covering the French and Indian War, earlier colonial conflicts, the War of 1812, Indian
wars from the Seminole War to Wounded Knee, the Mexican-American War, and other
conflicts. Notable are Mante’s history of the French and Indian War; the Jefferys atlas
to the Revolution; the archive of the British commissary general in America, 1774-77;
a wonderful collection of letters of leading Confederate generals; Homer’s Life in Camp
lithographs; the proclamation of American military government in California at Monterrey
in 1847; Revolutionary maps and broadsides; pamphlets describing Oglethorpe’s 1740
expedition against Florida; important Civil War maps; and numerous letters. Some of
the items listed here came from the distinguished collection of Charles R. Sanders, one
of the great collectors of American military history.
Available on request or via our website are our recent catalogues 318 The Caribbean,
319 Western Americana, 320 Manuscripts & Archives, 322 Forty Years a Bookseller, and 323
For Readers of All Ages: Recent Acquisitions in Americana, as well as Bulletins 35 American
Travel, 36 American Views & Cartography, 37 Flat: Single Significant Sheets, 38 Images of
the American West, and many more topical lists.
Some of our catalogues, as well as some recent topical lists, are now posted on the internet
at www.reeseco.com. A portion of our stock may be viewed at www.reeseco.com. If you
would like to receive e-mail notification when catalogues and lists are uploaded, please
e-mail us at [email protected] or send us a fax, specifying whether you would like to
receive the notifications in lieu of or in addition to paper catalogues.
Terms
Material herein is offered subject to prior sale. All items are as described and are considered to be on approval. Notice of return must be given within ten days unless specific
arrangements are made. Connecticut residents must be billed state sales tax. Postage
and insurance charges are billed to all nonprepaid domestic orders. Overseas orders are
sent by air unless otherwise requested, with full postage charges billed at our discretion.
Payment by check, wire transfer or bank draft is preferred, but may also be made by
MasterCard or Visa.
William Reese Company
409 Temple Street
New Haven, CT 06511
www.williamreesecompany.com
Phone: (203) 789-8081
Fax: (203) 865-7653
E-mail: [email protected]
On the cover: 153. [Shaw, Col. Robert Gould]: Storming Fort Wagner. Chicago. 1890.
A Set of Early American Military Manuals, Printed by Robert Bell
1. [American Military Manuals]: THE ART OF WAR.... [with:] A
TREATISE ON THE MILITARY SERVICE OF LIGHT HORSE,
AND LIGHT INFANTRY, IN THE FIELD AND IN FORTIFIED
PLACES. Philadelphia: Robert Bell, 1776-1777. Two volumes. [8],264;
[2],228pp. Half title in each volume. Contemporary speckled calf, gilt-lettered
spines. Rubbed, more particularly along hinges; front board of second volume
neatly detached. Contemporary ownership signature of Joseph Hiller on front
free endpaper of first volume. Internally clean. Very good. In separate cloth
chemises within a half morocco and cloth box.
Two important early American military manuals, published shortly after the first American
work of the kind, Roger Stevenson’s Military
Instructions for Officers... (1775). Both volumes
are English translations of earlier French military guides. Although issued separately and
complete in themselves, the works are often
found as a set, as here. The first title is actually a compilation of three tracts by Monsieur
de Lamont, an anonymous French author, and
the Chevalier de la Valiere, respectively. Titled “The Duties of Officers...,” “The
Duties of Soldiers...” and “The Rules and Practices of the Greatest Generals...,”
they offer a thorough guide to the proper behavior of a military body of the sort so
much needed by the fledgling Continental Army. The second volume, translated by
the American, Major Lewis Nicola, was originally written by Thomas Grandmaison,
the father of French cavalry tactics. The two volumes, intended by Bell to be a set
(the second volume includes an advertisement for the first opposite its titlepage),
are often found stamped with a “W” and a “G” on their respective spines, leading
some who have seen only one copy to surmise their copy once belonged to George
Washington. However, the appearance of multiple copies with such markings seems
to defeat that hopeful hypothesis. Many Bell bindings are stamped with similar
singular letters, suggesting the intrepid printer employed some sort of classification
system for his bindings. Throughout the Revolution early military guides such as
these were in great demand. Often subjected to extensive study and use, they are
rarely found in such fine condition.
HILDEBURN 3412, 3553. EVANS 14816, 15319. NAIP w013180, w028183. $7500.
With the Map of Battle Lines in Boston, August 1775
2. [American Revolution]: [Boston Map]: THE PENNSYLVANIA MAG-
AZINE: OR, AMERICAN MONTHLY MUSEUM. FOR MARCH
[& AUGUST] 1775. Philadelphia: R. Aitken, 1775. Two issues. [103]-144;
[339]-388pp. Folding plan in August issue.
Dbd. Light to moderate soiling and wear.
Light foxing and toning. Folding plan separating at folds. About good.
Two issues of The Pennsylvania Magazine, the
only magazine issued in the American colonies
for most of the crucial years of 1775 and 1776
(the only other one being The Royal American
Magazine, which ceased publication in March
1775). Most importantly, The Pennsylvania
Magazine was edited from February 1775 until May 1776 (all but the first and the last two
numbers) by the famous radical, Thomas Paine.
The August 1775 issue contains an important
folding plate titled “Exact Plan of General Gage’s
Lines on Boston Neck, in America.” It includes
a reference key on the facing page, indicating
various sizes of cannon. The Siege of Boston
began in April 1775, right at the opening of the
war, and lasted nearly a year. $2500.
The British Thrown Out of Boston, with a Fine Woodcut
3. [American Revolution]: TWO FAVORITE SONGS, MADE ON THE
EVACUATION OF THE TOWN OF BOSTON, BY THE BRITISH TROOPS, ON THE 17th OF MARCH, 1776. [Boston. March 17,
1776]. Broadside, 17 x 10½ inches. Large woodcut of a harbor fortress and
naval vessels exchanging cannon fire (2½ x 6½ inches), text in two columns.
One vertical and three horizontal folds. Edges mildly frayed with small losses;
several small losses at fold intersections, slightly affecting woodcut and two
words of text. Minor foxing, one light stain in woodcut (½ x ¾ inch). Very
good. Matted. In a cloth chemise and blue half morocco and cloth slipcase,
spine gilt.
A rare, large-format broadside containing two songs celebrating the British defeat
at Boston to Gen. Washington’s army after a siege that had lasted from April 1775.
Winslow noted that the large woodcut had previously been used on a broadside
of 1745 describing the siege of Louisbourg. The first song begins: “In seventeen
hundred and seventy six, / On March the eleventh, the time was prefix’d, / Our
forces march’d on Dorchester Neck, / Made fortifications against an attack.” The
supplies and munitions left by the departing British are mentioned, as is a fire set
at Castle William during the evacuation. The poet concludes spiritedly: “Let ‘em
go, let ‘em go, for what they will fetch, / I think their great Howe is a miserable
wretch; / And as for his men, they are fools for their pains, / So let them return to
Old England again.”
The second song, in a different
meter, comprises thirteen four-line
stanzas. It commences with a remembrance of the Battle of Bunker
Hill: “It wasn’t our will that BunkerHill, / From us should e’er be taken....” The American re-occupation
of Bunker Hill is described, along
with several scarecrows left by the
British (to give the impression it
was still garrisoned). Then: “The
women come, and children run, /
To brave Putnam rejoicing, / Saying now is the time to man your
lines, / For the soldiers have left
Boston.” The poet speculates on the
British force’s destination: “Some
say they’ve sail’d for Halifax, / And
others for New-York...Where they
are bound there’s none can tell, / But
the great God on high, / May all
our heads be covered well, / When
cannon balls do fly.”
A smaller format broadside of
the same two songs, set in a different type but employing the same
cut, is entitled, simply, On the Evacuation of Boston by the British Troops. ESTC locates only three copies, at the Essex
Institute, the American Antiquarian Society, and Princeton.
SABIN 97588. BRISTOL B4385. SHIPTON & MOONEY 43179. FORD 2040. WEGELIN 808. ESTC W38633.
$17,500.
Large Archive of the “Canadian Regiment” 1776-80:
An Unusual Part of the Continental Army
4. [American Revolution]: Livingston, James: [LARGE ARCHIVE OF
MUSTER ROLLS AND PAYROLLS FOR THE FIRST CANADIAN REGIMENT UNDER THE COMMAND OF COL. JAMES
LIVINGSTON]. [Various places]. 1776-1780. Containing forty-three payroll sheets and fifteen muster rolls. Additional documents include a “Proof of
Effectives” signed by Colonel Livingston and a copy of Senate Bill S. 186.
Some scattered soiling and light toning. Old folds, some light wear, splitting
on some folds. Generally in good to very good condition. In a cloth clamshell
case, leather label.
James Livingston was born in Albany County, New York in 1747. His family was
among the British colonials who settled in Canada after its absorption into the British
Empire. By 1770, Livingston was practicing law in Chambly, near Montreal, before
going into business with his father and brother as a wheat merchant. In July 1775
rumors began to circulate that the Americans, who had begun their rebellion, were
planning to launch an invasion of Canada, intent on bringing it into the American
fold. “Assuming that there was much Canadian backing for the American cause,
[Livingston] informed [Gen. Philip] Schuyler about the situation in Canada. On
5 September 1775 Schuyler sent him an address to the people of Canada, urging
them to revolt against the British. Together with some followers, Livingston began to attack the British. When American general Richard Montgomery and his
invading army entered Canada, Livingston joined them. He raised approximately
200 to 300 Canadian allies for the Americans” – ANB.
Livingston’s militia aided in the capture of Fort Chambly, and following the fall
of Montreal, Livingston was appointed a colonel and tasked with raising a regiment
of Canadians to assist with an assault on Quebec City. In eight days he gathered
two hundred men. The First Canadian Regiment received formal recognition from
the Second Continental Congress on Jan. 8, 1776 and was placed under the command of newly appointed Gen. Benedict Arnold. The regiment saw action at the
failed American assault on Quebec and at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, where the
regiment fled Canada to Fort Ticonderoga, New York. In August of 1777 they took
part in the expedition to relieve Fort Stanwix, and in September and October they
participated in both Battles of Saratoga, and in 1778, the Battle of Rhode Island.
In 1780, Livingston was assigned to the command of the garrison at Verplanck’s
Point, at the head of Haverstraw Bay on the Hudson River, and was instrumental
in the exposure of Benedict Arnold as a traitor. Arnold had grown disenchanted
with the American army and intended to turn over West Point to the British. The
British sent Major John André, a British spy, to meet Arnold. Livingston became
suspicious of the sloop H.M.S. Vulture, which had anchored in the bay, waiting
to bring André back to New York City. He ordered artillery to fire upon the ship,
forcing it to retire southward. André was obliged to return to New York City by
land and was subsequently captured with the information from Arnold, tried, and
hanged. Arnold was exposed and defected to the British.
In the last months of 1780, Gen. Washington ordered a reorganization of the
army, and the First Canadian Regiment was disbanded on Jan. 1, 1781, with most
of its members joining the Second Canadian Regiment. Colonel Livingston retired
in 1781 to Johnstown, New York, where he served in the New York State Assembly
from 1783 until 1794. He died in November 1832.
This important archive contains a total of forty-three payroll sheets for the First
Canadian Regiment. Each payroll sheet contains the names and ranks of each
soldier, his wage per month, his amount of subsistence, length of time for which
the soldier is receiving pay, the total amount of subsistence and wage. Some also
contain an amount of debt owed and whether the soldier is listed as a casualty.
Two later sheets, dated 1780, also contain the soldiers’ time of service. One example, for August and September, 1778, lists the payroll for “The Late Capt. John
Baptist Allens Company.” It contains the names of seventeen officers and enlisted
men, giving a total of £128 paid out. Another lists the pay for twenty-five officers
and enlisted men, for “Captain John D. P. Ten Eyck Company for the Months of
August, September, and October, 1780,” totaling $650.22 and signed by Ten Eyck.
The muster rolls present here, sixteen in all, list personnel of the company – both
officers and enlisted men – including their appointment date, duration of service,
casualties, and remarks. On the verso of each is found a “ Proof of Effectives,”
being a roll call of personnel “Present, Absent, and Total,” with a signed oath that
the totals are correct. One example is from Capt. Dirick Hansen’s Company in the
“Battalion of Forces in the Service of the United States of America Commanded
by James Livingston Esq.” Dated at “Fish Hill,” May 4, 1778, the muster roll lists
three officers: Dirick Hansen, Capt.; William Wallace, 1st Lt.; Duncan Campbell,
2nd Lt; also 3 Sergeants, 1 Drummer, 17 Privates, 3 Corporals, and 1 Fifer. The
roll gives the appointment date, rank, term of enlistment, and remarks for each
individual and is signed by James Livingston: “Jas. Livingston Colo.”
All told, a fascinating record of military service and a treasure trove of Revolutionary-era documents, providing significant information about a very unusual
regiment during the war.
$27,500.
A detailed list of documents is available on request. Seizing Goods from Loyalists and Appealing to Patriots for
the Troops at Valley Forge: The Only Known Copy
5. [American Revolution]: [Valley Forge]: IN COUNCIL OF SAFETY.
LANCASTER, NOVEMBER 8, 1777. ORDERED, THAT...BE AUTHORISED AND REQUIRED TO COLLECT WITHOUT DELAY FROM SUCH OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE COUNTY
OF...AS HAVE NOT TAKEN THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE
AND ABJURATION, OR WHO HAVE AIDED OR ASSISTED
THE ENEMY, AND FROM SUCH WELL-AFFECTED PERSONS AS MAY BE ABLE TO SPARE THEM, ARMS AND ACCOUTREMENTS...FOR THE ARMY.... Lancaster: Printed by Francis
Bailey, [1777]. Broadside, 13 x 8¼ inches. Old folds. Small separation at center
cross-fold. Old 2½ x 2-inch stain in center. Very good. In a half morocco box.
A remarkable circular letter from
the Pennsylvania Council of Safety,
authorizing the seizure of goods
from American Loyalists so that
those items could be given to the
bedraggled Continental Army,
which would soon be wintering
at nearby Valley Forge. Patriotic
Americans are also asked to give
what they can of arms and clothing
for the war effort. We are unable
to locate any other copies of this
rare and significant directive.
The Pennsylvania Council
of Safety evacuated Philadelphia when the British occupied
the city in September 1777. On
Oct. 21, 1777, having removed to
Lancaster, they issued a proclamation authorizing the confiscation of the estates and property of
any American who fought in the
British army, and of anyone who
provided material comfort and support to the British occupiers. The
present proclamation, also issued
from Lancaster, directs eleven men,
whose names are provided in manuscript, to collect goods that would be of the
utmost importance for Washington’s troops at Valley Forge. Among the specific
items listed are “arms and accoutrements, blankets, woolen cloth, linceywoolsey, linnen, shoes and stockings for the army.” These goods were to be collected from any
inhabitant of the county “as have not taken the oath of allegiance and abjuration,
or who have aided or assisted the enemy.” Patriotic Americans able to contribute
goods for the Continental Army are also asked to give what they can.
The specific county in which these collections are to take place has not been
filled in in this copy of the Council’s circular letter. Added in a contemporary
manuscript hand at the conclusion of the printed text is the following note: “all
officers civilian & military are hereby required and directed on application from the
Commissioners above or any of them to be aiding and assisting in the execution of
these orders.” The text is signed in print by Thomas Wharton, Junior, President
of the Council of Safety.
No copies of this broadside circular are listed in Evans, Bristol, Shipton & Mooney,
NAIP, or ESTC. Rare, and highly evocative of the deprivation that Washington’s
troops faced at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, and the desperate measures
taken to support them. $27,500.
The Papers of the English Commissary General
in North America, 1774-77
6. [American Revolution]: Chamier, Daniel: [ARCHIVE OF ORIGINAL
MANUSCRIPT DOCUMENTS RECORDING THE WORK AND
ACCOUNTS OF DANIEL CHAMIER, COMMISSARY GENERAL OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AMERICA DURING
1774 – 1777, DETAILING THE FUNDS EXPENDED FOR PROVISIONING THE BRITISH ARMY DURING THREE CRITICAL
YEARS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION]. [London, New York,
Baltimore, & Newport, R.I. 1778-1798]. One manuscript document on a long
vellum roll made up of fourteen skins, totaling 516 x 11½ inches (i.e. 43 feet
in length). Plus an additional twenty-one manuscript documents on folio and
quarto sheets, as described below. Light wear, some occasional foxing or soiling. Overall, in very good condition. In two half morocco and cloth clamshell
cases, one quarto and the other folio in size, gilt leather labels.
A remarkable collection of manuscript documents, detailing the accounts of Daniel
Chamier, the Commissary General of the British Army in North America during the Revolutionary War, and showing how the British forces in America were
provisioned from 1774 to 1777. The axiom (variously attributed to Napoleon and
to Frederick the Great) that “an army travels on its stomach” is a truism borne
out by centuries of military history. The accounts of Daniel Chamier’s service as
Commissary General for British forces from Nova Scotia to Florida during the
Revolutionary War provide an invaluable guide for understanding how the British
Army was provisioned in the early years of the war, and for understanding how and
why Gen. William Howe’s forces did, or did not, “travel.”
Daniel Chamier lived for several years in Maryland, holding public offices in
the colony and apparently accumulating a sizeable personal fortune. Before the
actual outbreak of fighting during the Revolution he offered his services to the
British Army, and became Commissary General of the Army in North America.
He served in that position from 1774 to 1777, and then as Auditor-General from
1777 until his death a year later.
The work of the Commissary General was of supreme importance in the functioning of the British Army in North America, and Chamier’s efforts often had
direct impact on British decision-making at the highest levels. When and where
to attack, when to retreat, where to camp – these decisions were often based on a
consideration of supplies. Chamier’s accounts provide incredibly detailed information on how the British Army was provisioned in the early years of the Revolution,
and include expenses for forces under the command of generals Howe, Cornwallis,
Clinton, Gage, and many more. The documents in this collection were created and
assembled by Chamier’s heirs and family members after his death in an effort to
gain reimbursement for the thousands of pounds sterling from his personal fortune
that Chamier expended during his service.
Chamier’s commission records that he was Commissary General for all British
forces employed in North America, though in fact forces in mainland Canada had
their own Commissary General. Chamier’s responsibility was for the provisioning
of British forces from Nova Scotia to Florida, and he held the position for three
crucial, early years of the Revolution, from February 1774 to February 1777, during which time many important battles were fought, and the British were generally
considered to have the upper hand in the conflict. Chamier was responsible for
receiving provisions sent from Britain and then distributing them to British troops
in America, and for securing provisions in America as he could. From March 1777
on, Chamier held the position of Auditor-General (or Comptroller of Accounts)
to the British forces in America, and at the time of his death, on Nov. 27, 1778,
he was still recorded on staff records as Comptroller. Chamier was assisted in his
duties as Commissary General by a number of deputies, with specific assistants in
charge of provisions, fuel, cattle, forage, etc. His headquarters were in New York,
though he sometimes accompanied the army in the field.
Of primary importance with regard to Chamier’s career, and to the present archive,
is the issue of funding and the expenditure of funds. Chamier and his assistants
were paid a small salary, but little more. Most often, Chamier was required to use
his own considerable fortune to secure necessities such as flour, rice, beef, and other
provisions, as well as for rents, postage, travel charges, books and stationery, and a
variety of other expenses for the army throughout the American colonies. Records
cited by historian Edward Curtis show that the value of the provisions Chamier
received from abroad from 1775 through 1777 amounted to some £65,000. The
manuscript records in this collection detailing his total disbursements, however,
record that Chamier’s Commissary General office made payments in the amount of
more than £300,000. The manuscript records in this collection record the names of
hundreds of provisioners who were paid hundreds of thousands of pounds for their
services to the British Army in America, as it grew from a relatively small force to
an army that controlled large parts of the American colonies by the end of 1777.
In 1775 the British Army had some 8,000 soldiers stationed in North America,
about one-sixth of their total force. By comparison, some 12,000 British soldiers
were stationed in Ireland. Supply and transport services to America were described
by one historian as being in only a “crude and embryonic” state. By 1781 the number of British soldiers in America and the West Indies had grown seven-fold, to
56,000. From soldiers’ pay to food, clothing, weapons, etc., the state of accounts of
the British army was complicated, confusing, and ripe for corruption. Curtis notes
that “a Parliamentary commission appointed in 1780 to investigate the finances of
the army is said to have abandoned its task in despair.”
During the war Chamier’s accounts would have been scrutinized by the Comptrollers of Army Accounts in London. Edward Curtis writes that “more than one
commissary general fell under suspicion of being engaged in doubtful transactions
at the expense of the government,” and Chamier did not escape this suspicion. For
example, Chamier often complained about the quality of provisions shipped over
from the British Isles, and of their being damaged or spoiled in transport. But
he was in turn criticized for leaving provisions on the docks, where they would be
exposed to the elements and could spoil. At other times he was accused of selling
spoiled goods, only to buy them back to serve to troops. In other instances Chamier’s
complaints were found to be dated prior to his inspection of supplies, and he often
failed to specify which provisioners were responsible for sending spoiled goods.
The bulk of the provisions for the British Army in America came from the
British Isles – they did not live off the land as did their French counterparts
during the Napoleonic wars. However, provisions were sometimes purchased in
America, at high prices. Meat, flour, rice, and other provisions could sometimes be
purchased or seized locally, and prize vessels would sometimes yield much needed
goods. Adding to the many frustrations of Chamier’s position was the tendency of
American merchants to raise their prices to exorbitant levels when offering goods
to the British Army.
The twenty-two manuscript items in this collection document Daniel Chamier’s
efforts to provision British forces in America from 1774 to 1777, and the efforts of
his heirs to be compensated for the monies he personally spent. The two primary
accountings of Chamier’s work are contained in the first two documents below;
the twenty items that follow describe the efforts made by Chamier’s heirs after his
death to clear up his accounts, and to be compensated for hundreds of thousands
of pounds that they claimed were owed to Chamier by the British government for
monies he paid himself as part of his duties during the Revolution. At his death
in 1778, Chamier’s estate was held by the Chancery Court, and a final settlement
was not made until 1794. Amounts paid out by him during the war for which there
were no vouchers were charged against his estate, and his heirs were left with only
£2000 out of an estate valued at approximately £1 million.
The documents in the collection are as follows:
1) In the Roll of Foreign Accounts of the XXXIIIIth Year of King George the Third...
Daniel Chamier...His Account Thereof Between 25th May 1774 and the 24th May
1777.... The centerpiece of the collection is a vellum scroll, referred to in the
later documents as the “Quietus,” made up of fourteen joined skins and measuring forty-three feet in length. It constitutes a detailed accounting of Daniel
Chamier’s expenditures as Commissary General for the period from May 25,
1774 to May 24, 1777. The expenditures record costs for provisions for forces
under a number of British generals, including Howe, Clinton, Gage, Cornwallis,
Haldimand, Eyre Massey, and Percy. The total payments recorded on this vellum
scroll amount to more than £307,409, and record hundreds of specific payments
to scores of assistants, deputies, and suppliers. A wide geographic area is covered, from Nova Scotia to Florida, and includes New York, Detroit, Fort Erie,
Crown Point, Boston, Charlestown, Albany, Ticonderoga, Flushing, Brooklyn,
Staten Island, Savannah, St. Augustine, Rhode Island, and many others. The
payments cover a wide variety of costs for many different types of provisions,
including beef, pork, flour, rum, vinegar, rice, potatoes, turnips, corn, butter, and
much more. There are numerous costs beyond foodstuffs, including costs for
transport, slaughtering cattle, printing stationery and advertisements (including
work done by New York Loyalist printers Hugh Gaine and James Rivington),
postage, laborers, coopers, storage, the costs involved in building a brewery, etc.
The accounts are, overall, incredibly detailed and provide a wealth of information. For example, one of the hundreds of items listed is for a payment of
nearly £820 to Loyalist brigadier general Oliver De Lancey for “37,566 rations
of provisions purchased on Long Island for the use of his Brigade between 25th
December 1776 and 24th March 1777 & £1252.4.0 more to him for hay and
corn delivered for the troops in the town of West Chester and for the use of
the Commanding Chief Brigadier General Agnew and the Staff Officers of the
Army in November 1776.” Another item records the costs of collecting, retrieving, and distributing cattle on Staten Island in 1776. One expense describes a
cost of £1381.1.4 to “Andrew Barkley of his Majesty’s ship Scarborough in full
for several orders drawn upon him by Major James Grant of the 40th Regiment
of foot in favor of Masters of English merchant ships who had victualled part
of the detachment under his command whilst on board for their protection in
Savannah River in Georgia in March 1776, £84.3.4 more to the said Andrew
Barkley for flour & rum said to be delivered to the transport ships Symmestry
and Whitby for the use of the forces under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Grant.” Chamier’s relative, Daniel Chamier, Jr., who was the “Deputy Commissary at Fort Augustine,” was paid £322 for his disbursements for “labourers
& for boats employed in unloading the ship Triumvirate’s cargo of provisions
at St. Augustine Bar.” The breadth of Chamier’s duties are evidenced in such
expenses as costs for provisioning troops in Cumberland in Nova Scotia, as well
as the costs of provisioning Hessian troops. In all there are hundreds of specific
transactions listed.
Other expenditures seem to be beyond the realm of Chamier’s office, and
indicate why his administration of his office was often suspect with regard to
financial malfeasance. For example, noted is an expense for £1033.10 paid to
George William Tryon “for so much by him expended for provisions, the value of
vessels taken by the enemy or lost and sundry other expenditures for his Majesty’s
service.” Other accounts are quite vague, such as an expense of more than £82
for “several persons for pilotage between 25th September 1776 and 24th May
1777,” and a charge of £323 to “several persons for sundry petty expenses and
disbursements” over the same period. The text of this lengthy vellum document
is dated July 16, 1794. It is also signed at the end by Thomas Lowten, Deputy
Clerk of the Pipe, who has dated his signature Aug. 14, 1795. Lowten was a
respected solicitor, who was contracted to verify the accuracy of the accounts.
This vellum document was prepared by Chamier’s heirs and descendants, led
by John Chamier, in the 1790s in an attempt to be compensated for what they
asserted to be more than £300,000 of expenses paid personally by Daniel Chamier
in the course of his duties as Commissary General. It is supported by another
lengthy document detailing hundreds of payments:
2) Acct. of Moneys Expended on the Public Service by Danl. Chamier Esq. Dec’d, Late
Comy. Genl. Together with the Final Arrangement of these Accts. with Government....
Also the Pay Rec’d. from Treasury on the Acct. Pay Due to the Late D. Chamier...and
Likewise the Bankers Acct....[manuscript title]. This fifty-seven-page manuscript
on folio sheets is another lengthy and detailed accounting of Chamier’s expenses,
in a different format than on the preceding vellum scroll. Thirty-eight pages
contain the amounts paid out to various deputies, assistants, provisioners, etc.,
over the period 1774 to 1777, giving the names of those paid, the amounts,
and the particulars of the transaction, whether they be for goods or for labor.
Examples include £10.5.4 paid to J. Carew for “244 biscuits & 100 pieces pork
purchased for the use of the Royal Artillery on board the Brig. Bristol Packet,”
a payment of more than £50 to John Butler, Deputy Commissary at Halifax, “his
disbursements for office, rent, storage cellars, rent & accounts,” nearly £100 to
John Ireland for grinding wheat, and £1091 to Richard Cunningham, the cost of
“42 head cattle, 3 calves & 4 hogs for the Army & Navy.” At the conclusion of
this document is the copied declaration of John Chamier, dated 1798, accepting
the paltry final settlement offered by the British government.
These two documents provide what certainly must be the most detailed and
comprehensive record of the expenses paid for provisioning the British Army in
America during the crucial years of 1774 to 1777.
3) Manuscript Eulogy. [2]pp. on a folded folio sheet. The anonymous author of
this eulogy extols Daniel Chamier’s virtuous character, his loyalty to the British
crown during his service, and his kindness toward captured American prisoners.
The author of his eulogy is unidentified, but he calls Chamier his “most faithful
affectionate friend, the most generous humane benefactor.” The eulogy may
have been written by Daniel Chamier’s brother, Anthony Chamier (1725-80), a
financier and friend of Samuel Johnson. The eulogy is dated February 11, 1779
and was sent to the printer of the Morning Post.
4) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Deputy Commissary John Morrison in Newport,
Rhode Island, to Daniel Chamier. Newport. Jan. 30, 1778. [2]pp. on a folded
folio sheet. Morrison asks Chamier to receive Gen. Howe’s approval of several
warrants he has paid for personally. He then goes on to describe his efforts to
provide bread for Gen. Clinton’s army: “With the consent of Genl. Clinton I
baked, for the Army, on the same footing the bakers at N. York did, that was
to deliver a pound of bread, for every pound of flour; and had Mr. Fraser been
the man I took him for, great advantages might have been made, without the
Crown’s being in the least injured, and it is very immaterial to the public, whether
a Commissary or a Baker receives the profit.”
5) Manuscript Copy of a Letter, Signed by Daniel Chamier. New York. Aug. 8, 1777.
[2]pp. on a folded folio sheet. Chamier reports that he certified Samuel Rogers
to be Deputy Commissary of Stores and Provisions at Perth Amboy beginning
in December 1776 and continuing to the following May, “during which time the
great number of troops in garrison there and at Brunswick being upwards of ten
thousand men, rendered it necessary to place very large quantities of provisions
in his care.” Chamier praises the work done by Rogers in his “quick dispatch of
business and exactness in his accounts,” but notes that bad weather has brought
on a “rheumatic complaint” that would require him to be relieved of his duties.
6) Manuscript Power of Attorney Document, Signed by Achsah Chamier, the Widow
of Daniel Chamier. Baltimore. 1784. [2]pp., followed by a [1]p. notary’s statement
with paper seal. Chamier’s widow (elsewhere identified as “Esther” Chamier),
residing in Baltimore, here gives power of attorney to Daniel Chamier, Jr. and
Samuel Sterrett of London, allowing them to receive all “sums of money, debts,
goods, wares, accounts and other demands whatsoever, which are or shall be due,
payable and belonging to me.”
7) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Daniel Chamier to John Chamier, Secretary of
War in Madras, India. London. Jan. 10, 1787. [3]pp. on a folded folio sheet.
Daniel Chamier apprises his relative, stationed in India, of the steps he has taken
with the Office for Auditing the Public Accounts in clearing up the accounts of
Daniel Chamier, formerly the Commissary General. He includes the text of a
letter Jonathan Wigglesworth in the Public Accounts Office.
8) State of the Money Attached by Government Belonging to Dl. Chamier [manuscript
title]. [N.p., but likely London. n.d., but ca. 1790]. [2]pp. on a folded folio
sheet. This manuscript appears to have been prepared by Chamier family lawyer
Edward Smith, and considers several aspects of the settlement of the Chamier
estate. Among the scenarios posed are the different possible outcomes if Chamier
had died in England as opposed to America, if his widow had since died, and
if Chamier still had property in places other than America. The document also
includes an extract from Chamier’s will, dated 1774.
9) State of the Money Attached by Government Belonging to the Estate of Danl. Chamier
Esq. Late Comy. Genl. in America [manuscript title]. [2]pp. on a folded folio sheet.
[with:] Manuscript Enclosures to the Previous Document. [4]pp. on a folded
folio sheet. Though undated, these documents were likely prepared in London
circa 1793 by Edward Smith, council representing the Chamier estate and heirs.
As in document 8 above, it considers various scenarios relating to the Chamier
estate, and also contains a four-page manuscript addendum, detailing some of
the Chamier accounts.
10) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Daniel Chamier, Jr., Apparently to John Chamier,
Regarding the State of the Chamier Accounts. London. Jan. 22, 1789. [2]pp. on
a folded folio sheet. Daniel Chamier, Jr. sends information to John Chamier,
nephew of the deceased Commissary General. He writes that he has been quite
busy with the case, and that “the examination of the vouchers though only a
cursory one took up several months, but it enabled me to form a judgement of
the sum that would be allowed on the final settlement; furnished me with the
Names of such persons whose vouchers had been lost, mislaid or had never been
taken....” He also discusses reports of King George III’s deteriorating health
and mental capacity, and the potential political implications.
11) An Exact Calculation of the Pay Due to Mr. Chamier on His Two Last Commissions
[manuscript title]. London. January 1789. [2]pp. on a folio sheet. This document was apparently prepared by Daniel Chamier, Jr., likely as an enclosure to his
letter to John Chamier of Jan. 22 (see item 10, above). It calculates pay due to
Daniel Chamier during his service as Commissary General and Auditor-General
from April 1776 through his death in November 1778. Chamier was paid £2
per day through January 1777, and £3 per day after that, for a total salary owed
him of £2610.
12) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Daniel Chamier, Jr., to John Chamier, Regarding Recent Events in Settling the Estate of Daniel Chamier, and a Request to
be Paid for His Services. London. May 25, 1790. [3]pp. on a folded folio sheet,
addressed for mailing on the fourth page. Tears from folding, costing a few letters of text. Chamier in London writes to his relative, now serving as Secretary
to the Military Department at Fort St. George on the coast of Coromandel.
He asks if John Chamier will authorize his attorneys to provide a salary of one
guinea per week to Daniel Chamier, Jr., for the work he has been undertaking on
settling the estate of Daniel Chamier, noting that his request for compensation
from the government has been rejected.
13) An Exact Account of Monies Impressed to Mr. Chamier, During His Commissariat,
by Warrants from the Several Commanders in Chief [manuscript title]. [London.
ca. 1790]. [3]pp. on a folded folio sheet. Prepared by Daniel Chamier, Jr., and
likely an enclosure to one of his letters to John Chamier (items 10 or 12 above),
this document tallies the accounts of monies in the warrants issued to Chamier
by generals Haldimand, Howe, and Gage during the Revolution, totaling some
£175,000. Tallies on the following two pages show “A List of Accounts delivered
into the Auditor’s Office supported by Vouchers,” as well as a brief accounting
of the “Personal Estate of the Deceased.”
14) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Jonathan Wigglesworth in the Office for Auditing the Public Accounts, to Edward Smith, Attorney for John Chamier. [London]. March 26, 1791. [1]p. on a folded folio sheet, addressed for mailing on
the fourth page. Wigglesworth writes: “In answer to your letter of the 11th of
February, desiring to be informed as to the length of time it may probably take
to examine the Accounts of Danl. Chamier Esquire, late Commissary General
in North America, I am directed by the Commissioners for Auditing the Public
Accounts to acquaint you, that there is no general State of the Account delivered, that it appears by the Army Accounts that Mr. Chamier stands In Super
for £175,644.8.9’2, and that it cannot at present be ascertained what part of
that sum is properly accounted for but by an accurate examination, which from
the magnitude of the sum and nature of the Service, will take up a considerable
length of time.”
15) Manuscript Draft of a Letter by Edward Smith to the Board for Auditing Public Accounts Regarding the Accounts of Daniel Chamier. [with:] Manuscript
Copy of the Same Letter, in a Secretarial Hand, and Signed by Edward Smith.
London. Nov. 30, 1792. [4]pp. and [3]pp. on folded folio sheets. The attorney
for the Chamier estate writes the Board for Auditing Public Accounts, sending
them an updated statement of the charges on the account of Daniel Chamier in
his service as Commissary General (see following item) and begs the Board to
accept this further evidence. He further asks them to forgive the fact of certain
unaccounted for expenses: “still there appear to be sums for which vouchers are
wanting, but of which there are such strong corroborating evidence of payment
that I should hope the particular difficulties these accounts labor under from
the want of local knowledge on the part of the family, added to the known loss
of vouchers in the conveyance, will induce your Board to consider the Family as
worthy of your recommendation.”
16) Statement of Surcharges in the Accounts of Mr. D. Chamier Comy. Genl. in America
with Mr. Smith’s Remarks on the Various Articles, Enclosed in His Letter Dated
30th Nov. 1792, to the Honble. Board for Auditing Public Accot. [manuscript title].
London. Nov. 30, 1792. [4]pp. on a folded folio sheet. This is the supporting
evidence referred to by Smith in the previous letter, giving further details on the
amounts owed to the Chamier estate. Smith admits that most of the amounts
listed in this detailed report have no supporting vouchers.
17) Letter to Auditors Public Accts. on Settl. of D. Chamier’s Acct. 30 Nov. 1792 [docket
title]. [7]pp. on folded folio sheets. This appears to be Edward Smith’s rough
draft of the Statement of Surcharges sent to the Board for Auditing the Public
Accounts (item 16 above), and seems to contain more information than in the
final document.
18) List of Surcharges in the Account of Daniel Chamier Esqr. Late Commissary General
in North America from 25th May 1774 to 24 May 1777 [manuscript title]. [6]pp.
on folded folio sheets, [preceded by:] Letter in a Secretarial Hand, from Jonathan Wigglesworth in the Office for Auditing Public Accounts. [1]p. [London].
June 14, 1793. Wigglesworth sends Chamier family lawyer Edward Smith this
accounting of the surcharges on the account of Daniel Chamier, showing that
there is a balance due from him of £17,608.13.11 in “New York currency.” This
document gives details on scores of sums reimbursed to Chamier in his duties,
with information on amounts, dates, and who delivered the services or goods.
19) Autograph Letter, Signed, from Charles Long, Secretary to the Treasury, to
Edward Smith. [London]. Aug. 14, 1793. [1]p. on a folded folio sheet. Charles
Long, later Baron Farnborough, writes to Edward Smith, lawyer for the Chamier
family, and requests a meeting with him prior to delivering the report of the
Commissioners for Auditing Public Accounts to the Lords of the Treasury.
20) Manuscript Draft of a Letter in the Hand of Edward Smith, Written to Treasury
Secretary Charles Long. [London]. Aug. 16, 1793. [2]pp. on a folio sheet. This
is Smith’s retained draft of his reply to Long’s letter of Aug. 14 (item 19 above).
Smith informs Long that he is not in London but in the country, due to issues
of health, and asks Smith to meet with Jonathan Wigglesworth of the Office
for Auditing Public Accounts to discuss the Chamier case. Smith discusses
certain aspects of the case, including the particular circumstances that resulted
in relatively slight record-keeping and paucity of vouchers, and begs the Treasury
Board to have faith in the verity of the claims of the Chamier estate.
21) Manuscript Draft of a Letter in the Hand of Edward Smith, Written to the
Lords of the Treasury. [London]. Nov. 21, 1793. [4]pp. on a folded folio sheet.
This is Smith’s letter to the Lords of the Treasury on the “final adjustment of
the Accts. of the late Mr. D. Chamier,” in which he enclosed more supporting
material on Chamier’s expenditures while Commissary General in North America.
22) Partially Printed Letter, Completed in Manuscript and Signed by Jonathan
Wigglesworth of the Office for Auditing Public Accounts, to Edward Smith.
London. July 16, 1794. [1]p. on a folded folio sheet. This printed form letter,
completed in manuscript, appears to be final resolution in the accounts of Daniel
Chamier. Wigglesworth writes that “the account of the late Dan’l. Chamier
Esqr. Commissary General in North America between 25 May 1774 and 24 May
1777 was this day declared by the Chancellor of His Majesty’s Exchequer, with
a balance due to the public of £9,467.10.4.” Wigglesworth goes on to inform
Smith that “it may be proper to apprize you that the said Account cannot be
finally settled until it is lodged in the Pipe Office where the Quietus must be
made out....” The “Quietus” refers to item 1 in the present collection, the long
vellum scroll detailing the accounts of Daniel Chamier, which was signed by
Thomas Lowten, Deputy Clerk of the Pipe, on Aug. 14, 1795.
The logistical aspects of the British military effort during the Revolutionary War
– how the British Army was provisioned and how those provisions were arranged,
disbursed, and paid for – is an under-examined aspect of the history of the American Revolution. The Chamier papers are an incredible collection of manuscripts
detailing the accounts of the Commissary General of the British Army in America
during the Revolutionary War, offering an unparalleled opportunity to study and
understand how the British Army was provisioned during the early, crucial years
of the conflict.
Edward E. Curtis, The Organization of the British Army in the American Revolution (New
Haven, 1926), especially pp.81-119.
$75,000.
Seizing American Shipping in 1776
7. [American Revolution]: [Privateering]: [FIVE LEGAL DOCUMENTS
COMPRISING THE APPEAL CASE OF THE AMERICAN SHIP
NICHOLAS, SEIZED IN 1776 BY THE BRITISH SLOOP OF
WAR SAVAGE]. [London. 1780]. Five documents, totaling [23]pp. Large
folio sheets, folded into four panels, with docketing information on verso of
final leaf. Minor soiling. Near fine. In a blue half morocco and cloth box.
Court documents relating to the appeal case of the Massachusetts ship Nicholas,
captained by Nathaniel Atkins, which was seized by the British while in port in
Halifax in January 1776. Following the opening shots of the Revolutionary War,
in April 1775, King George III passed an act prohibiting “all manner of trade and
commerce” with the American colonies while they were in a state of open rebellion.
The act further stated that any ship belonging to the colonies, with their cargoes,
“which shall be found trading in any port or place in the said colonies, or going to
trade or coming from trading in any such port or place,” shall be subject to seizure.
The Nicholas set sail in December 1774, prior to open rebellion, sailing to
England and Europe, and finally back to Halifax a year later. She left England
with all the proper paperwork in place in October 1775, arriving in Halifax in
January 1776. The Nova Scotia authorities adjudged in May 1776 that the ship
was subject to confiscation, and these documents comprise the appeal made before
the Lords Commissioners of Appeals for Prize Cases. The defendant’s case argues
that since the ship did not sail from an American port, or to an American port, on
the final leg of her journey, she should not be subject to seizure by the government.
The documents arguing both sides of the case are present here, as is a document
detailing the instructions under which the British captain, Samuel Graves, acted.
Such documents are relatively scarce, with only four locations noted by ESTC for
any of these five items: British Library, British National Archives, Harvard Law, and
the John Carter Brown Library. An interesting piece of Revolutionary Americana.
ESTC T6759-T6763.
$3500.
Striking French Views of the American Revolution
8. [American Revolution]: Ponce, Nicolas: RECUEIL D’ESTAMPES
REPRESENTANT LES DIFFERENTS EVENEMENS DE LA
GUERRE QUI A PROCURE L’INDEPENDANCE AUX ETATSUNIS L’AMERIQUE. Paris: M. Godefroy, [1784]. Sixteen engraved plates:
engraved titlepage with vignettes, twelve scenes, two maps, and a final plate
celebrating the peace of 1783. Quarto. 19th-century red morocco, rebacked;
spine gilt, gilt dentelles. Light foxing. Very good.
A very nice collection of Revolutionary views, one of the few contemporary publications to illustrate scenes from the Revolution. The first leaf is an engraved title
with explanatory text and vignettes of battles. The plates illustrate the tarring and
feathering of a tax collector; the battle of Lexington; the surrender at Saratoga; the
attack of French forces on the island of Dominica; the surrender of Senegal; the
capture of Grenada; Galvez capturing Pensacola; the capture of Tobago; the surrender of Cornwallis; and three more scenes of fighting on Guadeloupe; with two
sheets of maps, and a series of vignettes commemorating the Treaty of Versailles
in 1783. Howes calls this the first French book to mention the United States on
the titlepage. Scarce.
HOWES C576, “aa.” SABIN 68421. CRESSWELL 303-307, 333-342. OCLC 3944245.
BEINECKE LESSER ANTILLES COLLECTION 359.
$4500.
9. [American Revolution]: Faden, William: BOSTON ITS ENVI-
RONS AND HARBOUR, WITH THE REBEL WORKS RAISED
AGAINST THAT TOWN IN 1775, FROM THE OBSERVATIONS
OF LIEUT. PAGE OF HIS MAJESTY’S CORPS OF ENGINEERS,
WITH ADDITIONS FROM SUNDRY AMERICAN PLANS. [London]: Published by William Faden, 1778 [but actually ca. 1835]. Engraved
map on two sheets, measuring 21¼ x 29 inches and 23¼ x 13 inches. Total
size of the map area: 17½ x 34 inches. Slight enforcement along the plate
mark. Very good.
An early 19th-century restrike of William Faden’s important map of Boston and
Boston harbor in the early days of the American Revolution. The map was drawn
by British lieutenant Thomas Hyde Page, who was severely wounded at Bunker
Hill, and draws on the surveys of Capt. John Montresor. It is an expanded version
of Faden’s A Plan of the Town of Boston...in 1775, which was originally published
in 1777. The present map contains the same plan of Boston, but shows the larger
area around the city, giving a clear idea of the placement of the rebellious American
forces around Roxbury, Cambridge, and Dorchester. “Rebel lines” are shown between
Roxbury and Dorchester Neck, with a note of “work begun” on Dorchester Hill.
The map also extends quite far eastward, showing the islands of Boston Harbor all
the way to The Brewsters.
This map was originally printed by William Faden in 1777 on a slightly smaller
scale, then reprinted by Faden in 1778 at its current size (see Nebenzahl). Faden
was the leading British map publisher of his time.
NEBENZAHL, BATTLE PLANS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 21 (note).
$7500.
10. Anderson, Ephraim: MEMOIRS: HISTORICAL AND PERSONAL;
INCLUDING THE CAMPAIGNS OF THE FIRST MISSOURI
CONFEDERATE BRIGADE. St. Louis: Times Printing Co., 1868. 436,
ii pp. plus plates. Original blindstamped cloth, rebacked with original spine
laid down and original front endpapers retained. Cloth worn. Light scattered
foxing; lower free corner of paper chewed, not affecting text. Else a very good
or better copy.
“One of the better Confederate narratives; written by an upper-class Southerner and
strongly revealing for social conditions in the Confederacy” – Nevins. “Anderson’s
military activities were confined to the Mississippi Valley, first in Missouri, then
from Boonville to Springfield, back to Lexington, and on to the Kansas border.
After the battle of Pea Ridge, his forces went on through Arkansas by way of
Fayetteville, Van Buren, and Des Arc to Memphis. After this period most of his
experiences were in Mississippi. This is among the best of all accounts relating to
the South during the war” – Coulter.
HOWES A227, “aa.” NICHOLS, p.19. DORNBUSCH II:2577. NEVINS I, p.51. COULTER 7.
$1750.
Standard Revolutionary History
11. Andrews, John: HISTORY OF THE WAR WITH AMERICA,
FRANCE, SPAIN, AND HOLLAND; COMMENCING IN 1775
AND ENDING IN 1783. London. 1785-1786. Four volumes. [2],448;
[2],449; [2],445; [2],416,[59],[v]-xiv pp., plus twenty-four plates, six folding
maps, and one single-page map (maps partially handcolored). Contemporary
tree calf, spines gilt, leather label. Rubbed at extremities, hinges tender. Light
scattered foxing. One map detached but present. Very good.
One of the basic contemporary histories of the American Revolution, this detailed
narrative was compiled largely from newspaper articles and the proceedings of the
House of Commons. It is illustrated with portraits of principals such as Washington, Clinton, Greene, Cornwallis, Burgoyne, Lafayette, Capt. Asgill, and Count
D’Estaing. The maps show the North American colonies as far west as the Great
Lakes and the Mississippi River, the English Channel, the West Indies, and other
hot spots of the time in Europe and elsewhere.
HOWES A259, “aa.” SABIN 1501.
$4500.
12. Andrews, Richard Snowden: ANDREWS’ MOUNTED ARTILLERY
DRILL; COMPILED ACCORDING TO THE LATEST REGULATIONS FROM STANDARD MILITARY AUTHORITY. Charleston:
Evans and Cogswell, 1863. 164pp. plus sixty-one plates on thirty-one leaves
bound after the text. Contemporary three-quarter calf and marbled boards,
gilt, rebacked with most of the original spine laid down. Moderate wear and
slight chipping to boards. Tiny bookseller’s ticket on rear pastedown. Short
tear in top margin of titlepage, minor dampstaining on titlepage and occasionally throughout text, slight tanning, some foxing. Good.
First and only edition of this Confederate imprint, a compilation of artillery tactics.
The author was a native of Baltimore, an architect, and a battalion artillery commander under Charles Winder, and subsequently under Stonewall Jackson after
Winder was killed in action at the Battle of Cedar Run. Andrews was also severely
injured at the battle, almost disemboweled after a Union shell exploded close to
him, resulting in an eight-month convalescence to recover from his injuries, after
which Andrews was fitted with a silver plate over his wound. Andrews organized
the present work during his recovery period, and dedicated the book to Stonewall
Jackson, who had complimented him on his “gallant and meritorious conduct in
the Battle of Cedar Run.”
The sixty-one plates at the back illustrate the maneuvering, sponging, loading,
ramming, and pointing of cannon, plus eight pages of bugle signals. Andrews writes
in the Preface regarding the printing of the plates: “It would have been better to
have had wood-cut rather than lithographic illustrations, as the cuts would then
have been on the same page with the explanations of the various maneuvers. The
blockade renders this at this time impossible.” A rare work, with only two copies
listed in OCLC, both in the British Library.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 4721. CRANDALL 2392. BAXTER & DEARBORN,
p.80. MIDLAND NOTES 17:58. GOODSPEED 590:38.
$2000.
13. Barnard, George N.: [BATTLE GROUND OF RESACCA, GA. No.
2]. [1866]. Albumen photograph from a negative taken in 1866, 10 x 13
inches. On period card mount, 16 1/8 x 20 inches. Repair in right side of
mount, else very good.
This image was used by Barnard in his Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign...
(plate 20), but is here separately printed at a contemporary date in slightly larger
format than the image in the book, without clouds superimposed, and on a period
mount with period printed caption. “Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign is
a remarkable work of great symbolic, historic, and artistic power. It is a result of
a complex interweaving of Barnard’s personal vision, nineteenth-century pictorial
conventions, and larger ideas about war and the American landscape. The album
was the most ambitious project of Barnard’s career, and has long been recognized
as a landmark in the history of photography” – Davis, p.170.
Barnard’s Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign embraces scenes of the occupation of Nashville, the great battles around Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, the
campaign of Atlanta, March to the Sea, and the Great Raid through the Carolinas
(1866). This album, together with Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Sketchbook of
the Civil War (1866), are the two greatest photographic monuments of the Civil
War. Between them they contain some of the most famous images of the war.
Barnard’s album would be the first great landscape photo book, “but it is a
wounded, brutalized land – gouged and scarred and broken. Its tone is stoically
calm, yet bleak, and is all the more so for being so lucidly understated...[Barnard]
shows himself to have been one of the finest landscape photographers, treating
those culturally loaded Civil War sites – already in the process of becoming mythic
when he pictured them – with respect, but also with a matter-of-factness that is
heroic in itself, and served to punctuate the hyperbole of myth” (Parr & Badger).
The Battle of Resaca was the first confrontation of the Atlanta Campaign
between Sherman and Joseph Johnston. It occurred in May of 1864. Though the
outcome of the battle was inconclusive, the Confederates were forced to retreat
farther south toward Atlanta.
Keith F. Davis, George N. Barnard Photographer of Sherman’s Campaign (Kansas City, 1990).
Parr & Badger, The Photobook: A History, Vol. I, p.45.
$2000.
14. Barnard, George N.: DESTRUCTION OF HOOD’S ORDINANCE
TRAIN [Plate 44]. [New York. 1866]. Albumen photograph from a negative taken in 1864, 10 x 13 inches. On original two-tone gilt-edged thin card
mount, 15 7/8 x 20 inches, with plate title and photographer’s credit. Good
condition except for some discoloration in the sky and right margin, mild
water stain, several faintly visible sharp creases in the middle of the image.
A stunning image from Barnard’s Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign, which
together with Alexander Gardner’s Photographic Sketchbook of the Civil War (1866)
are the two greatest photographic monuments of the Civil War. Between them
they contain some of the most famous images of the war. In this image Barnard
recorded the almost eerie scene resulting from Gen. John Bell Hood’s decision, in
retreating from Atlanta, to destroy his ordnance train, destroying virtually all the
reserve ammunition for the Army of Tennessee. The cars had contained a great
deal of artillery ammunition and consequently exploded when set on fire, leaving
only steel wheels and brick pillars. The photograph tells a bitter tale with its now
useless rows of still attached rail wheels and eviscerated buildings.
DE RENNE, p.1317. HOWES B150, “b.” SABIN 3462. Taft, Photography and the American
Scene, pp.232, 486. George N. Barnard, Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign...with a New
Preface by Beaumont Newhall (New York, 1977). Keith F. Davis, George N. Barnard Photographer
of Sherman’s Campaign (Kansas City, Mo., 1990).
$1500.
15. Barnard, George N.: RUINS OF COLUMBIA, S.C. No. 2. [New York.
1866]. Albumen photograph from a negative taken in 1866, 10 x 13 7/8
inches. On original two-tone gilt-edged thin card mount, 15 7/8 x 19 5/8
inches, with plate title and photographer’s credit. Faint waterstain to the far
right of mount and image, else very good tones.
A stunning image from George N. Barnard’s album, Photographic Views of Sherman’s
Campaign... (1866). This album, together with Alexander Gardner’s Photographic
Sketchbook of the Civil War (1866), are the two greatest photographic monuments of
the Civil War. The present image offers a poignant reminder of the trail of destruction left across the Confederacy by Gen. William T. Sherman’s army in 1864-65
during his famous campaign from Nashville to Chattanooga, then Atlanta, and to
Savannah and the sea, then by-passing Charleston, and north to Columbia. In the
meantime, a smaller force had occupied Charleston and Fort Sumter. To the North
the military campaign was brilliant, bold, and decisive – an event worthy of the
present monumental album; to the South it was vicious, bloody, and destructive.
DE RENNE, p.1317. HOWES B150, “b.” SABIN 3462. Taft, Photography and the American
Scene, pp.232, 486. George N. Barnard, Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign...with a New
Preface by Beaumont Newhall (New York, 1977). Keith F. Davis, George N. Barnard Photographer
of Sherman’s Campaign (Kansas City, Mo., 1990).
$2000.
An Extensive Archive of a Connecticut Soldier in the Civil War
16. Bartlett, Halsey: [LETTER ARCHIVE FOR 6th CONNECTICUT
INFANTRY SOLDIER HALSEY BARTLETT, KILLED IN ACTION BY A CONFEDERATE SHARPSHOOTER AT BERMUDA
HUNDRED]. [Various places including New Haven, but mainly Beaufort
and Port Royal, S.C.] 1861-1864. Fifty-seven autograph letters, signed, most
with printed transcriptions. Typical age toning and foxing, else very good
condition.
A wonderful Civil War archive consisting of fifty-seven letters spanning 1861
through 1864. Forty-nine letters of the letters are written by Halsey Bartlett, with
eight letters by Bartlett’s fellow soldiers or contemporaries after Bartlett’s death
on the battlefield. Halsey Bartlett was from Killingly, Connecticut, and enlisted in
the Union Army as a private on Aug. 21, 1861. On Sept. 3 he mustered into Co.
“A,” 6th Connecticut Infantry, and went to training camp in New Haven. Finding
himself in an army camp four days after mustering in, he wrote a letter to his mother
and sister (the majority of the letters contained within are addressed to them) and
describes life in camp, including the singing of hymns, the rations for the day, and
the name of the regiment’s commander, Col. John Chatfield, who was “in the Bull
Run Battle.” By mid-October, Bartlett and the men of the 6th Connecticut find
themselves heading south to join Gen. Thomas W. Sherman’s Port Royal Expedition in South Carolina. While aboard the Steamer Marion on Oct. 27, 1861,
he writes to his mother, echoing the sentiment found in so many early Civil War
letters, that he does not believe “this war will last more than six months. Fremont
has a large force under him. He is coming down the Missippi [sic] River and this
Division under Gen. Sherman of 75000 is to meet him and one Great Battle is to
be fought which will end the war.”
That “Great Battle” was never realized, and on Jan. 16, 1862 he writes that his
regiment has “not been in any Battle yet,” but that would change three months later,
with their participation in the Siege of Fort Pulaski: “April 7, 1862....While I am
writing I can hear Heavy Cannons firing from some place. It sounds up in the direction of Fort Pulaski. There is a battle somewhere.” The regiment was engaged in
the Battles of Secessionville and Pocotaligo before taking part in the second assault
on Fort Wagner (Morris Island, South Carolina, July 18, 1863), where their commander, Col. Chatfield, was wounded and later died. Seven weeks after the failed
assault, the Union Army was still laying siege to the fort. In a letter dated Sept. 6,
1863, Bartlett, writing from Hilton Head, states he was “on Guard last night and I
could hear the Guns from our Batteries on Morris Island and it seemed that they
had opened every Gun for such a noise I have never heard in the shooting line...
no cessation whatever from Eight o’clock last night until daylight this morning.”
Later that night the Confederate garrison abandoned the fort. Eight days later he
writes: “Morris Island is all ours now and hope other strongholds about Charleston
will ere long will be ours.”
The following spring the 6th Connecticut moved north into Virginia, where they
participated in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Writing again to his sister on
May 29, 1864, Bartlett thanks He that “ruleth the whole Nation above and below
that I am still alive for I have been in some very hard battles since I came here....
Many who came here with us who were in the best of health are no more. Oh this
cruel war when will it be over? I feel now is the time to prepare for the great change
before it is too late and by all that I can do with Gods help I will try to live alright
so that if we do not meet again on Earth we can meet on the other shore where all
is love and sin is no more.” Sadly for Private Bartlett, his war would end less than
three weeks later in the bloody Wilderness Campaign. In a letter from Sergeant
Earl W. Fisher to his uncle (likely Bartlett’s father), dated June 18, 1864, less than
three weeks after Bartlett’s last letter, Fisher relays the sad news:
It has become my very sad duty to inform that cousin Halsey was Killed yesterday while on Picket-duty in front of our Battry. He was instantly Killed by
a Rebel sharp shooter while in the Rifle pits. The ball entering in the right
side and passing up through the heart. He only spoke and asked the boys to
carry him off quick and died....I thought you could break the very sad news
to Aunt much better than I could so I write to you the facts as they are to me.
There are several more letters concerning the death of Bartlett, one of which is
written by the lieutenant commanding the company, Hiram L. Grant, regarding
the pay that was owed to him when he died and the fate of his effects.
Civil War correspondence archives from soldiers killed in battle are rare, especially
an archive consisting of almost fifty letters from the fallen soldier. The letters are
stored in plastic sleeves and neatly arranged chronologically in two binders, making
it easy to follow Bartlett’s journey through the war, and to his untimely demise on
a Virginia battlefield. $7500.
17. [Battle of Porto Praya]: BLAKE’S REMARKS ON COM. JOHN-
STONE’S ACCOUNT OF H IS ENGAGEMENT WI TH A
FRENCH SQUADRON, UNDER THE COMMAND OF MONS.
DE SUFFREIN, ON APRIL 16, 1781, IN PORT PRAYA ROAD,
IN THE ISLAND OF ST. JAGO. London: Printed for J. Debrett, 1782.
[2],38pp. Folding frontispiece plan. Small octavo. Later marbled boards, manuscript paper label on front board. Boards edgeworn, paper chipped. Early
military ownership signature (“Capt. Hawkes”) on titlepage, bookplates on
front pastedown and front free endpaper. Trimmed a bit close, but with no
loss of text. Good.
Styled “a new edition,” issued the same year as the first. This second edition is much
preferred to the first due to the addition of a plan of the harbor of Porto Praya,
as well as the text of a letter from Blake to the Commodore. The pamphlet is a
critique of Commodore George Johnstone’s account of the Battle of Porto Praya, a
naval engagement between the English and French during the American Revolution. The lovely folding plan shows Praya Bay on the island of St. Jago, with an
inset view of the high cliffs and the citadel. “Blake” is a pseudonym.
Commodore Johnstone, commander of the British squadron, had many American connections. He had served as governor of West Florida after the French and
Indian War, and was part of the peace commission under the Earl of Carlisle which
attempted to negotiate with the Continental Congress in 1779. Obtaining a naval
command, he was en route to try to seize the Cape of Good Hope in the spring of
1781 when he was attacked by a French fleet in the Cape Verde Islands. Although
the battle was a draw, it was a strategic victory for the French, who beat Johnstone
to the Cape while he repaired his ships, and thus reinforced the garrison.
SABIN 5792. ESTC T110435.
$750.
Unusual Southern Military Manual
18. Behn, George W.: A CONCISE SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION, AR-
RANGED AND ADAPTED FOR THE VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
OF THE UNITED STATES. Savannah: Published for the author, 1842.
318pp., plus folding plate and numerous in-text illustrations. Portrait. Original
green cloth, printed paper label. Cloth soiled, slight wear at spine ends and
corners, spine label chipped. Scattered toning, foxing, and staining to text.
Good.
Only edition of this scarce southern military manual, by George W. Behn, captain
of the Georgia Hussars. Among the most interesting aspects is the section at the
rear giving the musical notations for trumpet or bugle signals, as well as the text of
several hymns, including those for peace, for success in war, and for “disappointments
in war.” The main text includes a glossary of military terms, drills for mounted
and dismounted troops, saber exercises, a manual for pistols, and “evolutions” for
troops and for squadrons or regiments. The illustrations show march formations,
weapon handling, and horsemanship drills. Unusual and rare.
DE RENNE, p.479. OCLC 15591934.
$1500.
By an American Hero of the French and Indian War
19. [Bradstreet, John]: AN IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT OF LIEUT. COL.
BRADSTREET’S EXPEDITION TO FORT FRONTENAC. TO
WHICH ARE ADDED, A FEW REFLECTIONS ON THE CONDUCT OF THAT ENTERPRIZE, AND THE ADVANTAGES RESULTING FROM ITS SUCCESS. By a Volunteer on the Expedition.
London: Printed for T. Wilcox [et al], 1759. [4],60pp. Modern half calf and
marbled boards, gilt morocco label. Near fine.
A scarce and important account of the French and Indian War, probably written
by Bradstreet himself, a rising officer in the British Army. This work gives a detailed account of his most famous exploit, an audacious and skillfully coordinated
expedition in the summer of 1758 through the New York wilderness and across
Lake Ontario to destroy the French Fort Frontenac, a major turning point in the
French and Indian War. A strong argument is also made that the time was ripe for
seizing control of the Lakes from France, and that British forces needed to take a
more offensive posture, the implication being that British commander James Abercromby should be replaced. “One of the best contemporary accounts of the war,
possibly written by Bradstreet himself ” – Howes. A copy of this sold at Christie’s
in June 2011 for $12,500.
HOWES B711, “b.” SABIN 7301. STREETER SALE 1023. SIEBERT SALE 166. TPL
6461. JCB (1)III:1203.
$12,500.
20. [British Military]: THE FIELD OF MARS: BEING AN ALPHA-
BETICAL DIGESTION OF THE PRINCIPAL NAVAL AND
MILITARY ENGAGEMENTS, IN EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, AND
AMERICA, PARTICULARLY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND HER
ALLIES, FROM THE NINTH CENTURY TO THE PEACE OF
1801. London. 1801. Two volumes, not paginated. Quarto. Bound to style
in three-quarter calf and marbled boards. Titlepage and frontispiece of each
volume foxed. Light scattered foxing in text. Very good. In uniform tan half
morocco boxes, spines gilt.
The work contains numerous entries for North American battles of the Seven
Years’ War and the American Revolution, including Annapolis Royal, Beausejour,
Brandy-Wine, Lake Champlain, Charlestown, Fort Frontenac, Louisbourg, etc.
The entry for Bunker Hill describes the battle by quoting from a letter from Gen.
Burgoyne to Lord Stanley; he writes: “‘And now ensued one of the greatest scenes
of war that can be conceived...the day ended with glory, and the success was most
important, considering the ascendancy it gave the regular troops; but the loss was
uncommon in officers, for the numbers engaged.’”
A veritable trove of military information, with descriptions of many important
battles in British – and American – history.
SABIN 24297.
$2500.
21. [Brookshaw, Richard, attributed to]: JOHN PAUL JONES, COM-
MANDER OF A SQUADRON IN THE SERVICE OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA, 1779 [caption
title]. [N.p. ca. 1779]. Mezzotint, 14 x 10 inches. Matted. Trimmed to the
plate mark. Minor dust-soiling, mild staining to bottom edge, not affecting
the caption. Very good.
A stunning portrait of John Paul
Jones, the father of the American
Navy, and the source of one of the
greatest quotes of the American
Revolution, “I have not yet begun
to fight.” Jones allegedly uttered the
line after being asked to surrender
while his ship, the Bon Homme
Richard, was sinking. “Commissioned a lieutenant in the Continental Navy by Congress in 1775, John
Paul Jones, a Scotsman by birth,
soon proved himself exceptional
in both seamanship and courage.
The DAB describes Jones as ‘homely,
small, thin, and active,’ but his size
and stature never detracted from his
proud bearing” – Creswell.
CRESSWELL 132.
$6000.
22. [Buckholtz, L.V.]: TACTICS FOR OFFICERS OF INFANTRY,
CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY. Richmond: J.W. Randolph, 1861. 121,
[2]pp. Original pebbled cloth, blindstamped title on front cover. Spine ends
and corners worn, some rubbing and minor soiling. Binding cracked before
titlepage. Contemporary ownership signature on front pastedown. Light overall
toning. Good.
An early Confederate imprint relating to overall strategic approaches for the Army.
Subjects of the treatise include the science of war, tactical maxims, employment of
troops, preparations for defense, movements in battle, and more. A recommendation printed opposite the titlepage sums up the book very well: “As a text book for
military students or as a condensed epitome of principles essential to the art of war,
the work of Capt. Buckholtz should be consulted and understood by every citizen
who holds a commission.” Scarce.
CRANDALL 2400. EBERSTADT 165:186. SABIN 8889.
$1500.
Gentleman Johnny’s Apology
23. Burgoyne, John: A STATE OF THE EXPEDITION FROM CAN-
ADA, AS LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, BY
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL BURGOYNE, AND VERIFIED BY
EVIDENCE; WITH A COLLECTION OF EVIDENCE.... London.
1780. ix,[1],191,cix pp. plus six folding maps (some with original coloring of
troop movements) and one folding table. Contemporary three-quarter calf and
marbled boards, rebacked to style.
Corners bumped, boards rubbed.
Bookplates on front endpapers. First
map torn at gutter, neatly repaired
with tissue. Some light scattered
foxing, but generally quite clean.
About very good.
Second edition of Burgoyne’s defense of
his conduct as the commander of the
British expedition down the Hudson
Valley from Canada in 1777. Intended
to cut the New England colonies off
from the rest of rebellious America, the
expedition ended in disaster at Saratoga,
where American forces soundly defeated
Burgoyne and forced his capitulation.
Herein Burgoyne responds to the inquiry of the House of Commons, demonstrating that the forces he was given
were not sufficient to perform the task.
This is the most important source for
the campaign, illustrated with excellent
maps, mostly depicting the Saratoga
battle.
HOWES B968, “aa.” SABIN 9255.
AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 80-12b.
NEBENZAHL, BATTLE PLANS OF
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 48
(note).$3000.
24. Butler, Richard: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM RICH-
ARD BUTLER TO JOSEPH REED, REQUESTING MORE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS]. Camp Light Infty., 2d River [Morristown,
N.J.] Nov. 29, 1779. [1]p. Folio. Old fold lines. Slight separation at some folds.
Thin strip of tissue reinforcing left edge. Some light soiling and wear. About
very good. In a half morocco and cloth clamshell case, spine gilt.
Appointed colonel of the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment, Richard Butler (1743-91)
fought at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 and was praised for his conduct at the
storming of Stony Point in July 1779. In the present letter, written from the Morristown encampment, he asks Joseph Reed, President of the State of Pennsylvania,
for action on requested commissions:
I last summer took the liberty to recommend to your Excellency as ensigns
in my regt. Mr. Joseph Erwin Junr. of the County of Westmoreland, also Mr.
James Steel of the city of Philada. They were recommended to me in so strong
terms by several gentlemen that I cannot do less than assure your Excellency I
think them deserving of the appointment. Indeed I know personally the merits
of Mr. Erwin, he is a promising young man, & his father has been of great
service to the publick in both civil & military capacities....As my regt. is very
short of officers I flatter myself the appointments will meet your Excellencys
approbation & take place immediately. On report to the Board of War the
commissions will be forwarded to camp....
$1000.
An Angry Rebuttal
25. Cadogan, George: THE SPANISH HIRELING DETECTED: BE-
ING A REFUTATION OF THE SEVERAL CALUMNIES AND
FALSHOODS [sic] IN A LATE PAMPHLET, ENTITUL’D AN IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE LATE EXPEDITION AGAINST
ST. AUGUSTINE UNDER GENERAL OGLETHORPE. London:
for J. Roberts, 1743. [2],68pp. Modern crushed green morocco by Sangorski
& Sutcliffe, spine gilt. Bookplate on rear pastedown. Lower outer corner of
leaf H2 torn, not affecting text; closed tear in upper margin of leaf H4 neatly
mended. Near fine.
A defense of Gen. James Oglethorpe’s incursion into Florida against the Spanish
at St. Augustine, written by a lieutenant in Oglethorpe’s regiment. During the
War of Jenkins’ Ear, Oglethorpe, a founder of Georgia, drew on militia from that
colony as well as from South Carolina to attack the Spanish in Florida. He was
unsuccessful and his actions were roundly criticized, first in 1742 in an Impartial
Account of the Late Expedition, to which Cadogan’s work is a direct reply. That earlier work was written (anonymously) by James Killpatrick, a Charleston physician
who served under Oglethorpe, prompting Cadogan to produce what Streeter calls
“an angry and not very effective reply.” Cadogan challenges Killpatrick to identify
himself as the author of the attack on Oglethorpe, and criticizes Killpatrick’s text,
virtually page by page. The appendix reprints correspondence between Oglethorpe
and South Carolina officials. The Streeter copy sold for $2600.
EUROPEAN AMERICANA 43/46. HOWES C14, “aa.” ESTC T116530. SABIN 9829.
SERVIES 370. DE RENNE, p.110. CLARK I:51. STREETER SALE 1126. SIEBERT
SALE 575.
$12,500.
The Establishment of American Military Government
in California in 1847
26. [California]: Shubrick, William B., and Stephen W. Kearny: CIR-
CULAR. TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. BE IT KNOWN.
THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DESIROUS TO GIVE AND SECURE TO THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA A SHARE OF THE GOOD GOVERNMENT AND HAPPY
CIVIL ORGANIZATION ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE
UNITED STATES...HAS INVESTED THE UNDERSIGNED
WITH SEPARATE AND DISTINCT POWERS, CIVIL AND
MILITARY...[caption title and beginning of text]. Monterey, Ca. March
1, 1847. Broadside, 9½ x 8½ inches. Text in English and Spanish in double
columns. Faint old folds. Near fine. In a cloth chemise and slipcase, gilt
morocco label.
A rare and important broadside, issued in the wake of the American conquest of
California during the Mexican-American War, and establishing the civil and military
authority of the United States. Fighting between American and Mexican forces in
California commenced in the summer of 1846, shortly after news of the outbreak of
the Mexican-American War reached the Pacific Coast. In January 1847 the Treaty
of Cahuenga was signed, by which the Mexican “Californios” capitulated and agreed
to put down their resistance to the Americans. California was formally ceded to
the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, but in the interim
the United States began to establish its civil and military authority in California.
That was the purpose of the important announcement in this broadside. The text
declares that President James K. Polk is “desirous to give and secure to the People
of California a share of the good government and happy civil organization enjoyed
by the People of the United States, and to protect them at the same time, from the
attacks of foreign foes, and from internal commotions.” The inference, of course,
is that the Mexican authorities were either unable or unwilling to guarantee these
blessings, but that the benevolent protection of the United States would. Polk
proclaims that William B. Shubrick, commander-in-chief of the American naval
forces, would be in charge of regulating the import trade and establishing port
regulations. Brigadier General Stephen Watts Kearny is named governor of California, “invested...with administrative functions of government over the People and
Territory occupied by the forces of the United States,” and is assigned the “direction
of the operations on land.”
Wagner notes that while this broadside is dated March 1, it was not actually
issued until March 4. The text of this broadside was printed in The Californian on
March 6, and in the California Star two weeks after that. OCLC and Greenwood
together locate a total of four copies, at the Bancroft Library, California State
Library, the Huntington Library, and Yale.
GREENWOOD 87. FAHEY 77. WAGNER, CALIFORNIA IMPRINTS 5. OCLC
17356933, 79724678.
$30,000.
A Critical Revolutionary Map
27. [Charleston, South Carolina]: Des Barres, J.F.W.: Sproule, Capt.
George: A SKETCH OF THE ENVIRONS OF CHARLESTOWN
IN SOUTH CAROLINA. [London. ca. 1781]. Engraved map, contemporary color, on full sheet of laid paper. Eighteen lettered references. Sheet size:
18½ x 24¾ inches. Plate mark: 16¼ x 21¾ inches. Very good.
An important American Revolution battle plan showing the Siege of Charleston.
This fine chart is from The Atlantic Neptune, one of the finest large scale sea atlases
of the United States and Canadian Atlantic coastline. The maps in the atlas were
produced over a seven-year period (1775-82) and are well known for their accurate
portrayal of various sounds, bays, bars, and harbors as well as navigational hazards.
This atlas was used extensively by the Royal Navy during the American Revolution.
This second state of Des Barres chart of the environs of Charleston is much
enlarged from the first state. The first state was published before news of Clinton’s
surrender; this second state depicts the entire siege from the landing to the final
British surrender. The author’s name and date have been deleted and the references
have all been re-engraved and considerably increased in number and length. The
coastlines and banks of the rivers and inlets, formerly in outline, are now brought
into relief by a narrow band of shading. Numerous additional military and naval
positions are inserted, as are roads and soundings. Later issues of the chart were
published on Whatman wove paper, but the present example is on a full sheet of
Bates laid paper.
NEBENZAHL, PRINTED BATTLE PLANS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
79. STEVENS & TREE 13b. STEVENS 163b.
$27,500.
Planning New Defensive Bastions for Florida
28. [Chase, William Henry]: [BRIEF MEMOIR EXPLANATORY OF
A NEW TRACE OF A FRONT OF FORTIFICATION IN PLACE
OF THE PRESENT BASTIONED FRONT]. [New Orleans: Printed
at the Office of the Jeffersonian, 1846]. 11pp. plus three large folding plates.
Cloth, spine expertly repaired. Minor foxing. Very good.
An instructive work regarding American military fortifications in Florida during
the latter years of the Seminole wars, most notable for the three large folding plates
illustrating fort plans. The author, William Henry Chase, was a Florida militia
commander who served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for over forty years,
designing and constructing forts near Pensacola, Key West, and New Orleans, among
others. In this work he discusses fortifications around Fort Pickens in Pensacola,
a fort he had designed and constructed, and whose surrender Chase would later
demand at the onset of the Civil War, when he served as a major general in the
Confederate Army. A rare work, with only seven copies in OCLC.
JUMONVILLE 1433. OCLC 31885914.
$3500.
Classic of New England Indian Wars, with Revere Engravings
29. Church, Thomas: THE ENTERTAINING HISTORY OF KING
PHILIP’S WAR, WHICH BEGAN IN THE MONTH OF JUNE,
1675. AS ALSO OF EXPEDITIONS MORE LATELY MADE
AGAINST THE COMMON ENEMY, AND ALL INDIAN REBELS, IN THE EASTERN PARTS OF NEW-ENGLAND.... Newport:
Solomon Southwick, 1772. 198,[1]pp. plus two plates (including frontispiece).
Antique three-quarter calf and marbled board, gilt, leather labels. Portrait
frontispiece reinforced at gutter and corners. Plate of King Philip with old
skillfully repaired tear in center, trimmed close on outer edge. Moderate wear
and soiling to text; some leaves with small tears at edges, neatly repaired.
Several signatures supplied from a slightly shorter copy. Overall a good copy.
The second edition, after the exceedingly rare
first published in Boston in 1716. One of the
most popular narratives of King Philip’s War,
mainly narrating the prowess and adventures
of Benjamin Church, one of the most important officers in the War, by his son Thomas.
This edition is notable for its two engravings
by Paul Revere. The frontispiece portrait of
Church is not based on any original image of
him, but lifted by Revere from a 1768 portrait
of Charles Churchill, with a powder horn
added. One of Revere’s most famous engravings is the portrait of King Philip, actually
based on one of Verelst’s engravings of the
Indian Kings of Canada. Despite this, it is
notable not only as a Revere engraving but
also as the first portrait of an Indian actually
printed in America. This second edition contains a sketch of the life of Benjamin Church,
not found in the first edition.
VAIL 611. HOWES C405, “b.” CHURCH
1091. EVANS 12352. SABIN 12997.
$6000.
Beautiful Confederate Map of the Battle of Bull Run,
Printed in Richmond
30. [Civil War]: Bamberger, Solomon: MAP OF BATTLES ON BULL
RUN NEAR MANASSAS, ON THE LINE OF FAIRFAX &
PRINCE WILLIAM CO[UNTI]ES IN VIRGINIA, FOUGHT BETWEEN THE FORCES OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES AND
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Richmond: West & Johnston,
[1861]. Sheet map, 19¾ x 26 inches. Old fold lines. Some separation at two
folds on the right edge. Light wear, minor toning. Very good.
A handsome and historic map depicting the First Battle of Manassas, or Bull
Run, depicting troop positions and movements, roads, railroads, houses, and other
significant geographical features. First Manassas was the first significant engagement of the Civil War, and the place where Thomas J. Jackson became “Stonewall”
Jackson when his brigade stood their ground against disorganized Union forces.
The Confederate troops won the battle, raising hopes in the South and signaling
to the North that the war would not be won so easily. The map indicates that it
was “made from observation” by Solomon Bamberger, and lithographed by the firm
of Hoyer & Ludwig in Richmond.
It appears that at least two issues of this map exist, this being the most vividly
pictorial that we have found and thus, perhaps, the later of the two. Rather than
a simple plan of the battle, the present map lays out the same information, augmenting the background with shading and pictorial scenery. The title is likewise
enclosed in a simple border, setting it off from the rest of the map, and though
the title is the same, the typeface of some of the title lettering has been changed
slightly. Parrish & Willingham do not indicate any differentiation of issues, but
the details and graphics make this by far the most desirable.
A rare and interesting map of this important battle, and one of the most dramatic
graphics produced in the Confederacy. Without the means to produce suitable
paper, few pieces on a comparable scale were created.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 6148.
$16,500.
Opening the Mississippi, 1862
31. [Civil War]: DAILY DEMOCRAT. EXTRA. GLORIOUS NEWS.
ISLAND No. 10 CAP TURED. THE REBELS FLOATING BATTERY WITH TWELVE HEAVY GUNS. ALL THE UPPER BAT-
TERIES ABANDONED [caption title]. [St. Louis?]. April 8, 1862.
Broadside, 14 x 5¼ inches. Old fold lines. Light wear and soiling. Very good.
Broadside extra from the St. Louis Daily Democrat announcing the fall of Island
Number Ten, a strategic point in the Mississippi River held by the Confederates.
The dispatches printed here read:
General Pope crossed the Mississippi river yesterday, captured the enemy’s
floating battery, carrying fourteen guns, and occupied Tiptonville. The enemy
were driven from all their works below New Madrid, leaving behind their artillery, baggage, supplies and sick....Island No. 10 has surrendered. The enemy
has abandoned the upper land batteries, and is endeavoring to escape across a
swamp. General Pope is endeavoring to cut them off.
Evidently the only known copy. $1100.
32. [Civil War]: JANESVILLE DAILY GAZETTE. FRIDAY, 10 A.M.,
JULY 4, 1862. EXTRA. LATE NEWS FROM THE ARMY BEFOEE
[sic] RICHMOND. A TERRIFIC BATTLE ON MONDAY! LOSS
VERY GREAT ON BOTH SIDES. THE ENEMY REPULSED!
SHIELD’S ARMY HAS ARRIVED. POSITION OF OUR ARMY
IMPROVED. SIX DAYS FIGHTING. OUR WHOLE LOSS 15,000
TO 20,000! Janesville [Wi.] July 4, 1862. Broadside, 8½ x 6 inches. Light
wear and foxing. Very good.
An unrecorded Civil War broadside publicizing a dispatch from Union general
George B. McClellan following The Seven Days’ Battles, which occurred between
June 26 and July 2, 1862. In the course of that week Union and Confederate forces
fought a series of battles in five different locales. At the end of these engagements
the Confederates withdrew to Richmond. This Extra provides information about
losses and casualties, and states: “Gen. McClellan and his big staff all agree that
the position of our army is far more advantageous as a base of operations against
Richmond than that hitherto occupied.” Although most of the battles in the Seven
Days can be considered Union victories, the overall outcome of the campaign was
still not particularly successful for the Union, due to McClellan’s weaknesses as a
commander in the field. Afterwards, the Union’s Peninsular Campaign was abandoned and the majority of McClellan’s men were transferred to John Pope’s army
$1250.
in Northern Virginia. The Union Naval Blockade Lists Suspected Blockade Runners
33. [Civil War]: [U.S. Navy]: LIST OF SUSPECTED VESSELS [caption title]. [N.p., probably printed on a shipboard press. ca. January 1862].
4pp. plus [3]pp. manuscript addenda. Quarto, on a folded folio sheet. Old
fold lines. Minor soiling. Very good. Tied in upper left corner with a ribbon.
A list of suspected blockade runners
in operation along the Atlantic coast,
printed just as the union was tightening
its blockade noose around the Confederacy. The printed portion lists more
than sixty ships, most of them British
vessels which had been observed with
suspicious cargoes in London or the
West Indies. A typical entry reads:
“Steamers Malacca & Rangoon, by
advices from London of October 18,
supposed to be purchased or hired by
the rebels.” The reports are dated from
October 1861 to January 1862. The
manuscript additions are in the same
vein, listing ten additional ships, each
with detailed physical descriptions but
no associated dates. The manuscript
is docketed on the verso: “Explination
[sic] of vessels reported to run the Blockade.” We have not seen any lists similar to
this one, which must have been extremely useful to blockade operations and reveals
a sophisticated Union intelligence operation that spanned several ports. From its
physical appearance we speculate that this was printed on a shipboard press. Rare
and ephemeral.
$2500.
34. [Civil War]: TO THE PATRIOTIC CITIZEN SOLDIERY OF
MAINE [caption title]. Augusta. July 9, 1862. Broadside, 24 x 8¾ inches.
Docketed on verso. Old folds. Light wear and minor chipping at edges. Minor
toning. Very good.
Large broadside calling up the Maine militia in the second year of the Civil War.
The top half of the broadside reprints four executive orders from the state, issued
in July 1862. The first announces a forthcoming call for more soldiers, while the
second two concern the actual call for soldiers. The fourth order calls upon all ill
or wounded soldiers who are able, and all those on furlough to report to Annapolis;
it likewise asks the citizenry to report deserters. Each order is headed with the
seal of Maine. The second half of the text declares the militia to be on active duty,
avoidance of which is punishable by a fine of fifty dollars. It also offers a cash
bounty for those willing to volunteer, noting that those men who are drafted (after
failing to volunteer) are ineligible. “Delays are dangerous. You must be drafted
or detached, if you will not enlist.” A wonderful piece, demonstrating the urgent
need for Union soldiers. No copies located on OCLC. $850.
Training White Officers to Command Black Troops in the Civil War
35. [Civil War]: Taggart, John H.: FREE MILITARY SCHOOL FOR
APPLICANTS FOR COMMANDS OF COLORED TROOPS, NO.
1210 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA. ESTABLISHED
BY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE FOR RECRUITING COLORED REGIMENTS. JOHN H. TAGGART, LATE COLONEL
12th REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA RESERVES, PRECEPTOR.
Philadelphia: King & Baird, Printers, 1863. 12pp. Original black coated paper
wrappers, printed in gold. Front wrapper detached but present. Front and rear
wrappers heavily chipped. Some edge wear and a few closed foredge tears to
the text, which is in otherwise very good condition.
The Free Military School for Applicants for the Command of Colored Regiments
opened in Philadelphia in 1863 under preceptor John H. Taggart, once a colonel of
the 12th Pennsylvania Reserve. This text describes the urgent need for officers to
command black troops, lists the qualifications required of the applicants, and offers
hints to those interested. By the date of this pamphlet’s publication, the school had
received more than 1500 applications, of which 560 had been accepted. Officers
accepted to the school underwent rigorous training and, once they passed, were sent
into the field with a regiment of African-American soldiers. The school was formed
and supported by the Philadelphia Supervisory Committee for Recruiting Colored
Regiments, chaired by Thomas Webster, with Cadwalader Biddle as Secretary. The
Committee also appealed to the local community of free African-Americans to join
the ranks of the military by issuing announcements calling for them to fight for
the United States, for those still enslaved, and to prove their equality as citizens.
The school remained open until late 1864. OCLC locates only two copies, at the
Clements Library and at Latrobe University Library in Australia, and we are able
to locate another copy at the New York Public Library. Rare.
SABIN 25711. OCLC 166604179, 221665163.
$1750.
A Military Execution for Murdering a Superior Officer,
New Orleans, 1863
36. [Civil War]: [Louisiana]: [MANUSCRIP T ACCOUNT OF THE
MILITARY EXECUTION OF A UNION SOLDIER IN NEW
ORLEANS DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL WAR]. New
Orleans. Aug. 14, 1863. [6]pp. Single leaf glued into a bifolium, 12 x 8 inches.
Three horizontal mailing folds, minor dampstaining to edges, dark dampstain
to small area of last leaf, a couple tiny fold separations, a few small tape repairs
along folds. Overall very good.
A dramatic eyewitness account of the military execution of Francis Scott, an IrishAmerican soldier in the Union Army. The manuscript begins: “A man shot for the
murder of his superior officer.” Irish-born Francis Scott killed Major J.D. Bullen of
the 28th Massachusetts Volunteers. Scott was executed by firing squad in a square
near the Vicksburg Cotton Press between Clio and Erato streets beside the river;
he was made to kneel on a tarpaulin next to his coffin for his execution. This account varies markedly from the shorter account published in the Picayune on Aug.
15, 1863, although the main details remain consistent. This manuscript amplifies
details of Scott’s final speech and his bearing prior to the execution: “For a moment
he cast his eyes upon the pageant before him, and then in a firm and loud voice
said: Fellow soldiers – I am about to die for killing Major Bullen, I did kill him,
and would do the same thing over, under similar circumstances.”
The circumstances surrounding the incident are included here. Apparently Scott
flung an insult at Bullen, claiming Scott’s unit would “take care of these breastworks and protect [Bullen’s] nine months men from the enemy.” Bullen retaliated
by attacking Scott, who killed him in the ensuing scuffle. This account also adds
emphasis to the gravity of the criminal charges and law-and-order aspects of the
case, while simultaneously playing up the romantic appeal of Scott’s courage. This
account also adds such details as the size of the crowd of spectators.
The “Brief sketch of Scott’s life” included here notes that he was born in County
Monaghan, Ireland. He had been a U.S. Army regular, though when the Civil War
broke out he was an unemployed deck hand in New Orleans. He was “well known
in the vicinity of St. Mary’s market, where he used to pass his time when ashore
and had been in several drunken rows in that not over quiet neighborhood.” Interestingly, Scott seems to have first signed up to fight for the Confederacy simply
to draw pay. Shortly after being captured at Fort Jackson, he took the Oath of
Allegiance and mustered into the Union Army.
Scott’s Irish heritage and his corresponding Catholic faith were presumably not
unattractive to a New Orleans audience. Christopher Pena’s Scarred by War: Civil
War in Southeast Louisiana (2004) includes an account of Scott’s execution that draws
both on the account published in the New Orleans Bee as well as on a typescript
of an unpublished account that is almost certainly the present manuscript. The
romance and the Irish angle of Scott’s story gave it some traction. The Sept. 9, 1863
issue of the Coshocton Democrat draws on the Aug. 15 edition of the Evening True
Delta, which in turn drew on the Picayune account. A recounting of the execution
in the Irish newspaper the Armagh Guardian of Sept. 18, 1863 includes details not
noted in either the Picayune account or this manuscript.
Firsthand accounts of military executions are almost unheard of in the current
market, especially an apparently unpublished account from New Orleans involving
$2250.
a local. An excellent manuscript. Map Detailing the Vicksburg Campaign
37. [Civil War]: MAP ILLUSTRATING THE OPERATIONS OF THE
U.S. FORCES AGAINST VICKSBURG. [ Washington]: Charles G.
Krebs, lithographer, [1863]. 24 x 19 inches. Matted. Minor soiling and wear.
Near fine.
Map compiled by the U.S.
Coast Survey Office, executed
by Charles G. Krebs in Washington, showing the military
operations surrounding the
siege of Vicksburg, extending
from just west of Vicksburg
to just east of Jackson, with
Natchez and the northern
border of Louisiana marking
the north and south boundaries. All the major roads and
railroads are delineated, as are
the many rivers and streams.
A red printed line shows the
path of Gen. Grant’s army;
t ro o p e m p l a c e m e n t s a n d
Union victories are likewise
printed in red, with each victory marked by a small American flag. With the beginning
of the Civil War the United
S tates Army found itself
scrambling to obtain adequate
field maps for military operations in the South. The most established cartographic
branch of the government, the Coast Survey, was pressed into service to provide
these maps, some with a coastal component, but mainly for landlocked locations.
The cartographers of the Coast Survey reviewed all of the existing cartography available, and drew on military and scouting reports and covert agents to assemble the
most detailed possible maps detailing places, roads, railroads, and natural features.
A fine copy of a map detailing this important Union victory.
LC, CIVIL WAR MAPS 290.
$1750.
Rare Field Operations Map of Mississippi
38. [Civil War]: Read, Joseph Corson: SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND
ALABAMA SHOWING THE APPROACHES TO MOBILE.
[Washington]: Coastal Survey Office, 1863. Folding map, 24 x 25½ inches,
mounted in twenty-four sections on linen. Original oblong 12mo. card covers
with printed paper label. Contemporary ownership inscription on label. Light
wear. Minor foxing and wear to map. Very good.
This rare Civil War map was created by the coast Survey office (the main cartographic arm of the Union Army) for use in the Union campaigns into the South.
This copy was owned and used by Col. Joseph Corson Read, the Chief Commissary
of the Army of the Cumberland.
In November 1863 the Union armies captured Chattanooga, the “Gateway to
the South,” enabling them to stage a prolonged offensive into the Southern heartland. General Ulysses S. Grant moved very quickly to overwhelm the South and
immediately ordered Gen. Sherman to move against Atlanta and its vital railroad
supply lines, at the same time as he sent Gen. Nathaniel Banks to attack Mobile,
Alabama. Joseph Corson Read (1831-89) was one of the first wave of men to take
up Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers to put down the rebellion in April 1861.
He remained continuously in the army, serving first on Gen. Jesse Reno’s staff and
rising to the rank of Chief Commissary for the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Gen. George H. Thomas. Thomas was impressed with Read, and on
May 1, 1864, with the spring campaign against Atlanta imminent, Thomas named
Read Chief Commissary of the Army of the Cumberland in the Field. This meant
that, although Col. A.P. Porter was the Army’s overall chief, Read would serve
alongside Thomas in the field and had the responsibility to supply the entire army
as it moved south. During the long and arduous Atlanta campaign he was the man
on the ground, making the supply side work. Read developed a close relationship
with Thomas, one with both personal and professional aspects.
This map, scaled at ten miles to the inch, shows Mississippi and Alabama from
Jackson to Montgomery, starting about fifty miles north of those two points and
continuing south to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Rivers, roads, and rail
lines, and all the towns they connect, are detailed, with waterways printed in blue.
Two of the railroads, the Mobile & Pensacola, and the Mobile & Great Northern,
include construction and removal dates during the war.
An important map that would have been used by the Union Army in the field,
specifically by the Chief Commissary of the Army of the Cumberland.
LC, CIVIL WAR MAPS 260.1. LC, RAILROAD MAPS 140.
$5500.
Brutal Southern Prisons
39. [Civil War]: Fisher, Robert J.: THE SOUTHERN PRISONS OF THE
U.S. OFFICERS. Baltimore: Lith. & Print by E. Sachse & Co., 1865.
Lithograph featuring twelve views of southern prisons and related. Sheet size:
24 x 35¾. Very good.
A rare lithograph showing views of several Confederate prison camps in the South,
used to hold Union officers during the Civil War. The lithograph contains twelve
images of at least six different Confederate camps in North Carolina, South Carolina,
and Georgia. While Andersonville Prison in Georgia is well known as the largest
and most brutal of the Confederate prison camps, this important lithograph shows
the conditions and structures at several lesser known southern prisons, thereby
providing valuable information.
One of the two central images is a view of the crowded “Asylum Camp” in
Columbia, South Carolina. The image shows a pair of two-story buildings in the
background, with dozens of tents crowded into an open space in the foreground.
The entire camp is surrounded by a fence. Many of the tents have their own small
fireplace, and men are shown chopping wood, hanging clothing, preparing food,
carrying water, and milling about the yard. There are two other images of Camp
Asylum: one showing men taking wood from a large pile, the other a view of the
sutler’s tent at the camp, showing a large number of men proceeding into a tent
to receive supplies. The other central image is of Camp Sorghum in Columbia,
South Carolina. Small cabins and tents are shown in a large cleared field patrolled
by armed guards. Another small view shows the hospital at the camp, with many
wounded men depicted. Views of other prisons show the jail in Columbia, South
Carolina; the jail and workhouse in Charleston, South Carolina (mostly tents);
Camp Oglethorpe in Macon, Georgia, showing several small cabins; and rustic
Camp Exchange in Charlotte, North Carolina, showing a number of armed guards
patrolling a small group of tents and a crudely built two-story building. There are
also views of a performance by “Chandler’s String Band,” mail delivery (showing
scores of men crowded around a building), and an image of long lines of men passing clothing that have apparently just been delivered by a small train.
Lithographer and printer Edward Sachse was located in Baltimore, and was
therefore well positioned to produce views and prints for southern and northern
markets before and during the Civil War. In 1862 he published a portrait of Union
general Ambrose Burnside, and after the war Sachse published prints of the grave
of Stonewall Jackson, and of Robert E. Lee in his study (the latter drawn by Adalbert Volck). Sachse also published views of the Virginia Military Institute, Fort
McHenry, and a print of the famous clash between the Monitor and the Merrimac.
This print is not included in Neely & Holzer’s The Union Image nor in their The
Confederate Image, and it is not mentioned by Peters. OCLC locates only two copies
this lithograph, at the Library of Michigan and at the Boston Athenaeum. Rare.
OCLC 136954063, 191908999. PETERS, AMERICA ON STONE, pp.348-49 (ref ).
$6000.
40. [Civil War]: PICTORIAL WAR RECORD. BATTLES OF THE
LATE CIVIL WAR [Vol. I, Nos. 1-52]. New York. 1881-1882. Fifty-two
issues, totaling 416pp. Folio. Original brown cloth, cover gilt. Extremities
worn, cloth a bit soiled and rubbed. Text block detached. Ownership ink stamp
at head of each issue. Some light wear and soiling, small tears in text. Issues 5
and 33 heavily worn, with large folding plates torn at folds but present. Fair,
but almost all illustrations in good shape.
A handsome and almost entirely pictorial periodical documenting the battles of
the Civil War. Many illustrations are full-page while others are on large folding
sheets. This set belonged to veteran Alvah Granniss of Connecticut. $1500.
41. [Civil War]: MILITARY COMMANDERS AND DESIGNATING
FLAGS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, 1861-1865 [cover title].
Philadelphia: Burk & McFetridge, [ca. 1888]. 88 leaves, plus eighty-nine chromolithographic plates. Original three-quarter brown morocco, spine gilt with
raised bands, marbled endpapers. Some rubbing to spine and corners, else
very good.
Limited deluxe composite volume combining two works that were also issued
separately. Includes both titlepages: “Tabular Statements Showing the Names of
Commanders of Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades, United States Army, during the War of 1861 to 1865. Compiled from Data on Record in the Office of the
Quartermaster-General of the Army” (1887) and “Flags of Army of the United
States Carried during the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, to Designate the Headquarters of the Different Armies, Army Corps, Divisions and Brigades. Compiled
under Direction of the Quartermaster General U.S. Army” (1887). “Colored plates
of flags designating the headquarters of armies, corps, divisions and brigades, and
an alphabetical listing of commanders and their units” – Nevins. “Full pages of
the most beautiful lithographs possible, so fine that not only the colors but the
textures and fabrics are clearly distinguishable. Many have just one figure to a page
but numerous others display groups of small flags” – Bennett. Scarce, with only a
handful of copies located in OCLC.
NEVINS I, p.17. BENNETT, p.42.
$4250.
A Contemporary Portrait Gallery of Civil War Military Leaders
42. [Civil War – Union Officers]: [Buttre, John Chester]: [COLLECTION
OF FIFTY ENGRAVINGS OF CIVIL WAR UNION GENERALS,
COLONELS, COMMODORES, AND OTHER NOTABLES, INCLUDING LINCOLN AND WASHINGTON, PUBLISHED DURING THE WAR]. New York. [ca. 1862-1863]. Fifty engraved portraits, each
9¼ x 11¾ inches. Each stored inside its own paper sleeve and housed together
in two contemporary brown leather portfolios, stamped in gilt. Portfolios worn
and rubbed. Images in excellent condition.
A wonderful contemporary collection of Civil War-related engravings. Featured
personalities are mostly Union generals, colonels, commodores, and other officers
and figures of note, plus presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
Also includes an engraving of William Gannaway Brownlow, the anti-secessionist
Tennessee newspaper editor and later governor of Tennessee immediately after the
end of the Civil War. At the time of the publication of this set, Brownlow was a
celebrity in the North for his ardent anti-secessionist stance.
Due to the portrait poses on which the engravings are based, as well as the stated
ranks of the military leaders and the general selection of personalities chosen for
the set, it must have been published in late 1862 or 1863. Of particular note is
the image of Ulysses S. Grant, who was still so relatively unknown in comparison
to some of the other military leaders that the publisher either erred and used the
likeness of another man, or could not find a suitable portrait and used a different
subject. Also, the portrait of Lincoln is early, as it shows the president without his
trademark beard. While we have seen some of these engravings before, we have
never seen the full set in the original leather portfolios. All engravings include the
facsimile signature of the subject and credits the engraver as J.C. Buttre of New
York, with many also crediting the original artist or photographer whose image the
engraving is based on (most by Brady, with others by Fredricks, Appleton, German,
Silsbee, et al; the Washington image is based on a Stuart painting). This is a very
rare wartime-published collection of Union officers.
The following is a full list, in alphabetical order:
1) Anderson, Brig. Gen. Robert
2) Baker, Col. Edward
3) Banks, Nathaniel P.
4) Blenker, Maj. Gen. Louis,
5) Brownlow, William G.
6) Buell, Maj. Gen. Don Carlos
7) Burnside, Brig. Gen. Ambrose E.
8) Butler, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F.
9) Carr, Col. Joseph B.
10) Clay, Maj. Gen. Cassius M.
11) Corcoran, Col. Michael
12) Cox, Brig Gen. J. Dolson
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)
34)
35)
36)
37)
38)
39)
40)
41)
42)
43)
44)
45)
46)
47)
48)
49)
50)
Curtis, Maj. Gen. Samuel R.
Dix, Maj. Gen. John A.
Doubleday, Brig. Gen. Abner
Du Pont, Com. Samuel F.
Ellsworth, Col. Elmer E.
Foot, Capt. John
Foote, Com. Andrew H.
Fremont, Maj. Gen. John C.
Grant, Maj. Gen. Ulysses
Halleck, Maj. Gen. Henry W.
Hawkins, Col. Rush C.
Heintzelman, Brig. Gen. Samuel P.
Hunter, Maj. Gen. David
Lander, Brig. Gen. Frederick W.
Lincoln, President Abraham
Lyon, Brig. Gen. Nathaniel
Mansfield, Brig. Gen. J.K.F.
McCall, Brig. Gen. George A.
McClellan, Maj. Gen. George B.
McDowell, Brig. Gen. Irvin
Meagher, Col. Thomas Francis
Mitchel, Maj. Gen. O.M.
Mulligan, Col. James A.
Pope, Maj. Gen. John
Rosecrans, Brig. Gen. W.S.
Scott, Lieut. Gen. Winfield
Shields, Brig. Gen. James
Sigel, Maj. Gen. Franz
Slemmer, Maj. Adam J.
Sprague, Maj. Gen. & Gov. of Rhode Island William
Stringham, Com. S.H.
Wallace, Maj. Gen. Lewis
Wallace, Maj. Gen. W.H.L.
Washington, President George
Weber, Col. Max
Wilkes, Capt. Charles
Wilson, Col. Henry
Wool, Maj. Gen. John E.
There is only one similar item in OCLC, a collection called Portraits of Civil War
Officers calling for 110 plates (including Lincoln’s cabinet and an engraving of his
childhood home), also by Buttre, located at the Public Library of Cincinnati &
Hamilton County. That collection is bound, and was likely issued as a slightly
different item by the publisher than the collection presented here.
OCLC 20140615.
$6000.
Rare Work on Southern Military Campaigns
43. Claiborne, Nathaniel Herbert: NOTES ON THE WAR IN THE
SOUTH; WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE LIVES
OF MONTGOMERY, JACKSON, SEVIER, THE LATE GOV.
CLAIBORNE, AND OTHERS. Richmond. 1819. 112pp. 20th-century
speckled calf, paneled in gilt, spine gilt. Hinges lightly rubbed, small chip at
head of spine. Very good.
Commentary on the War of 1812, most of the text having been written while the
war was in progress. Includes, besides the biographical sketches noted in the title,
material on the Creek Indians and their relations with the government. This book
is particularly interesting in connection with Jackson’s 1814 campaign against the
Creeks. William C.C. Claiborne, brother of the author and at one time governor
of Louisiana, receives the most biographical attention. Not in Sabin. Scarce.
HOWES C421, “aa.” DE RENNE, p.365. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 47622. SWEM
3478. FIELD 320.
$1250.
44. Clarke, John: AN IMPARTIAL AND AUTHENTIC NARRATIVE
OF THE BATTLE FOUGHT ON THE 17th OF JUNE, 1775, BETWEEN HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY ’S TROOPS AND THE
AMERICAN PROVINCIAL ARMY, ON BUNKER’S HILL, NEAR
CHARLES TOWN, IN NEW-ENGLAND.... London. 1775. [i.e. New
York. 1868]. 36pp. Original plain wrappers bound into 20th-century green
buckram, spine gilt. Front board lightly warped and soiled, extremities rubbed.
Modern bookplate on front pastedown. Several discreet institutional stamps
in margin of text, otherwise quite clean. Good. In a half morocco and cloth
folder.
The reprint of the second edition of this important contemporary account of the
battle of Bunker Hill, limited to ninety-nine copies “for Private Distribution.” This
work was originally published in London in 1775, and that edition is accorded a
“c” in Howes, followed by the second edition the same year (“b” in Howes). Clarke
was a first lieutenant in the Marines. This copy bears the ownership inscription of
prominent American historian Samuel G. Drake.
HOWES C456.
$750.
45. Clerk, John: AN ESSAY ON NAVAL TACTICS, SYSTEMATICAL
AND HISTORICAL. WITH EXPLANATORY PLATES. IN FOUR
PARTS. London: Printed for T. Cadell, 1790; 1797. Four parts bound in one
volume. xii,[5]-165pp. plus thirty handcolored folding plates; ix,[5]-34pp.;
29,[1]pp.; 61pp. plus twenty-two single-page plates. Half title before each
titlepage. Modern three-quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt. Modern
bookplate on front pastedown. Contemporary ownership signature of “Sir Patrick Murray” on first half title. Very clean and fresh. A fine copy.
One of the most important works on naval tactics published in the age of sail, this
is an attractive copy of all four parts of Clerk’s influential treatise, with all fiftytwo plates. The first part was privately published in 1782 in Edinburgh, and then
in the present form in 1790. The second through fourth parts followed in 1797.
Clerk was a Scottish merchant with a long interest in navigation, and he based
this work on his study of English and continental naval tactics. He was partially
influenced to produce the present work due to British naval defeats during the
American War of Independence, especially the defeat at Yorktown. The plates
illustrate many of the battles Clerk analyzes, including Admiral Rodney’s engagement with the French in 1780, Arbuthnot’s battle off the mouth of the Chesapeake
in 1781, Byron’s defeat by the Comte d’Estaing at Grenada in 1779, and more.
Admiral Nelson implemented some of Clerk’s tactics during the Battle of Trafalgar
in 1805. Not in Sabin, despite the American content. “Distinctive as one of the
first British accounts of tactics, as opposed to a work in French translation, and for
its criticism of the current Royal Naval practice of looking more to signal books to
the detriment of fighting instructions” – DNB.
JCB MARITIME HAND-LIST 1277. ADAMS & WATERS 359, 360. SCOTT 419.
$6000.
The Incredibly Rare New York Edition, Missed by Adams
46. Clinton, Henry: NARRATIVE OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR
HENRY CLINTON, K.B. RELATIVE TO HIS CONDUCT DURING PART OF HIS COMMAND OF THE KING’S TROOPS IN
NORTH AMERICA, PARTICULARLY TO THAT WHICH RESPECTS THE UNFORTUNATE ISSUE OF THE CAMPAIGN IN
1781. WITH AN APPENDIX.... New York: Sower, Morton, and Horner,
1783. [2],39pp. Small quarto. 19th-century calf, spine gilt. Bookplate on rear
pastedown. Titlepage bound cocked and trimmed close to a couple letters, not
affecting text. Negligible foxing and soiling. Very good.
Rare New York printing (and only American edition) of this work, which went
through several editions in London the same year. After distinguishing himself
several times in action, particularly at Bunker Hill, Clinton was appointed in 1776
to act as second-in-command to Howe. He played a major part in the battle of
Long Island, and in the capture of New York on Sept. 15 of that year. When Howe
returned to England in May 1778, Clinton became commander-in-chief of the
forces in North America, with Cornwallis as his second in command. Following
the capitulation of Yorktown and the final loss of the colonies, he resigned his command and returned to England, publishing this Narrative in 1783. This resulted in
an acrimonious quarrel with, and several rejoinders from, Cornwallis. Clinton was
appointed governor of Gibraltar in July 1794 and died there in December 1795.
Interestingly, one of the printers credited here, Christoph Sower, was a member of the German clan of printers who introduced German-language printing to
America. A Loyalist, his print shop was destroyed in 1777 and he fled Philadelphia.
He died in 1784, having returned to Germantown but not having re-established
himself as a printer (see Arndt 601 for an acrostic by him evidently published on
the occasion of his death).
ESTC and AAS are in error in stating that this edition should have a portrait,
evidently based on a copy having a portrait of Clinton, engraved by Dupin. Since
no engraver named Dupin worked in 18th-century America, and there were no
engravers in British-occupied New York, this must be supplied from a European
source. This error seems to have crept in from the New York Public copy where
the Dupin portrait is bound in (it does have a Paris imprint). ESTC locates only
four copies, at New Jersey Historical, New-York Historical, New York Public, and
Yale. Adams fails to note this edition, a rare lapse that suggests its rarity.
ESTC W9181. EVANS 17876. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 83-21 (ref ). SABIN
13751. HOWES C496.
$15,000.
47. Clinton, Henry: OBSERVATIONS ON SOME PARTS OF THE
ANSWER OF EARL CORNWALLIS TO SIR HENRY CLINTON’S
NARRATIVE...TO WHICH IS ADDED AN APPENDIX; CONTAINING EXTRACTS OF LETTERS AND OTHER PAPERS, TO
WHICH REFERENCE IS NECESSARY. London. 1783. [4],35,113,
[3]pp. plus folding chart. 20th-century three-quarter morocco and marbled
boards, spine gilt. Hinges and corners rubbed. Bookplate on rear pastedown.
Internally clean. Very good.
Sir Henry Clinton’s reply to Cornwallis’ defense of his conduct during the Yorktown
campaign and at the Battle of Yorktown. Cornwallis felt his orders from Clinton,
as well as assurances that he would be relieved, forced him into an indefensible
position at Yorktown, and he was further aggrieved when Clinton blamed him for
the disaster which followed. Clinton herein answers to Cornwallis and clarifies
his criticism.
HOWES C499. SABIN 13754.
$750.
48. Clinton, Henry: OBSERVATIONS ON MR. STEDMAN’S HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WAR. London. 1794. [2],34pp. Quarto.
Modern three-quarter morocco and marbled boards, gilt, spine with raised
bands, t.e.g. Lightly bumped corners. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown.
A tall copy in very good plus condition.
Clinton defends his own conduct, as he feels it is misrepresented by Stedman. An
important addition to one of the basic histories of the Revolution.
HOWES C498, “aa.” SABIN 13753.
$750.
49. Clinton, James: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED BY JAMES
CLINTON, CONCERNING MILITARY APPOINTMENTS IN
NEW YORK’S REGIMENTS DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION]. Albany. March 30, 1781. [1]p. Small quarto. Light toning and
foxing. Very good. In a thick blue half morocco and cloth clamshell case,
spine gilt.
James Clinton writes to the New York State Assembly regarding appointments for
two officers in the Continental Army. He regrets he currently has no vacancies to
accommodate the men, but anticipates he will be able to do so shortly. James Clinton, brother of New York governor George Clinton, was an officer in the American
Revolution. In May 1776, Clinton was given the responsibility for erecting defenses
along the highland region of the Hudson River. He oversaw the construction of
forts Montgomery and Clinton and with his brother George, took command of
the forts. The forts were surrendered during the Battle of Fort Montgomery and
Fort Clinton, Oct. 6, 1777, in which nearly half the forts’ six hundred defenders
were killed, wounded, or captured (Clinton narrowly escaped with a bayonet wound
to the thigh). Clinton was in command of the army’s Northern Department at
Albany from 1780 to August 1781, when his brigade joined the Siege of Yorktown.
He writes this letter from Albany as head of the Northern Department. The two
men noted may have been under Clinton’s command at that time. The letter reads:
Gentlemen, I have had the honor to receive a resolution of your Honble.
House of the 26th inst. respecting the requisition of Solomon Pendleton and
Ebenezer Mott, lieutenants in the late fifth New York Regiment, captured at
Fort Montgomery, to be readmitted into the line of the army. I beg leave to
inform the Council that, at present, there are no vacancies in either of the state
regts. in which these gentleman can be provided for. But from the determination of Cap. Wendell & Lieutenants Tunce and Henry of the first regt. who
have sent their resignations to headquarters, answers to which have not yet
been received, I have reason to expect, that in a few days, I shall have it in my
power to give the Council all the information they require.
$850.
50. Coffin, Charles, compiler: HISTORY OF THE BATTLE OF
BREED’S HILL, by Major-Generals William Heath, Henry Lee, James
Wilkinson and Henry Dearborn. Compiled by Charles Coffin. Saco,
Me.: William J. Condon, 1831. 38pp. Original blue printed wrappers. Lightly
dampstained, more heavily on rear leaves. Very good. In a half morocco box.
An important work compiling various primary accounts of the Battle of Bunker
Hill. Coffin was convinced that the primary accounts of the battle were defective,
and in an early work of oral history, sought out participants and interviewed them.
Valuable, with an unusual imprint.
AMERICAN IMPRINTS 6588. HOWES C257.
$750.
A Remarkable Assemblage of Letters
by Important Confederate Generals
51. [Confederate Generals]: Lee, Robert E.; Thomas “Stonewall” Jack-
son; Jefferson Davis; and others: [REMARKABLE ARCHIVE OF
TWENTY-FIVE LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS, SIGNED BY
ROBERT E. LEE, THOMAS “STONEWALL” JACKSON, JEFFERSON DAVIS, AND NUMEROUS OTHER CONFEDERATE
GENERALS]. [Various places]. 1838-1892. Twenty-five signed letters, one
signed letter closing, and eighteen engraved portraits. Letters vary in size
between 6 x 4 inches and 10 x 7 inches. Detailed listing below. Folio. Early
20th-century maroon crushed morocco, gilt. Manuscript material tipped in
with unobtrusive paper tape. Front hinge neatly repaired. Some letters with
typical mailing folds, one detached. Overall, very good.
An incredible archive of original manuscript material from some of the elite of the
Confederate officer corps. The archive contains twenty-five letters and documents,
signed, from before, during, and after the Civil War, all tipped into an impressive
folio album bound in full morocco, with eighteen engraved portraits also bound in.
Laid in is a small clipped signature with salutation by Jefferson Davis. The album
begins with a manuscript calligraphic titlepage. The engravings are mostly from
the publisher, Charles B. Hall of New York (from his work published in 1887),
mostly busts, but there are two separate engravings each for Lee and Beauregard.
There is also an engraving of a Confederate flag with a poem by John Dimitry. A
full listing of the items follows, in the order in which they appear in the album:
1) Robert E. Lee: Autograph letter, signed, from Lee to Major Gen. G.H. Thomas,
Camp Cooper, Tx. San Antonio. Feb. 21, 1860. [3]pp. Lee writes regarding
personal and regimental matters, Indian troubles in Texas, need of decent horses
and horse feed. He states that he does “not expect to be here (San Antonio)
long myself, for even if the troubles on the Rio Grande do not bring more troops
into the Dept...two Regts from Utah will move down in the Summer....We shall
thus be all straight again.” Lee writes of a request by Gen. Sam Houston for
more troops and claims: “The Indians seem to be more troublesome than ever.”
2) Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson: Document, signed. Opposite Hancock, Md. Jan.
5, 1862. [1]p. Jackson writes “To the Officer Comd’g the United States Forces
near Hancock, Maryland” and demands the Union forces stand down, and details
potential consequences of refusal. This short letter is the prize of the archive,
a wonderful example of Jackson’s fiery approach, and the body of the message
deserves to be quoted in full:
It is my purpose to cross the River & take possession of the town of Hancock. If in opposing the execution of this purpose, you make use of the
town of Hancock, or the Citizens of the town aid you in your opposition I
will cannonade the town. If neither of these things is done, I will refrain,
as far as practicable, from firing upon it. An immediate reply to this communication is required.
Tipped in behind Jackson’s letter is a separate unsigned reply from the Union
officer in charge, refusing Jackson’s demands. This incendiary document was
written early in the war, when Jackson was commanding the troops of the Valley
District, a subsection of the Department of Northern Virginia. He took over
command of the Valley District after First Manassas. In January 1862 he led a
sortie northward to the Potomac in far western Maryland, where he attempted to
cross the river. The town held out successfully, although Jackson did shell it for
several days, as promised. This communication, typical of Jackson’s audacity, dates
from just before his famous Valley Campaign of 1862. An excellent document.
3) Joseph E. Johnston: Autograph letter, signed, from Johnston to Col. Blanton
Duncan. Savannah. Sept. 20, 1867. [1]p. Johnston declines an invitation to attend the Southern Commercial Convention, with information on other business
matters. He served with distinction in a number of military conflicts before and
during the Civil War, including the Mexican-American War and the Seminole
wars in Florida. When Virginia seceded from the Union, Johnston became the
highest ranking officer to join the Confederacy. His surrender to Sherman in
mid-April 1865 was the effective end of Confederate resistance.
4) P.G.T. Beauregard: Autograph letter, signed, from Beauregard to South Carolina
governor John Laurence Manning, Manchester, S.C. New Orleans. May 25,
1865. [3]pp. A lengthy reply from Beauregard dated just after the end of the
Civil War, dealing with the return of a hired man, privations, and the hope that
“Our rulers and their satellites” will act as humanely as enlisted men from the
two armies. Most notably in this letter is Beauregard’s mention of the Battle of
Manassas, when he tells Gov. Channing again of his desire to give his “Stallion
to Major Warren Nelson in remembrance of the five horses (belonging to him)
which I had killed under me at Manassas.” Governor Manning was a colonel on
the staff of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard at Fort Sumter and at the Battle of Manassas.
5) Jefferson Davis: Autograph letter, signed, from Davis to W.H. Hyatt. Beauvoir,
Ms. July 1, 1887. [1]p. A thank-you letter from Davis regarding his biography.
Accompanied by a laid-in autograph letter closing addressed to a niece or nephew,
signed: “Affectionately Your Uncle Jefferson Davis.”
6) John Bell Hood: Autograph letter, signed, from Hood to Union general George H.
Thomas. New Orleans. April 28, 1866. [2]pp. A superb post-War letter. Hood
writes that he is getting his records together and requests “an official statement of
the total number of prisoners captured by Gen’l Sherman” on two occasions. He
also writes: “General Sheridan has advised me to apply to you for this information
and my dear sir I assure you it will be appreciated if you can find time to oblige
me who will ever be pleased to meet you.” Thomas and Hood were opposed at
points during the war, in which Hood suffered both defeat and the loss of an
arm and a leg. His warm outreach to his former foe suggests the fellowship that
West Point graduate officers of the pre-Civil War Army often displayed toward
each other even after the bitter events of the conflict.
7) James Longstreet: Autograph letter, signed, from Longstreet to Capt. Sanford C.
Kellogg. Gainesville, Fl. Aug. 20, 1892. [1]p. Longstreet asks Kellogg, longtime
aide-de-camp to Gen. Thomas, for clarification on maneuvers by Hinderman’s
divisions on Sept. 26, 1863 at the Battle of Chickamauga. Longstreet writes
that he does not recall the shift of the division from the left to the right wing on
the 21st. Interestingly, Chickamauga was one of Longstreet’s more prominent
successes during the war.
8) Jubal A. Early: Autograph letter, signed, from Early to Rev. Henry Whitney
Cumberland. Lynchburg, Va. Sept. 29, 1886. [4]pp. Early writes that neither
he nor Gen. Beauregard have any interest in the Louisiana lottery. He then
discusses an article he had written on the lottery system and transmits a copy of
said article to Rev. Cumberland.
9) William J. Hardee: Autograph document, signed. Dec. 12, 1838. [1]p. A requisition order for “9 Bushels of corn 16 Bushels of oats and 125 Empty Forage Bags”
received by the 2nd Dragoons, Hardee’s first military unit after he graduated
from West Point in that year. Hardee would go on to a distinguished career in
both the American and Confederate military, earning the nickname “Old Reliable.” His military manual, written before the war, was the standard drill book
for both armies.
10) Braxton Bragg: Autograph note, signed, from Bragg to Gen. Lee. Jefferson Barracks [St. Louis, Mo.]. Oct. 2, 1850. [1]p. Bragg, the commanding officer of
Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis in 1850, here writes a short note to acknowledge
receipt of mail for September 1850. Like many of the generals represented here,
Bragg served with distinction in the U.S. Army before joining the Confederacy,
in Florida and in the Mexican-American War, most notably the Battle of Buena
Vista.
11) Joseph Wheeler: Letter, signed, from Wheeler to J.Q. Thompson. Wheeler, Al.
Aug. 26, 1894. [1]p. A short but kind note in which Wheeler regrets missing
an invitation from Thompson while in Washington. General Joseph “Fightin’
Joe” Wheeler was that rare breed who served in both the Confederate Army and
later in the U.S. Army. He fought in the Civil War and the Spanish-American
War, among other service.
12) Samuel Jones: Autograph letter, signed, from Jones to Gen. Braxton Bragg. Chattanooga, Tn. Sept. 18, 1862. [2]pp. An extensive, important, Civil War-dated
report of maneuvers and communications with Gen. Breckinridge in Tennessee
and Mississippi. Jones was promoted to major general about five months before
this letter’s writing. Shortly after this communication Jones was given command
of the Department of Western Virginia, tasked with defending the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad.
13) Edmund Kirby Smith: Letter, signed, from Smith to Major G.M. Thomas in
Camp Cooper, Tx. Camp Colorado, Tx. April 9, 1860. [1]p. A short communication from one Texas camp to another, signed by Smith regarding maneuvers
within the state. Smith reports that his “horses are now weak and in reduced
condition.” Smith would resign his commission the following year and join the
Confederacy as a major in the regular artillery. His troops were the last to surrender at the end of the war, on May 8, 1865.
14) Wade Hampton: Autograph letter, signed, from Hampton to Gen. Chestnut.
Washington, D.C. May 13, 1882. [2]pp. A political letter, attempting to place
Gen. Chestnut on the Tariff Committee and requesting conference so that “we do
not lose all we have gained.” Hampton attained the rank of lieutenant general in
the Confederate Army, commanding Hampton’s Legion and the Cavalry Corps
of the Army of Northern Virginia. He is perhaps best remembered for his later
post-Reconstruction political career, serving as governor of South Carolina and
for twelve years as the state’s senator in Washington. It is from this latter post
that this letter emanates.
15) John Bankhead Magruder: Autograph letter, signed, from Magruder to “My dear
Sir.” Aboard U.S.S. Lexington, “At Sea Near Bahama Islands.” Sept. 20, 1845.
1p. A short letter discussing libel in a case “against me...by O’Brien.” Magruder
claims “I owe him nothing and he has no evidence of debt.” John B. Magruder
had an interesting career, serving not one, not two, but three countries in the
military: the United States in the Mexican-American War, the Confederacy in
the Civil War, and as a major general in the Imperial Army of Mexico after the
defeat of the Confederacy.
16) Roger Atkinson Pryor: Autograph letter, signed, from Pryor to Mr. Cunson (?).
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. Dec. 8, 1860. [1]p. Pryor writes
that he cannot lecture before Cunson’s Society because “[t]he public perils allow
us no other thought besides the dreadful extremity of the Union.” At the time
he penned this letter Atkinson was serving his home state of Virginia in the
United States House of Representatives. A short time later Atkinson served as
a brigadier general in the Confederate infantry, participating in the Peninsula
Campaign, Second Manassas, and the Battle of Antietam.
17) Robert Augustus Toombs: Autograph letter, signed, from Toombs to “May.”
Washington, Ga. May 1, 1877. [1]p. Toombs writes that he cannot repay money
at the present time because he doesn’t have any to lend. Then he proposes a trip
to Texas with the recipient and asks if she can go. Toombs was a big proponent
of Texas throughout his political career. He was also a fiery figure in the Confederacy, often disagreeing vehemently with Jefferson Davis. He commanded the
Georgia volunteers in Virginia, but did not last long due to the unpredictability
of both his command and his unit’s execution.
18) John S. Mosby: Autograph note, signed, from Mosby to Otto Neswith, Esq.
Warrenton, Va. June 1, 1872. [1]p. On Mosby’s law office stationery. A short
note from Mosby responding to an autograph seeker, with signature, as requested.
The “Gray Ghost” was a Confederate Army cavalry battalion commander for the
43rd Battalion, 1st Virginia Cavalry known as “Mosby’s Rangers.” His legendary exploits have made him one of the most collected of Confederate leaders.
19) John B. Floyd: Letter, signed, from Floyd to Frederick Townsend, Adjutant
General, State of New York. War Department, Washington, D.C. May 20, 1857.
[1]p. A short letter, written during Floyd’s term as the United States Secretary
of War in 1857-60, involves the proposed purchase of U.S. Arsenal property in
Rome by the State of New York. Floyd later served as a brigadier general in
the Confederate States Army but did not perform his duties well. No less than
Ulysses S. Grant described Floyd as “no soldier” and as “unfitted for command
for the reason that his conscience must have troubled him and made him afraid.”
Grant did describe Floyd as “a man of talent enough for any civil position,” and
Floyd was serving in such a position when he wrote this letter.
20) Raphael Semmes: Autograph letter, signed, from Semmes to Mr. Camaron.
Mobile, Al. Sept. 12, 1871. [3¼]pp. A very interesting letter, with excellent
content, from Semmes to a fan, giving thanks for appreciative remarks concerning his book, Memoirs of Service Afloat During the War Between the States, and
“my poor career in defense of our down-trodden South.” He continues that
after cessation of the war he “felt myself a stranger in my native land; as if I had
awakened from a hideous dream, and found myself, I scarce know how, an exile
and an outcast from country and home.” He says that after six years “that feeling
has disappeared.” In fact, Semmes feared he would be tried for piracy and only
returned to the U.S. when it was clear he would be left alone. He is “beginning
to feel more like an American, who has a country to live and struggle for....” He
expresses hope for America. Responding to his correspondent’s desire for a relic
from the C.S.S. Alabama, Semmes sadly replies that nothing remains of the ship
except “the thanks of her commander, for the beautiful tribute you have paid her,
and him.” Semmes famously commanded the Alabama, a successful commerce
raider that attacked Union merchant and naval ships for two years during the
Civil War. Semmes is the only Confederate officer to simultaneously hold the
ranks of admiral and general.
21) John C. Breckenridge: Autograph letter, signed, from Breckenridge to Gen. Jubal
A. Early in Toronto, Canada. Paris, France. April 16, 1867. [3½]pp. An excellent
personal letter regarding family and health matters during travels in London and
elsewhere. A remarkable individual deserving greater fame, Breckenridge was
vice president under Buchanan, ran for president in 1860, served with distinction as a Confederate general, and ended the war as the last rebel Secretary of
War. Fearing persecution, he fled to Cuba and then Europe, returning to the
U.S. in 1869. He also writes poignantly of the tenor of the nation at that time,
commenting: “As to our poor Country I have no heart to write about it – but I
believe in an eternal Spirit of Justice and Goodness who will shed light on this
black darkness.” In 1867, Breckenridge was in France on advice from doctors
who suggested the move to aid his wife’s health. He and his family traveled
extensively around Europe during their overseas stay, to places such as England,
Germany, Austria, and others.
22) M. Jeff Thompson: Autograph document, signed by Thompson, to “Genrl Richardson or Officer in Charge of Missouri Artillery, New Madrid.” Camp Hunter,
[Mo]. Aug. 31, 1861. [1]p. A brief special order from Gen. Thompson stating:
“It is absolutely necessary that my whole force should be together, therefore bring
up the Battery immediately.” Thompson was a brigadier general in the Missouri
State Guard during the Civil War and saw action at the battles of Fredericktown,
Westport, and Mine Creek, among others. This order could pertain to preparations for Thompson’s first major action during the war, at Fredericktown, which
occurred about a month and a half after this communication.
23) Basil W. Duke: Autograph note, signed, from Duke to “Dear Sir.” Louisville, Ky.
Feb. 2, 1892. [1]p. on Duke’s professional stationery. Duke humorously responds
to an autograph seeker, enclosing “a photograph and card signed upon request.”
He jokes about his current likeness no longer being a likeness, comparing himself
to “Blackbeard or Capt. Flint, or, indeed, any celebrated pirate you fancy most.”
Duke was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, commanding
Morgan’s Raiders after the death of their leader, John Hunt Morgan, and seeing
major action at the Battle of Shiloh. After the war Duke’s career as a historian
became as much his legacy as his service during the war.
24) Albert Pike: Autograph note, signed, from Pike to Jas. G. Dennett, Esq. New
Orleans. July 9, 1855. [1]p. Pike requests that his subscription of the New York
Daily Herald be sent to Little Rock, Arkansas until Sept. 15, and afterwards to
New Orleans, with payment of $5 enclosed. Pike was a brigadier general in the
Confederate States Army, having served the United States earlier in the MexicanAmerican War. He was also a journalist, lawyer, and devoted Freemason. A
remarkable and polymathic figure, he was a newspaper editor as well.
25) Henry A. Wise: Autograph letter, signed, from Wise to Thos. Dunn English.
Richmond, Va. Nov. 10, 1856. [2]pp. Wise grants permission to add his name
to the subscriber’s list for English’s latest publication and notes that it gives
him “pleasure whenever I see a publication proposed south of the M[ason] &
D[ixon] line.” He promises to recommend the publication to others, praising
Dr. English: “Your pen far better deserves a binding than many Yankee nibs
which presume to scribble at our literature.” Wise was a major general in the
Army of Northern Virginia, participating in the Battle of Roanoke Island, the
Peninsula Campaign, the Siege of Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaign.
At the time of writing this letter he was governor of Virginia. Thomas Dunn
English was a politician, author, and songwriter who is best remembered for a
longtime feud with Edgar Allan Poe.
A rare opportunity to obtain a fine assemblage of original Confederate officers’
letters, many with superb content, in a handsome presentation album. $48,500.
52. [Confederate Imprint]: INSTRUCTION FOR HEAVY ARTILLERY;
PREPARED BY A BOARD OF OFFICERS, FOR THE USE OF
THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES. Richmond: West & Johnston,
1862. xvi,272pp. plus thirty-nine engraved plates. Original publisher’s cloth,
gilt titles, blindstamped covers. Minor discoloration at top of front joint, light
soiling to covers, minor wear to edges and corners. Light foxing, text slightly
over-opened at p.72. Very good.
A scarce Confederate artillery manual, the Confederate reissue of a manual originally
printed for the U.S. Army in 1851. Rather amusingly, the title is reprinted exactly,
stating it is for the U.S. Army. A comprehensive treatise on heavy artillery, with
plates illustrating siege guns, Howitzers, mortar wagons, cannon loading techniques,
etc. The plates were engraved in Charleston, South Carolina by Lieut. R.H. Rush.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 5085.
$1500.
53. [Confederate Imprint]: [Vicksburg, Battle of ]: OFFICIAL REPORTS
OF BATTLES, EMBRACING THE DEFENCE OF VICKSBURG,
BY MAJOR GENERAL EARL VAN DORN, AND THE ATTACK
UPON BATON ROUGE, BY MAJOR GENEAL [sic] BRECKIN-
RIDGE. Richmond. 1863. 170pp. Later stitching. Titlepage heavily foxed,
some wear. Light foxing to text, some light dampstaining. Wear to final leaf.
Good.
A rare official report concerning the important battles for control of the Mississippi,
and printing official battle reports by Confederate officers covering operations at
Vicksburg; Baton Rouge; Corinth; Hartsville, Tennessee; Coffeeville, Mississippi;
and Fort Donelson.
HOWES O27. PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 2350.
$1000.
The Revolutionary Laws of Connecticut
54. [Connecticut Laws]: [COLLECTION OF TWENTY-EIGHT REV-
OLUTIONARY WAR-ERA CONNECTICUT SESSION LAWS,
INCLUDING A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE U.S. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN OCTOBER 1776]. New London,
Ct.: Timothy Green, 1774-1779. Twenty-eight separate imprints. Folio. The
first twenty-one imprints disbound, with two volumes bound in 20th-century
buckram, gilt leather labels. Small library ink stamp on the first leaf of each
imprint in the bound volumes. Some leaves reinforced along gutter or with
minor repairs or fills, a few leaves with small chips or short tears; a few folded,
with separations along the fold lines. Some marginal worming, minor ink
marginalia, some contemporary ink underlining. Good.
A marvelous collection of Revolutionary War-era Connecticut colonial and state
session laws, starting from early 1774 and running through April 1779. These
works mark the transition from Connecticut as a British colony to its declaration
of statehood, and through to its deep involvement in the Revolutionary War. It is
interesting to note that in the intervening months between the imprints of December 1775 and May 1776 below, the words “His Majesty’s” drop from the title of
the acts passed by the assembly. Also, in the three imprints for the October 1776
session, the “Colony” of Connecticut becomes the “State” of Connecticut. In fact,
in the Acts and Laws passed in that month, the assembly of Connecticut declares
independence from Great Britain: “Resolved by this Assembly, That they approve
of the Declaration of Independence [of the United States]...and of Right ought to
be, a Free and Independent State, and the Inhabitants thereof are absolved from
all Allegiance to the British Crown....”
An incredibly rare assemblage of late colonial and early Connecticut state laws.
Such a collection would take untold years to assemble separately, if it could be done
at all. The October 1776 Declaration of Independence is especially important, and
correspondingly rare, with only seven institutional holdings in OCLC. A detailed
list of the imprints is available upon request.
EVANS 13207, 13208, 13209, 13871, 13872, 13875, 13873, 14697, 14688, 14694, 14698,
14689, 14690, 14706, 14705, 14691, 14692, 14693, 14708, 15258, 15762, 15260, 15261,
15760, 15761, 15763, 16231, 16232.
$5000.
55. Cooper, John Spencer: ROUGH NOTES OF SEVEN CAMPAIGNS
IN PORTUGAL, SPAIN, FRANCE, AND AMERICA. DURING
THE YEARS 1809-10-11-12-13-14-15. London & Carlisle. 1869. vii,150,
[2]pp. Original pebbled cloth, gilt. Minor edge wear, some soiling to boards.
Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Light foxing. Very good.
One of the best personal accounts of the Peninsular War and the New Orleans
campaign of 1815. “Scarce and interesting account of the disastrous defeat at New
Orleans, written by a Serg’t of the 7th Fusiliers who, out of a company of 64, was
one of only 16 survivors. Written in 1815, but here first published” – Howes.
WRIGHT HOWES 54:74.
$1250.
Military Instructions in Philadelphia, 1776
56. Dalrymple, Campbell: EXTRACTS FROM A MILITARY ESSAY,
CONTAINING: REFLECTIONS ON THE RAISING, ARMING,
CLOATHING AND DISCIPLINE OF THE BRITISH INFANTRY
AND CAVALRY. Philadelphia: Humphreys, Bell and Aitken, 1776. 31pp.
plus eight engraved plates (two folding). Contemporary calf boards, neatly
rebacked in matching style, leather label. Slight wear to boards. Moderate
foxing and slight dampstaining, outer edge of one plate soiled. Very good.
First American edition of an important work on military issues, with interesting
implications for the American Revolution, published almost concurrently with the
Declaration of Independence. The text and plates cover a variety of topics, including marching, maneuvering, camping, attacking, and retreating. The unusual joint
imprint of three Philadelphia printers is even more peculiar because Bell and Aitken
are well known for their attachment to the Revolutionary cause, and Humphreys
was a Loyalist who fled Philadelphia when the British evacuated in 1778.
EVANS 14726. SABIN 18345.
$5000.
57. Denson, Jesse: THE CHRONICLES OF ANDREW; CONTAINING
AN ACCURATE AND BRIEF ACCOUNT OF GENERAL JACKSON’S VICTORIES IN THE SOUTH, OVER THE CREEKS AND
HIS VICTORIES OVER THE BRITISH AT NEW-ORLEANS.
WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. [removed
from:] Hillard, Isaac: A WONDERFUL AND HORRIBLE THING
IS COMMITTED IN THE LAND.... [Hamilton, Oh. 1822]. pp.[87]118. Contemporary half leather and paper boards. Boards quite edgeworn
and soiled. Contemporary ownership signatures of members of the Van Cleve
family on front free endpapers, bookplate on rear pastedown. Toned, scattered
foxing. Good.
An interesting creation in which an early owner has removed Jesse Denson’s The
Chronicles of Andrew from the 1822 Hamilton, Ohio edition of Isaac Hillard’s A
Wonderful and Horrible Thing is Committed in the Land... and bound it as a separate,
discreet title. Denson’s highly approving assessment of Andrew Jackson’s conduct
in the War of 1812 and against the Creek Indians was first published in Lexington,
Kentucky and Milledgeville, Georgia in 1815. In that sense it is the third edition
of the text. It was then included as the concluding section of the 1822 edition of
Hillard’s book, which was first published (without the Denson portion) in Poughkeepsie in 1814. Denson’s text is a mixture of prose and poetry, written in a highly
religious style, thereby lending Andrew Jackson godlike qualities. A strange copy
of a strange title.
1822 edition of Hillard: HOWES H491. SABIN 31915. STREETER SALE 1736.
AMERICAN IMPRINTS 9010.
$3500.
Infecting the Rebels with Smallpox
58. Donkin, Robert, Major: MILITARY COLLECTIONS AND REMARKS. New York. 1777. [4],vi,[22],264pp. Contemporary three-quarter
calf and marbled boards, spine gilt, leather label. Corners and hinges rubbed.
Paragraph on p.190 neatly excised, as is usual. Minor foxing and soiling. Very
good.
Written by a British Army officer serving in America, who states in the preface
that subscriptions to the book will go to the widows and orphans of “the valiant
soldiers...butchered when peaceably marching to and from Concord the 19th April
1775, by the rebels.” It contains many notes and anecdotes regarding the American
Revolution. The portion of page 190 that is usually excised or mutilated (as in this
copy) proposes that arrows dipped in smallpox be shot at the American rebels. A
rare work, this being the only edition noted by Howes.
HOWES D422, “b.” SABIN 20598. EVANS 15289.
$6500.
Classic Revolutionary War History
59. Drayton, John: MEMOIRS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,
FROM ITS COMMENCEMENT TO THE YEAR 1776, INCLUSIVE; AS RELATING TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA:
AND OCCASIONALLY REFERRING TO THE STATES OF
NORTH-CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. Charleston: A.E. Miller, 1821.
Two volumes. [28],430; [2],400pp. Engraved portrait of Drayton by Wright
& Smith after Du Simitiere, three engraved maps (two folding). Publisher’s
blue paper boards, rebacked at a later date in paper. Boards bumped on corners. Very good, uncut. Provenance: Arthur Middleton, Jr. (signature on front
endpaper); Library of Congress duplicate (inked stamps and book label).
A basic source for the history of the American Revolution in the southern colonies,
based largely on material the author inherited from his father, William Henry
Drayton, who was an active leader of the Revolution. The author served twice as governor
of South Carolina, and was deeply interested
in its history from an early age. This history
of the early stages of the Revolution in South
Carolina was the product of his retirement and
published a year before his death. It remains
one of the standard works. One of the maps
shows forts Sullivan and Moultrie, while the
other shows the positions in the 1776 campaign
in the Carolina upcountry against the Cherokees. This copy belonged to Arthur Middleton,
Jr. (1795-1853), the grandson and namesake of
South Carolina signer of the Declaration of
Independence, Arthur Middleton, one of the
first Americans to travel as an artist in Italy
and paint the Italian countryside.
HOWES D491, “aa.” GEPHART 4764. SABIN
20914.$7500.
Du Simitiere’s Portraits of American Leaders
60. Du Simitiere, Pierre Eugene: PORTRAITS OF THE GENERALS,
MINISTERS, MAGISTRATES, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND
OTHERS, WHO HAVE RENDERED THEMSELVES ILLUSTRIOUS IN THE REVOLUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF
NORTH AMERICA. DRAWN FROM LIFE BY M. DUSIMITIER
[sic], PAINTER, AND MEMBER OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA. AND ENGRAVED BY THE MOST
EMINENT ARTISTS IN LONDON. London: Published by R. Wilkinson and J. Debrett, 1783. Letterpress title (verso blank), 1p. “Advertisement”
(verso blank). Twelve stipple-engraved portraits on heavy paper. Quarto. Modern calf-backed marbled boards, red leather label, early marbled pastedowns
and free endpapers. Each plate numbered in ink at the upper outer corner by
a single early hand. Very good. Provenance: Herbert T. Calmus (bookplate).
Du Simitiere was a native of Switzerland who emigrated to America in 1766. He
was an ardent supporter of the Revolution and was among the first to collect material on the history of the war. He furthered his collection by producing a series of
portraits of American leaders. Thirteen of these were published in Paris in 1781
and were also issued separately.
English language editions of the Paris series were issued in London in 1783, the
subject of much bibliographical confusion. The sequence would seem to be that the
French series of thirteen was re-engraved and issued by publisher W. Richardson
on May 10, 1783 under the title, Thirteen Portraits of American Legislators, Patriots,
and Soldiers.... Benedict Arnold was still included as a patriot in this issue, as he
had not defected at the time Du Simitiere sent the originals to Paris. The present
title, issued by publishers Wilkinson and Debrett, is not a reissue of the Richardson
edition, but an entirely new edition, the plates with Wilkinson’s imprint dated May
15, 1783. This series of portraits appears in a different order than that in the Richardson edition and excludes Arnold, reducing the number to twelve. The portraits
are of Washington, Henry Laurens, John Jay, Samuel Huntington, Charles Thomson,
W.H. Drayton, Silas Deane, Joseph Reed, Gouverneur Morris, Baron Steuben, John
Dickinson, and Horatio Gates. The caption of the Washington portrait has been
corrected in ink in this copy, and the Drayton and Dickinson captions have been
corrected with paper overslips. Wilkinson and Debrett evidently reissued this series
at a later time and with a new title, Heads of Illustrious Americans..., without a date.
This copy bears the bookplate of Herbert T. Calmus, co-founder of the Technicolor
corporation. A rare and important series of portraits. None of the standard bibliographies name this edition by title, and OCLC locates a total of only eight copies.
OCLC 30553762, 601543637, 228760275, 249014469. SABIN 21446 (Richardson ed).
HOWES D599 (Richardson ed).
$6250.
61. Eaton, John Henry: THE LIFE OF ANDREW JACKSON, MAJOR
GENERAL IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES: COMPRISING A HISTORY OF THE WAR IN THE SOUTH, FROM
THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CREEK CAMPAIGN, TO
THE TERMINATION OF HOSTILITIES BEFORE NEW ORLEANS. Philadelphia: Samuel Bradford, 1824. 468pp. Frontispiece portrait.
Modern three-quarter calf and cloth, gilt leather label. Moderate foxing. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Very good. Untrimmed.
Second edition of the definitive account of Jackson as a commander in the War
of 1812, with Reid’s co-authorship omitted and not including the four folding
maps from the first edition. Jackson’s controversial management of the intended
desertion of numerous Tennessee volunteers is treated with a questionable absence
of criticism. An engaging contemporary account of the enterprising commander.
HOWES R171.
$650.
62. Edwards, Frank S.: A CAMPAIGN IN NEW MEXICO WITH COL-
ONEL DONIPHAN...WITH A MAP OF THE ROUTE, AND A
TABLE OF THE DISTANCES TRAVERSED. Philadelphia. 1847.
184pp. plus folding map. Half title. Modern cloth, gilt leather label. Bookplate on front pastedown. A few scattered stains; older library ink stamp on
titlepage and several text leaves. Still, a good, solid copy.
The first edition of the work which Wagner considered one of the most interesting
accounts of this important western expedition. A work of much import for western
Texas material, descriptions of the Indians of New Mexico, the Santa Fe region, and
Texas Ranger content. The “Map Showing Col. A.W. Doniphan’s Route through
the States of New Mexico, Chihuahua and Coahuila” illustrates New Mexico and
West Texas in detail, as well as Oklahoma and northern Mexico.
RITTENHOUSE 184. WHEAT TRANSMISSISSIPPI 543. WAGNER-CAMP 132.
GRAFF 1210. HOWES E52. HAFERKORN, p.43. STREETER SALE 164. SABIN
21920.$1250.
63. Elderkin, James: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND ANEC-
DOTES OF A SOLDIER OF THREE WARS, AS WRITTEN BY
HIMSELF. Detroit. 1899. [4],202pp. plus frontispiece portrait and three
plates. Half morocco and pictorial boards. Boards lightly worn and faded,
some scuffing, corners worn. Internally clean. About very good.
Autobiography of a career soldier, spanning the 19th century. “The Florida, the
Mexican War and the Great Rebellion, together with sketches of travel, also of
service in a militia company and a member of the Detroit Light Guard Band for
over thirty years.” Elderkin joined the army in 1839 at the age of nineteen and was
first stationed in Indian Territory for two years before going to Florida in 1841.
He gives a vivid account of the brutal combat of the Second Seminole War, where
he spent several “dark and terrible” years. In 1842 he was transferred to Jefferson
Barracks (now Kansas City). He went to the Texas frontier with Taylor in 1846 and
was present at Palo Alto, Churubusco, and minor conflicts in between, followed by
the taking of Mexico City. In 1852 he was transferred to California, where he was
under the command of U.S. Grant for a time. In 1854 he left the Army and lived
as a miner and musician in California in 1857 before moving to Detroit.
In 1861, Elderkin reenlisted and took part in all of the Peninsular Campaign
in 1862, of which he gives a vigorous account. He left the army when his oneyear enlistment was up (he was then forty-two) and returned to Detroit, where he
$1250.
remained for the rest of his life. An interesting western narrative. 64. [Estaing, Charles Henri, Comte d’]: EXTRAIT DU JOURNAL D’UN
OFFICIER DE LA MARINE DE L’ESCADRE DE M. LE COMTE
D’ESTAING. [Paris]. 1782. [2],158pp. Engraved frontispiece. Modern blue
morocco and mottled paper boards, spine gilt. Gilt insignia of the French
“Order of the Star” (“Monstrant Regibus Astra Viam”) on front board and on
bookplate on front pastedown. Bookplate on rear pastedown. Final text leaf
lightly browned around edges. Near fine.
Authorship of this work is uncertain, but Howes theorizes that one Capt. Walsh is
the author. Whoever wrote it served as an officer in the Comte d’Estaing’s squadron and is highly critical of his conduct. This work describes the operations of the
French fleet in 1778-79, beginning with the departure from Toulon and covering
the blockade of the British at New York; the planned but aborted naval battle off
Newport; the encounter with the British fleet under Admiral John Byron; and finally, the attack on Savannah, Georgia. The frontispiece is a portrait of d’Estaing,
under which is a view of the taking of Grenada. This is one of the best sources for
the Savannah attack. An important Revolutionary naval item, here present in the
first edition, first issue of the text.
CLARK I:234. HOWES E198. SABIN 23033. DE RENNE I:224.
$1250.
A Legendary North Carolina Revolutionary Rarity:
“The first book printed in the Confederacy” – Howes
65. Fanning, David: THE NARRATIVE OF COLONEL DAVID FAN-
NING. (A TORY IN THE REVOLU TIONARY WAR WITH
GREAT BRITAIN;) GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF HIS ADVENTURES IN NORTH CAROLINA, FROM 1775 TO 1783, AS WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. Richmond, Va. 1861. xxv,[1],92pp. Quarto. Original
printed boards, later cloth spine. Boards lightly soiled. Contemporary ownership inscription on front fly leaf (“Alice Clemmitt [?] Wilson, Richmond,
Virginia”). A few leaves lightly toned, some minor scattered foxing. Very good.
In a red morocco clamshell case, spine gilt.
A legendary rarity, famed as the first book printed in the Confederacy, and one of
fifty copies printed on thin paper (ten were on thick paper), of which twenty were
destroyed by fire. “David Fanning, a native of Amelia County, Virginia, was one of
the most famous or notorious of southern Tories. His whole Revolutionary career
consisted of raids and guerrilla warfare against the patriots in North Carolina and
occasionally in South Carolina. He was captured several times...but always escaped to
resume his sensational exploits....Full of bravado and vengeance” – Clark. Produced
by Thomas H. Wynne as the first number in a series called “Historical Documents
Relating to the Old North State.” Parrish & Willingham locate fifteen copies.
An exceptionally desirable item and leading Confederate rarity.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 5380. HARWELL, CONFEDERATE HUNDRED 30.
HOWES F26, “b.” CLARK I:235. SABIN 23778.
$15,000.
The First American Military Uniform Color Plate Book:
The President’s Copy
66. [Fillmore, Millard]: [United States Army and Navy]: REGULATIONS
FOR THE UNIFORM & DRESS OF THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES. JUNE, 1851. FROM THE ORIGINAL TEXT AND
DRAWINGS IN THE NAVY DEPARTMENT. Philadelphia: Published
by William H. Hortsmann and Sons, [1851]. 13pp. plus twenty-five plates
by P.S. Duval after G.C. Humphries (five printed in colors, six handcolored).
Folio. Contemporary brown morocco, cover gilt, neatly rebacked, a.e.g. Corners
bumped. Some light foxing on text leaves. Plates clean and fresh. Very good.
President Millard Fillmore’s copy of this rare color plate book recording the uniform
and dress of the mid-19th-century United States Army, with Fillmore’s ownership
inscription on the front pastedown. This copy is in a presentation morocco binding stamped with the title and “Millard Fillmore President of the United States.”
Fillmore, who had one of the most extensive libraries of any president, was notable
for his scholarship. He served as Zachary Taylor’s vice president and became
president in 1850, after Taylor’s death. Thus he was President at the time of publication, and the full morocco binding is done especially for him. This work was
published by William H. Hortsmann and Sons, “military furnishers” of Philadelphia;
established in 1815, they were the country’s leading military outfitters throughout
the 19th century and well into the 20th. The plates, drawn by G.C. Humphries,
were presumably used by Hortsmann, in conjunction with the text, to explain to
customers what they were entitled to wear, the official nature of the work being
emphasized by the facsimile endorsements on each plate by the Adjutant General.
The attractive plates are ably executed in lithography by P.S. Duval, one of the
leading lithographic printers of the time. They consist of five chromolithographic
images showing nineteen full-length views of various ranks and regiments within
the U.S. Army; followed by sixteen plates of details of uniforms (four partially or
completely handcolored); two plates of swords; and ending with colored plates of
“horse furniture.” The text reprints the relevant regulations concerning the dress
code for officers and enlisted men, including members of the topographical engineers, dragoons, and cadets. Not in Bennett or McGrath.
COLAS 2520. SABIN 68957 (an apparent variant, with all 25 plates colored). HOWES
R155.$8500.
Militia Laws of Florida
67. [Florida]: MILITIA AND PATROL LAWS, OF THE STATE OF
FLORIDA. PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF LAW. Tallahassee:
Office of the Floridian, 1847. 28pp. Original blue printed wrappers. Spine
chipped, minor soiling, old ink call number on front cover. Minor foxing.
Else very good.
The first rules governing the militia for the new state of Florida, with the first act
establishing and organizing the militia in 1846, with subsequent acts laying out the
duties of various officers and the rules governing the militia. Very rare. Servies
records one copy at the University of Florida’s P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History; OCLC records only five others.
SERVIES 3239. AII (FLORIDA) 281. McMURTRIE (FLORIDA) 142. OCLC
28826102.$2750.
A Civil War Navy Gunner
68. Furlong, Joseph: [CIVIL WAR-ERA HOLOGRAPHIC NOTE-
BOOK KEP T BY A UNION NAVAL GUNNER ABOARD THE
U.S.S. QUAKER CITY ]. [Various American ports. ca. 1861]. [106]pp. of
lined paper. 12mo. Original limp calf. Minor edge wear, front cover bowed.
Pencil notes and drawing of a woman in profile on front endpapers. Minor
dust soiling in text, last two leaves removed. Very good.
An engaging manuscript journal kept by “Joseph Furlong, Acting Gunner, U.S.N.,” per
his ownership inscription on the first leaf.
According to David Dixon’s Naval History
of the Civil War, Furlong served as the acting
gunner on the U.S.S. Quaker City, a heavy
sidewheel steamship built in 1854 and leased
by the Union Navy at the start of the Civil
War. Chartered in 1861 and subsequently
purchased by the Navy, the ship was outfitted
with a powerful twenty-pound long rifle and
assigned to help enforce the Union blockade of
the ports of the Confederate States of America.
The journal opens with fifteen manuscript
pages in pencil listing the “Table of Allowances
of Ordnance Stores for 2nd Class Sidewheel
Steamer” and other “Miscellaneous” supplies.
This is followed by ninety-one manuscript
pages in ink titled “Questions and Answers in
Naval Gunnery” and consisting of 396 numbered questions and answers ranging from “Q. What is a Gun made of? A. Of
Cast Iron Metal” to “Q. What is the charge for a 24 Pdr Howitzer of 1310 lbs?
A. 2 lbs.” One of the last entries addresses the recipe for gunpowder, here given
as fifteen parts nitre, ten parts sulphur, and fifteen parts charcoal. There are no
notations or references for the source of these entries, but they read as class notes
copied from a standard reference work. It would be another fifty years before the
publication of the first Bluejacket’s Manual, the standard handbook for personnel
of the United States Navy. Many sailors at this time were practically illiterate, so
the oral traditions and procedures of petty officers were the basis of enlisted sailors’
education. Furlong could have gleaned the material from James Harmon Ward’s
An Elementary Course of Instruction on Ordnance and Gunnery: Prepared for the Use
of the Midshipmen at the Naval School (1846).
Placed in service only six days after President Lincoln declared a blockade of
the Confederate coast, the Quaker City was one of the most active and effective
blockaders in the Union Navy, capturing at least ten ships flying the Confederate
flag. At various times the ship patrolled the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Hampton
Roads, New York, the Gulf of Mexico, up the Mississippi River, the Bahamas, Key
West, Charleston, and more, capturing Confederate ships in every port of call,
including Confederate commerce raiders such as the Model, the Lilla, and the
Adela. After taking a pounding during its service in the war, the ship was decommissioned in 1865 and sold back to commercial interests. Interestingly, during a
trip to Europe in 1867, Mark Twain chose the ship as a setting for his Innocents
Abroad. The Quaker City was later renamed several times and served in the Haitian
Navy before sinking off Bermuda in 1871.
This manuscript journal is an enthralling read for naval historians, especially of
the Civil War era. Naval operations during the war are often overlooked in favor
of the famous land battles, but they were no less important in winning the war for
the Union. This journal is a firsthand memento of the sailor’s life from one of the
defining eras in American history. $2500.
69. [Galloway, Joseph]: LETTERS TO A NOBLEMAN ON THE CONDUCT OF THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE COLONIES. London: J.
Wilkie, 1779. viii,101pp. plus folding map. Half title. Three-quarter antique
calf and marbled boards. Minor soiling. Very good.
The first edition of this important work on the campaign of Gen. Howe, 177778, by the most prominent Loyalist in America during the Revolution. “Written
to demonstrate the shameful misconduct of the English generals in the American
war” – Sabin. The map, “A Plan of the Operations of the British & Rebel Army,
in the Campaign, 1777,” shows the region around the Schuylkill, Delaware, and
Brandywine rivers, with an inset of Mud Island Fort.
HOWES G43. SABIN 26436. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 79-44a. NEBENZAHL
124. GEPHART 3251.
$2500.
Wonderful Presentation Copy,
in Which a Future President Comments on a Presidential Election
70. [Garfield, James A.]: Mason, F.H.: THE FORTY-SECOND OHIO
INFANTRY: A HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION AND SERVICES OF THAT REGIMENT IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION; WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS FIELD
OFFICERS AND A FULL ROSTER OF THE REGIMENT. Cleveland: Cobb, Andrews & Co., 1876. 306,[1]pp., including thee maps, plus two
tipped-in errata slips. Two plates of original photographs. Portrait. Original
green cloth, gilt. Cloth silverfished, hinges cracked. Else very good.
A presentation copy, inscribed by future President James A. Garfield on the front
free endpaper while he was serving as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. He served nine terms in the U.S. House, but his presidency
was cut tragically short by his assassination after only 200 days in office. Garfield,
who is depicted in the frontispiece, has inscribed this copy: “To my dear friend and
classmate, Col. A.T. Rockwell with the hope, that the events of the past weeks, and
the results that may grow out of them will not make the deeds recorded herein,
useless to our country – J.A. Garfield Washington, Nov. 11th 1876.” Garfield is
alluding to the recent highly disputed presidential election, in which Republican
Rutherford B. Hayes eventually triumphed over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, though
Hayes lost the popular vote. Garfield had initially endorsed Republican James G.
Blaine for his party’s nomination.
F.H. Mason was a captain in the 42nd Ohio, and his work is a highly detailed
study of the actions of that unit during the Civil War. Garfield was a colonel of
the 42nd Ohio until he was promoted to major general, and the text celebrates
the future president’s achievements. The unit campaigned from West Virginia to
Texas, and “Mason frequently describes the country through which he marched,
the mountains, the towns and cities, and the people” (Coulter). The original photographs depict Don A. Pardee and Lionel A. Sheldon, both lieutenant colonels
of the 42nd Ohio. The maps show the battlefields of Middle Creek, Chickasaw
Bluffs, and Thompson’s Hill.
An outstanding presentation copy of a book describing the actions of his 42nd
Ohio Regiment during the Civil War.
DORNBUSCH V:223. NEVINS I, p.128. COULTER 317.
$9500.
First English Edition of This Classic Military Treatise
71. Gaya, Louis de: THE ART OF WAR, AND THE WAY THAT IT IS
AT PRESENT PRACTISED IN FRANCE. TWO PARTS.... London:
Robert Harford, 1678. [16],79,118,[2]pp. plus frontispiece, folding chart, and
five plates. 20th-century red morocco, gilt, by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Spine
very lightly faded, corners gently bumped. Contemporary ownership inscription on titlepage. Internally clean. Very good plus.
First and only English edition, complete with the license leaf preceding the frontispiece and the leaf of advertisements at the end. A translation of L’Art de la
Guerre et la Manière Dont on la Fait á Présent, published in France the previous year.
Louis de Gaya had been a captain in the military before publishing this work on
17th-century warfare in 1677. In addition to information about officers and their
roles, there are details on such topics as marching, encamping, methods of attacking, and hospitals. The plates illustrate various maneuvers and fortifications; two
dictionaries of military terms follow the text. Only a handful of copies in ESTC.
ESTC R23334. WING G398.
$2500.
A Major Mexican-American War Rarity
72. Gibson, Thomas W., Capt.: LETTER DESCRIP TIVE OF THE
BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. WRITTEN UPON THE GROUND...
WITH A DIAGRAM OF THE BATTLE FIELD...[wrapper title].
Lawrenceburgh, In.: John B. Hall, 1847. [1],12pp. plus plan. Original printed
yellow wrappers. Wrappers creased and heavily worn. Tear in foredge of plan
and leaf of explanatory text, costing a small bit of the lower portion of the
plan. Old dark stain throughout, with an attendant small hole causing minor
loss of a few letters of text on each of seven pages. Excepting the stain, a good
copy. In a cloth clamshell case, leather label.
A great rarity of Mexican-American War narratives. This copy has a remarkable provenance,
bearing the ownership signature of Gen. Walter
Lane on the front wrapper. Lane was born
in Ireland but moved to Texas in 1836 and
participated in the Texas Revolution. He rose
to the rank of major, participated at the Battle
of Monterrey, and helped recover the remains
of the Mier Expedition. He fought for the
Confederacy in the Civil War, rising to the
rank of brigadier general.
The Battle of Buena Vista, which took
place on Feb. 23, 1847, was a major victory for
American forces under Zachary Taylor, as they
defeated a much larger Mexican contingent
under the command of Santa Anna. It was the
only major battle of the war to take place on the
American side of the Rio Grande. The Indiana
volunteers, the 3rd Regiment of which Thomas
W. Gibson was a member, were among the first
to be attacked and fought valiantly throughout
the day, trapping Mexican forces and repulsing their attack. Gibson (misidentified
as “J.W. Gibson” on the front wrapper) describes in great and immediate detail his
experiences during the battle in a letter written from Agua Neva (some twelve miles
from the mountain pass of Buena Vista) dated March 6th, less than two weeks after
the battle. An addenda, possibly composed by the publisher, John B. Hall, extols
the actions of the Hoosier volunteers. The plan of the battle was drawn by John
G. Dunn, also a member of the 3rd Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and shows
the position of American and Mexican forces during the battle. The accompanying text describes the action, relating charges, retreats, artillery exchanges, and the
deaths of several American officers.
Not in Garrett, and therefore not at the University of Texas at Arlington.
OCLC locates only five copies, at Yale, Harvard, The New York Public Library,
the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the Huntington Library. The NUC adds a
copy at the Library of Congress. We are able to identify only two copies on the
market in the last one hundred years. Extremely rare, and with a fine provenance.
HAFERKORN, p.45. TUTOROW 3399. OCLC 27984877.
$12,500.
73. Gordon, William: THE HISTORY OF THE RISE, PROGRESS,
AND ESTABLISHMENT, OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT
OF THE LATE WAR; AND OF THE THIRTEEN COLONIES,
FROM THEIR ORIGIN TO THAT PERIOD. London: Printed for
the Author..., 1788. Four volumes. [26],504; [8],584; [8],499; [8],445,[35]pp.,
plus nine folding maps. Early 19th-century polished calf, expertly rebacked in
matching calf, spine gilt with raised bands. Bookplates of Joseph Y. Jeanes on
front pastedown of each volume. Internally clean, with the maps in excellent
condition. A very handsome set.
“First full-scale history of this war by an American; to its preparation Jefferson
contributed some aid” – Howes. “Gordon is deservedly reckoned as the most
impartial and reliable of the numerous historians of the American Revolution” –
Sabin. Gordon was a dissenting minister in England, who like many of his class
sympathized with the contention of the Thirteen Colonies. Going to America
during the disturbances and becoming pastor of the church at Jamaica Plain, now
a district of Boston, he was throughout the Revolution a spectator close at hand
of many important events, and the associate of many of the chief patriots. Later
scholarship has shown that a good part of Gordon’s history was taken from the
Annual Register.
The excellent maps illustrate the eastern United States, Boston, New York, New
Jersey, New Hampshire and Vermont, the Carolinas and part of Georgia, Charlestown with Sir Peter Parker’s attack on Fort Moultrie, part of Virginia, and “York
Town and Gloucester Point, as besieged by the allied army.”
HOWES G256, “aa.” SABIN 28011. LARNED 1341. GEPHART 996.
$11,000.
74. Guzman, Sebastian: LECCIONES DE ARTILLERIA, TRADUCI-
DAS Y ESTRACTADAS DE VARIOS AUTORES PARA EL ESTUDIO DE LOS ALUMNOS DEL COLEGIO MILITAR DE LA
REPUBLICA MEXICANO. Mexico: Imprenta de Vicente G. Torres, 1846.
Volume 1 only (of two). 358,[6]pp. plus four folding plates. Original threequarter sheep and marbled boards, expertly rebacked with original gilt spine
laid down. Good. In a cloth clamshell case, leather label.
This copy has a fine provenance, bearing a pencil inscription on the front pastedown:
“Taken by Lt. H.B.F. Hood at the Battle of Chapultepec Sept 13/47.” The Battle
of Chapultepec, which took place on Sept. 13, 1847, was one of the decisive battles
of the Mexican-American War. The Castle of Chapultepec in Mexico City was
the site of the Mexican Military Academy, and its storming was a significant victory for American forces. Apparently there were several copies of the present title
stored in the castle, as we have seen other copies of this book with similar inscriptions, though not all were taken on the date of the battle, as this copy was. This
Mexican military manual was apparently used as a textbook for students in the
Mexican Military Academy. It was compiled by Sebastian Guzman from a number
of sources. Included are sections on the construction of artillery, formations, the
strength of shells, and much more. The plates show schematic diagrams of cannons
and barrels. $750.
Handsome Prints of Confederate Generals
75. Hall, Charles B.: MILITARY RECORDS OF GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA.... New
York. 1898. ix,108pp. plus frontispiece and 108 portraits. Large folio. In sheets.
Portfolio case of three-quarter blue morocco and cloth, cover gilt; case repaired, preserving original spine. Pencil notations and publisher’s signature
on titlepage. Internally clean and fresh. Very good.
Noted by the publisher as being “No. 4 of six copies printed entirely on Imperial
Japan Paper.” The rare original publication, notable for its fine portraits of important Confederate generals, arranged in rank from Lee downward. The portraits
are arranged “in order of their rank, with their military records in the Confederate
Army and previous records in the United States Army.” A difficult work to come
by, and particularly desirable in its special and limited state, signed by the publisher.
HOWES H52, “b.” WRIGHT H61.
$15,000.
76. Hall, Winchester: THE STORY OF THE 26th LOUISIANA IN-
FANTRY, IN THE SERVICE OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES.
[N.p. n.d., ca. 1890]. [8],228,[2]pp. plus map. Original cloth, rebacked with
original spine laid down and original endpapers retained. Small hole in front
free endpaper. Else very good.
“A fairly reliable narrative of the war in Mississippi and Louisiana, although it was
written without benefit of wartime letters or diary” – Nevins. “This narrative merits
consideration for both reliability and travel comments, written twenty years after
the war without benefit of a diary or other material, it contains few improbable
personal details and most observations appear to be accurate....The travels described
here were not extensive, being entirely in Mississippi and Louisiana, except for one
or two trips to Richmond” – Coulter.
HOWES H-92, “aa.” DORNBUSCH II:469. NEVINS I, p.99. COULTER 208.
$2000.
77. Hanger, George: THE LIFE, ADVENTURES, AND OPINIONS
OF COL. GEORGE HANGER. London. 1801. Two volumes. [4],339;
[4],475,[4]pp. Half titles. Handsome three-quarter morocco and marbled
boards, gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, t.e.g., by Zaehnsdorf. Minor
shelf wear. Contemporary bookplate on front pastedowns, modern bookplate
on rear pastedowns. Light scattered foxing. Very good.
This work, actually ghostwritten by William Combe, covers a variety of topics on
which Hanger had opinions, thus only part of the book is of American concern; that
part, however, is of great interest for the Revolution. Hanger went to New York
in 1778 and was sent to Savannah the following year. He took part in the siege of
Charleston, mustered Loyalists in the Carolinas, and fought under Cornwallis in
North Carolina in 1780, including service as Tarleton’s second-in-command. He
was recuperating from yellow fever in Bermuda when the battle of Yorktown took
place, and was back in New York from 1781 until the final British evacuation in
1783. Page two of the text in the first volume includes a wood-engraved illustration of a hanging man, punning on his name.
CLARK I:214. HOWES H158. SABIN 30227.
$650.
78. Hardee, William J.: RIFLE AND LIGHT INFANTRY TACTICS:
FOR THE EXERCISE AND MANOEUVRES OF TROOPS WHEN
ACTING AS LIGHT INFANTRY OR RIFLEMEN. PREPARED
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT. Richmond. 1861. Two volumes bound in one. 228pp. plus thirty-one plates including folding frontispiece; 230pp. plus thirty-five plates (many folding). Thick
24mo. Contemporary calf. Minor wear and rubbing. Frontispiece expertly repaired, minor marginal stain to titlepage and first few leaves, small ink stamp
on one plate, minor foxing. Else very good.
Early Confederate edition of this important manual, and apparently the first complete edition published as two volumes bound in one. A very popular book for the
southern military, which saw many, many printings in several locations, including
Nashville, Mobile, New Orleans, Memphis, and Raleigh.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 4871.
$1500.
79. Hartley, Cecil B.: THE LIFE OF GEN. FRANCIS MARION: ALSO,
LIVES OF GENERALS MOULTRIE AND PICKENS, AND GOVERNOR RUTLEDGE. WITH SKETCHES OF OTHER DISTINGUISHED HEROES AND PATRIOTS WHO SERVED IN THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. Philadelphia: Davis, Porter & Coates, 1866. 320pp. plus five plates. Original publisher’s cloth, stamped in blind and gilt, neatly rebacked with original spine
preserved. Later ownership inscriptions on front endpapers, bookplate on rear
pastedown. Titlepage lightly soiled. Very good. In a black cloth slipcase.
Illustrated biography of Francis Marion, highlighting his daring exploits during
the American Revolution. The work also provides a brief biography of generals
William Moultrie, Andrew Pickens, and Gov. John Rutledge. Rare in this first
edition. $750.
Early Photographs of Aged Revolutionaries
80. Hillard, Elias B., Rev.: THE LAST MEN OF THE REVOLU-
TION. A PHOTOGRAPH OF EACH FROM LIFE, TOGETHER
WITH VIEWS OF THEIR HOMES
PRINTED IN COLORS. ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE MEN.
Hartford: Published by N.A. & R.A.
Moore, 1864. 64pp. plus six original
mounted photographs and six colored
lithographs. 12mo. Original half leather
and pebbled green cloth, front board gilt,
spine gilt. Some rubbing and spotting to
cloth. Very good.
This book is remarkable for its extraordinarily early mounted photographs of actual
veterans of the American Revolution. Hillard
produced it during the Civil War to inspire
patriotic sentiments by providing verbal and
visual portraits of the experienced old veterans. The colored lithographs show their
homes. The persons photographed are Samuel
Downing, Daniel Waldo, Lemuel Cook, Alexander Millener, William Hutchings,
and Adam Link. An additional chapter on James Barham is unillustrated as he
could not be found, although there was no record of his death. The photographs
provide a remarkable reach back in time, showing persons born in the 1750s and
1760s. “The photographs were made uniformly under makeshift circumstances as
would have been required if the photographs were made in situ while Hillard visited each for a personal interview” – Truthful Lens. A truly wonderful little book.
This copy does not contain a facsimile of a letter written by Edward Everett,
who served as both a congressman and governor of Massachusetts, commenting
on the work. The original letter was written within days of Everett’s death on Jan.
15, 1865, and the facsimile is not found in all copies.
BENNETT, p.56. HOWES H490. SABIN 31871. TRUTHFUL LENS 86. McGRATH,
pp.114-15, 132-33.
$7500.
The Rare Map of a Critical Revolutionary Battle
81. Hills, John, and William Faden: SKETCH OF THE SURPRISE AT
GERMAN TOWN BY THE AMERICAN FORCES COMMANDED BY GENERAL WASHINGTON OCTOBER 4th 1777. London:
William Faden, March 12, 1784. Copper-engraved map in full original wash
color, with troop positions heightened in original color. Sheet size: 22 3/8 x
27 7/8 inches. Very good.
Hills’ magnificent plan of the Battle of Germantown, the only printed map of one
of Washington’s most daring attacks at a critical moment in the Revolutionary War.
On Aug. 25, 1777, British forces under Sir William Howe landed at the head
of the Chesapeake Bay. After sharp battles with Washington’s army at Brandywine
and Paoli, both British victories, Howe seized Philadelphia on Sept. 26. While
Washington’s forces retreated to the north, Howe made his main encampment of
nine thousand British troops and Hessian mercenaries at Germantown, a hamlet
five miles north of Philadelphia. He left a further three thousand under Cornwallis
to garrison the city. Washington felt that his force of eleven thousand troops could
overwhelm Howe if they were able to mount a stealth attack. As depicted on this
map, Germantown was spread for about two miles down a main road below which
the Wissahickon Creek descended from a steep gorge to flow into the Schuylkill
River. Howe made his headquarters on a small rise to the south of the town, while
his troops were spread out across the main road (today’s Germantown Avenue).
On the morning of Oct. 4, Washington divided his force into four columns,
marked by points B, C, D, and E on the map. He placed his more experienced
Continental troops in the two center columns, commanded by generals Nathanael
Greene and John Sullivan. Sullivan’s force advanced into the town through a thick
fog, which delayed and confused the attacking force and bought precious time
for the surprised defenders. A British force under Col. Musgrave responded by
counterattacking and then making a strategic retreat. These developments allowed
the Hessian commander, the Baron von Knyphausen, to advance his forces, while
further British brigades under generals Grey, Agnew, and Stern moved in to shore
up the defense of the town, forcing the Americans to retreat to the north. Each
of these steps in the action is marked by a letter keyed to the extensive caption in
the lower corner of the map.
By mid-morning Washington’s element of surprise had been totally negated, and
the British had succeeded in mounting an organized defense from the Americans,
who seemed themselves to be surprised by this reversal of fortune. Lines under
American general Adam Stephen, who was later said to have been inebriated at the
time, advanced but faltered badly upon being engaged by British lines under Gen.
Grant. He was also able to repel Greene’s American lines. A sharper and better
choreographed attack would likely have resulted in a crushing defeat for the British
and would have regained control of the capital. While the weather played a part,
Washington had erred in placing his less effective militia columns on the right and
left flanks. While the British were initially put on the defensive by Washington’s
central columns, Gen. Stephen’s lamentable effort to follow through on the planned
pincer movement essentially sealed the fate of the enterprise and effectively ended
the active part of the campaign. The British were able to spend the coming months
enjoying a secured Philadelphia, while Washington and his men were to endure a
winter in purgatory at Valley Forge.
The present map represents the only printed battle plan of this crucial engagement printed during the Revolutionary era. It is closely based on a manuscript
map drafted by John Hills, one of four known manuscripts of the subject made
shortly after the battle (the others being drafted by John André, John Montresor,
and an anonymous sketcher). It seems that William Faden, then London’s most
esteemed map printer, had a great deal of difficulty in obtaining any source map
for the Germantown conflict. While he was able to print maps of other aspects of
the Philadelphia campaign in short order, Faden did not come out with the present map until 1784, including it in his Atlas of Battles of the American Revolution.
Hills was one of the most talented and prolific British surveyors working during
the Revolutionary War and a direct eyewitness to many of the events he portrayed
on his maps. Serving as an ensign in the 38th regiments and later as a lieutenant
in the 23rd regiment, his abilities were greatly valued by his superiors even though
his mercurial personality resulted in frequent violent altercations with fellow officers
and civilians alike. While serving in the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777-78 and
later actions in the New Jersey theatre, he drafted a magnificent series of manuscript battle plans and larger regional campaign maps. It would appear that he was
apprised of the most advanced British surveys, having had access to the original
maps contained in the archives of the Proprietors of East Jersey, and possibly West
Jersey. He also seems to have been in contact with various local surveyors in both
New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His greatest work was the manuscript atlas of New
Jersey he made for Sir Henry Clinton, now preserved in the Library of Congress.
After the war Hills settled in Philadelphia, where he produced fine maps of various
locations in the Philadelphia-New York corridor.
A Revolutionary War map of great rarity and importance.
NEBENZAHL, BATTLE PLANS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 129.
STREETER SALE 806. PHILLIPS MAPS, p.129. STEVENS & TREE, COMPARATIVE
CARTOGRAPHY 17a. SNYDER, CITY OF INDEPENDENCE, fig. 52. GUTHORN
57/7.$20,000.
Rare Series of Civil War Lithographs by Winslow Homer
82. [Homer, Winslow]: [LIFE IN CAMP]. [Boston: Published by L. Prang
& Co., 1864]. Twenty-four uncolored lithographs, each 4¼ x 2½ inches, printed on three conjoined sheets. Bound accordion-style into original red cloth,
stamped in blind on the front board, “Military Album 1861 to 1865,” with
a wreath motif. Cloth a bit soiled and chipped along the backstrip. A bit of
light soiling and a few light fox marks. Very good. In a red half morocco and
cloth clamshell case, spine gilt.
Winslow Homer’s second series of lithographs from his formative Civil War period,
and a defining moment in his career as a printmaker. This series follows Homer’s
seminal Campaign Sketches (1863), and furthers the artist’s talent for communicating
the war experience on an intimate and personal level.
This set is particularly interesting for being printed on three conjoined sheets
(eight illustrations to a sheet), and bound accordion style into a cloth binding.
Homer’s illustrations for this series are most often encountered as individual cards,
usually affixed to larger sheets. This accordion-style printing is quite unusual. The
binding is stamped “Military Album 1861 to 1865,” but it is presumed that the
illustrations were printed in 1864. Homer’s lithographs were produced in colored
and uncolored versions; this set is uncolored.
In 1854, Homer began his career as an apprentice for the famed Boston lithography firm of John H. Bufford, and in the course of several years there he learned the
techniques of lithography which he later employed in making Life in Camp. Most
of his published work from this period is illustrated sheet music. In 1859 he moved
to New York, creating illustrations for publications such as Ballou’s Magazine and
Harper’s Weekly. It was as an illustrator for the latter publication that Homer made
his first contact with the Civil War. In the fall of 1861, and again in the spring of
1862, Homer joined the encampment of McClellan’s Army of the Potomac near
Washington. He afterwards embarked with the troops from the port of Alexandria
and spent five weeks with them on the Peninsular Campaign to reach Richmond.
During this period he produced a number of sketches and watercolors which appeared
in Harper’s Weekly, bringing him considerable recognition. Significantly, Homer
had no control over the final images, which were rendered by Harper’s woodblock
cutters from his originals. Julian Grossman demonstrates the significant changes
wrought by these artisans in his book on Homer and the Civil War.
Like Homer’s previous Campaign Sketches, Life in Camp was published by the
energetic Boston lithographer, Louis Prang. Prang and Homer probably knew each
other from the 1850s, when Prang was beginning in business while Homer was
still apprenticing at Bufford’s. Prang later became famous as the greatest chromolithographer in America and a masterful innovator in printing technology, but he
was young and unknown in 1863, and full of ideas of what might be marketable.
Homer, gaining fame but unhappy with the crude distortions of his work in Harper’s
Weekly, probably jumped at the chance to create graphic images in which he could
control the medium. Though only the first part of Campaign Sketches was produced
(a planned second part never followed), Prang and Homer decided to issue the Life
in Camp series as a holiday gift item for 1864.
Like Campaign Sketches, Life in Camp focuses, as much of Homer’s Civil War
works do, on incidents in the daily life of soldiers, rather than battle scenes. Also
like Campaign Sketches, the images were produced in lithography and chromolithography. It is possible that Homer, drawing on his apprenticeship as a lithographer,
drew the images on stone directly himself, because a letter from him to Prang
survives, from December 1863, in which he states that he has “received the stones”
and “shall commence it very soon.” The images were most commonly issued in two
twelve-card sets. The images are as follows:
1) “The Rifle Pit.” A Zouave soldier surrounded by gabions holds his rifle at the ready.
2) “Home on a Furlough.” A young soldier enthusiastically enjoys a ballet.
3) “The Field Barber.” A Zouave soldier administers a haircut while another looks on.
4) “The Girl He Left Behind Him.” A young woman holding a letter.
5) “In the Trenches.” A Black soldier hoisting a gabion over a trench wall. Wood
& Dalton write this “back-breaking” task was assigned to black workers by both
armies. The role of Blacks in the war was a favorite subject of Homer, treated in
such other works as Army Teamsters, “Our Jolly Cook” from Campaign Sketches,
and more.
6) “Good Bye.” A young girl kisses a soldier.
7) “Fording.” Three unhappy soldiers crossing a river with their boots suspended
from their bayonets.
8) “Extra Ration.” A Zouave soldier roasting a pig. According to Neely & Holzer,
this image may have been inspired by Currier & Ives’ Life in the Camp.
9) “A Deserter.” An equally unhappy Zouave soldier sits with his chin in his hands.
10) “Our Special.” A self-caricature, Homer shows himself seated on what looks
like a cannon barrel, sketching away.
11) “Drummer.” A simple profile of a young drummer boy with his instrument
hung from his shoulder.
12) “Teamster.” A soldier, possibly black, shown from behind, drives a wagon mule.
13) “Water Call.” A soldier dumped in the drink by his horse.
14) “Surgeons’ Call.” A soldier sitting on a box having his tongue examined by a
doctor.
15) “Tossing a Blanket.” Five soldiers toss a sixth by snapping a blanket held between them.
16) “An Unwelcome Visit.” Two soldiers sleeping in a tent awakened by the intrusion of a mule. The tips of the mule’s ears are visible at the bottom of the card,
giving an indication of how they were printed.
17) “Riding on a Rail.” An unhappy soldier being carted about on a board suspended
between the shoulders of two other soldiers – a form of punishment.
18) “Stuck in the Mud.” A soldier floundering on his back in a mud puddle.
19) “The Guard House.” Two soldiers being punished standing on barrels while
shouldering heavy logs as mock rifles.
20) “Upset His Coffee.” Two soldiers standing over a coffee pot accidentally spilt
by a third.
21) “Building Castles.” A soldier daydreaming and smoking a pipe.
22) “A Shell is Coming.” Two soldiers hiding behind a tree.
23) “Late for Roll Call.” A soldier dashing out of his tent.
24) “Hard Tack.” A caricature of a diminutive soldier chomping on an enormous
piece of hard tack.
A fine, uncolored set of one of the rarest works by one of America’s greatest artists.
PETERS, AMERICA ON STONE, p.223-24. ANB 11, pp.113-14. Julian Grossman, Echo
of a Distant Drum, Winslow Homer and the Civil War (New York, 1974). Lloyd Goodrich, The
Graphic Art of Winslow Homer (New York, 1968), reproductions of the 24 images, pp.21-24.
Peter H. Wood & Karen C.C. Dalton, Winslow Homer’s Images of Blacks (Austin, 1988), p.130.
Mark E. Neely & Harold Holzer, The Union Image (Chapel Hill, 2000), pp.69-73. OCLC
45392562.$37,500.
83. Horry, Peter: Weems, Mason Locke: THE LIFE OF GEN. FRAN-
CIS MARION, A CELEBRATED PARTIZAN OFFICER, IN THE
REVOLUTIONARY WAR, AGAINST THE BRITISH AND TORIES, IN SOUTH-CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. Baltimore: W.D.
Bell & J.F. Cook, 1814. 270pp. 12mo. Contemporary speckled calf, leather
label, spine gilt. Boards and corners lightly rubbed. Modern bookplate on rear
pastedown. Contemporary ownership signature on titlepage. Scattered foxing,
toning throughout. Very good.
The second edition, almost as hard to come by as the first
edition of 1809, of one of the rarest of all southern military
books and Revolutionary War accounts, compiled from information supplied by Gen. Peter Horry and written by the
famed Parson Mason Weems. General Francis Marion, “The
Swamp Fox,” was one of the leading American commanders
of the Revolution in the South. His brilliant operations in
the Carolinas kept thousands of British troops tied down
and contributed immensely to an ultimate American victory. Plain and unassuming, he was widely beloved by his
contemporaries, and after his death this book instigated
his ascent to legendary status. Horry, Marion’s second in
command for part of the war, supplied many of the facts for
the book, although he was allegedly disgusted by Weems’
flowery passages and disclaimed any connection with the
book. What he disliked, others embraced, and the book went through many editions. All of the early editions are rare.
DAB XII, pp.283-84. HOWES H650. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 33636, 33637.
$12,500.
84. [Howe, William]: THE NARRATIVE OF LIEUT. GEN. SIR WIL-
LIAM HOWE, IN A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, ON THE 29th OF APRIL, 1779, RELATIVE TO HIS
CONDUCT, DURING HIS LATE COMMAND OF THE KING’S
TROOPS IN NORTH AMERICA: TO WHICH ARE ADDED,
SOME OBSERVATIONS UPON A PAMPHLET, ENTITLED,
LETTERS TO A NOBLEMAN. London: H. Baldwin, 1780. [4],110pp.
Half title. Quarto. Modern three-quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt.
Early ownership signature on half title. Stab holes visible in gutter of half
title, titlepage, and a few other leaves. Near fine.
Second edition, after the first of the same year. Howe, as commander-in-chief of
the British forces during the American Revolution, led his troops to a number of
impressive victories. Although he repelled the attack of Washington at Germantown, he made no attempt to drive the weakened American forces from their camp
at Valley Forge, instead spending the winter of 1777-78 in comfort in Philadelphia.
Howe was severely criticized for his actions. He was recalled by the British government in May of 1778, and Sir Henry Clinton was appointed his successor. After
Parliament’s investigation of his military conduct in 1779, Howe was acquitted of
blame by a number of military men, including Lord Cornwallis and Lord Grey, who
affirmed that he had done what he could, considering the insufficiency of his army.
Howe’s response to Joseph Galloway’s charges of incompetence and negligence in
the latter’s Letters to a Nobleman are printed on pages 35-110.
AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 80-43c. HOWES H729. SABIN 33342.
$750.
85. [ Jackson, Andrew]: [Scott, Winfield]: CORRESPONDENCE BE-
TWEEN MAJOR GENERAL JACKSON, AND BREVET MAJOR
GENERAL SCOTT, ON THE SUBJECT OF AN ORDER, BEARING DATE THE 22d APRIL, 1817. PUBLISHED BY THE FORMER, TO THE TROOPS OF HIS DIVISION, AND PRINTED
ABOUT THE SAME TIME, IN MOST OF THE PUBLIC PAPERS. [Richmond]. 1819. 16pp. Half calf and marbled boards, leather label.
Uniformly tanned. Very good.
A collection of candid correspondence between Andrew Jackson and Winfield Scott,
who had had a disagreement regarding one of Jackson’s division orders. According
to Mary Cornelia Francis’ A Son of Destiny: The Story of Andrew Jackson:
With General Winfield Scott, Jackson had had a fiery correspondence, based
on General Scott’s criticism of a division order issued by Jackson in April
1817, an order which, in effect, violated the established tradition of the War
Department, that an order from the central authority to a subordinate officer
shall pass to that subordinate through his military superior. Jackson, whose
intuitions were always better than any amount of red tape, had disregarded
this tradition and the administration at Washington was obliged to consider
the matter in secret sessions...the real reply to Jackson’s correspondence was
written by John C. Calhoun, a reply, which, for diplomatic reasons, saved the
credit of the government and the reputation of Jackson. In the meantime,
General Scott had indulged in criticism of the conduct of the hero of New
Orleans, and Jackson had not hesitated to let loose the vitriol of his pen upon
him. With much impartiality Scott had shown what dire results might happen
if the President could never issue an order directly to a subordinate officer, and
drew that fine distinction between a superior and a commanding officer which
much illuminates the Sixth Article of the Rules and Articles of War. Jackson’s
reply left open a fine opportunity for Scott to challenge him, an opportunity
Scott wisely declined to notice....
The two men would later reconcile and remain good friends for the remainder of
their lives. During Jackson’s presidency, in fact, he leaned heavily on Scott for
support in South Carolina during the Nullification Crisis.
Mary Cornelia Francis, A Son of Destiny: The Story of Andrew Jackson , pp.154-55.
$2500.
The Bloody Deeds of Gen. Jackson
86. [ Jackson, Andrew]: [Election of 1828]: AN ACCOUNT OF SOME
OF THE BLOODY DEEDS OF GENERAL JACKSON [caption
title]. [N.p. 1828]. Broadside, 25¼ x 15¾ inches. Old fold lines. Light edge
wear and foxing. Three small, mostly marginal, open tears, with the loss of
parts of five lines of text near the bottom left, and just touching two coffin
illustrations elsewhere. Good.
One of the largest of the infamous “Coffin Broadsides” attacking Andrew Jackson
in the presidential campaign of 1828. There was considerable mud-slinging between the Jackson and Adams camps during that campaign, which eventually saw
the defeat of incumbent John Quincy Adams and the election of Andrew Jackson.
Across the top of the present broadside are six woodcut coffins bearing the names
of six militiamen shot on Jackson’s orders during the War of 1812; an account of
their wrongful execution follows. Below that there are more accounts of Jackson’s
evil and murderous deeds, including seven regular soldiers shot on Jackson’s orders
prior to the six militiamen (complete with six more coffin woodcuts); the tale of
another soldier unfairly executed (another woodcut coffin); and a brief account of
some Indian prisoners executed on Jackson’s orders (four more coffins). The bottom
portion includes a testimonial by Thomas Hart Benton, who himself had fought
a duel with Jackson. The verso of the broadside contains a full-page account of
the trial of the six militiamen who are the focus of the coffin broadside, reprinting
court-martial proceedings dated between Nov. 21, 1814 and Jan. 22, 1815.
The “Coffin Handbill” exists in several formats, of which this is one of the
largest, and one of the only versions to contain the trial text on the verso. Not in
Shoemaker, and only two other copies located in OCLC.
OCLC 51509187.
$3750.
87. [ Jackson, Andrew]: LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR,
TRANSMITTING COPIES OF ALL THE LETTERS AND CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF WAR AND
GEN. ANDREW JACKSON, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT
OF THE CREEK WAR, TO MARCH 1st, 1815 [caption title]. Washington: Gales & Seaton, 1828. 22pp. Three-quarter morocco and cloth, spine
gilt. Minor foxing, light vertical crease. Very good. Untrimmed.
A compilation of Jackson’s letters to Secretary of War John Armstrong during the
Creek War of 1814-15, tending to defend Jackson against persistent allegations
that he acted unfairly to the Indians after the conclusion of hostilities in the war.
Jackson’s last letter here is a plea to the War Department that the United States
should spend no small amount of time and money to feed and clothe the defeated
Creeks, lest they see fit to side with the British troops who are “no doubt...on our
coast” and arming the Indians for battle against the Americans. Scarce.
SHOEMAKER 36243.
$650.
88. [ Jackson, Andrew]: OFFICIAL RECORD FROM THE WAR
DEPARTMENT, OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COURT
MARTIAL WHICH TRIED, AND THE ORDERS OF GENERAL JACKSON FOR SHOOTING THE SIX MILITIA MEN...
SHOWING THAT THESE AMERICAN CITIZENS WERE INHUMANLY AND ILLEGALLY MASSACRED. Concord. 1828. 52pp.
plus eight small coffin broadsides bound after the text. Modern half morocco,
gilt titles. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Moderate toning and foxing.
Very good. Untrimmed.
The slightly expanded Concord printing of this work, detailing the execution of
six soldiers for mutiny during the Seminole campaign in 1815, an incident that
would haunt Jackson throughout his political career. An anti-Jackson campaign
document, comprising a reprint, with comments of the documents published in the
same year as House Report under the title, “Tennessee militiamen.” The report of
the House Committee on military affairs, accompanying the documents, is omitted
from the reprint.
Eight small coffin broadsides are bound after the text, memorializing each of
the militia men executed by Jackson. Each of these broadsides seem to be extraordinarily rare in the market, with only two copies recorded in OCLC for most of
them, at New-York Historical and the Boston Athenaeum, with Clements Library
recording two of them. An important Andrew Jackson item.
HOWES J11. SABIN 56778. OCLC 13636022.
$850.
89. [ Jackson, Andrew]: Gayarre, Charles, compiler: A SKETCH OF
GENERAL JACKSON [wrapper title]. New Orleans: E.C. Wharton,
1857. 21pp. Original printed wrappers bound into modern three-quarter calf
and cloth, gilt titles. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Wrappers tanned.
Moderate foxing. Very good.
A biographical item, largely consisting of selections from Andrew Jackson’s private
correspondence. A testament to the preservation of Jackson’s fame, compiled by
the prolific Louisiana historian, Charles Gayarre. Scarce.
JUMONVILLE 2638. SABIN 26797 (note). THOMPSON 316. OCLC 6829109.
$950.
90. Jackson, William: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM AS-
SISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR WILLIAM JACKSON TO GEN.
HAND, REGARDING COMMISSIONS FOR CONNECTICUT
OFFICERS DURING THE REVOLUTION]. War Office [Philadelphia]. Dec. 24, 1782. [2]pp. Quarto. Inlaid in a frame of later paper. Old fold
lines. Several small repairs to both sides of sheet. Minor soiling. About very
good. In a folio-sized green half morocco and cloth clamshell case, spine gilt.
During his brief tenure as Assistant Secretary of War, William Jackson writes to
Brig. Gen. Hand, indicating that the War Office has not received the necessary
documentation to issue commissions to certain of Connecticut’s officers. William
Jackson served in the Continental Army and was made Benjamin Lincoln’s aidede-camp in 1779. He later served as secretary to John Laurens on his mission to
France to secure funds for the American Revolution, and served as the Assistant
Secretary of War under his former commander, Lincoln, upon his return. He would
later act as the secretary of the Constitutional Convention, where he had the honor
of delivering the U.S. Constitution to Congress. He held similar secretarial positions throughout the remainder of his career. Jackson writes:
Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th
instant addressed to the Secretary of War, enclosing one to you from General
Huntington on the subject of commissions for the Connecticut officers. I am
to request that you will be pleased to inform General Huntington that the
certificates of appointments, which he refers to, have never been received at
this office – and, as commissions can only issue on the appointments certified
by the state, it will be necessary that he should obtain them – or request their
transmission.
$750.
91. James, William: A FULL AND CORRECT ACCOUNT OF THE
MILITARY OCCURRENCES OF THE LATE WAR BETWEEN
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA....
London. 1818. Two volumes. xxxii,476; [2],582,[16, Index]pp. plus four folding maps. Contemporary speckled calf, spines gilt, leather labels, rebacked
with original spines laid down. Minor shelf wear. Modern bookplate on each
rear pastedown, light scattered foxing. Very good.
First edition of James’ account of the War of 1812, from the military viewpoint,
following his related work stressing the naval aspects of the conflict. The text is
highlighted by the well executed “Map of the Straits of Niagara from Lake Erie to
Lake Ontario” and an excellent “Plan of the Operations of the British & American
Forces” in the Battle of New Orleans. “One of the best books for the military events
of the war of 1812” – Henry Stevens.
SABIN 35718. HOWES J52.
$1750.
The Atlas of the Revolution
92. Jefferys, Thomas: THE AMERICAN ATLAS: OR, A GEOGRAPH-
ICAL DESCRIP TION OF THE WHOLE CONTINENT OF
AMERICA: WHEREIN ARE DELINEATED AT LARGE ITS SEVERAL REGIONS, COUNTRIES, STATES, AND ISLANDS; AND
CHIEFLY THE BRITISH COLONIES. London: Printed and sold by R.
Sayer and J. Bennett, 1776. Letterpress title and index leaf, otherwise engraved
throughout. Twenty-three engraved maps on 30 sheets (one single-page, eleven
double-page, eighteen folding), all handcolored in outline. Expertly bound to
style in half 18th-century russia over contemporary marbled paper covered
boards, spine gilt with raised bands, brown morocco label. Very good.
The American Atlas is the most important 18th-century atlas for America. Walter
Ristow describes it as a “geographical description of the whole continent of America,
as portrayed in the best available maps in the latter half of the eighteenth century...
as a major cartographic reference work it was, very likely, consulted by American,
English, and French civilian administrators and military officers during the Revolution.” This 1776 issue includes the Brassier map of Lake Champlain.
As a collection, The American Atlas stands as the most comprehensive, detailed,
and accurate survey of the American colonies at the beginning of the Revolution.
Among the distinguished maps are Braddock Meade’s “A Map of the Most Inhabited
Parts of New England,” the largest and most detailed map of New England that
had yet been published; a map of “The Provinces of New York and New Jersey” by
Samuel Holland, the surveyor general for the northern American colonies; William
Scull’s “A Map of Pennsylvania,” the first map of that colony to include its western
frontier; Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson’s “A Map of the Most Inhabited part of
Virginia,” the best colonial map for the Chesapeake region; and Lieut. Ross’ “Course
of the Mississipi,” the first map of that river based on English sources.
Jefferys was the leading English cartographer of the 18th century. From about
1750 he published a series of maps of the English American colonies that were
among the most significant produced in the period. As Geographer to the Prince
of Wales, and after 1761, Geographer to the King, Jefferys was well placed to have
access to the best surveys conducted in America, and many of his maps held the
status of “official work.” Jefferys died on Nov. 20, 1771, and in 1775 his successors,
Robert Sayer and John Bennett, gathered together these separately issued maps and
republished them in book form as The American Atlas. The present second edition,
issued in 1776, includes “A new Map of the Province of Quebec” (a significant
addition) in place of Jefferys’ “The Middle British Colonies,” and a second issue
of Samuel Holland’s “The Provinces of New York and New Jersey,” published on
Dec. 20, 1775.
The maps are as follows (many of them are on several sheets, and in accordance
with the letterpress index, each individual sheet is numbered; the measurements
refer to the image size):
1-3) Braddock Meade (alias John Green): “A Chart of North and South America,
including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.” Published June 10, 1775. Six sheets
joined into three, 43½ x 49½ inches. This great wall map was chiefly issued to
expose the errors in Delisle and Buache’s map of the Pacific Northwest, published
in Paris in 1752. STEVENS & TREE 4(d).
4) Imperial Academy of St. Petersburg: “The Russian Discoveries.” Published March
2, 1775. One sheet, 18 x 24 inches.
5-6) Thomas Pownall after E. Bowen: “A New and Correct map of North America,
with the West India Islands.” Published Feb. 15, 1777. Four sheets joined into
two, 43 x 47 inches. Thomas Pownall updated Bowen’s “North America” map of
1755. Pownall’s version includes the relevant results of the first treaty of Paris,
drawn up after the end of the French and Indian War. STEVENS & TREE 49(f ).
7) Thomas Jefferys: “North America from the French of Mr. D’Anville, Improved
with the English Surveys Made since the Peace.” Published June 10, 1775. One
sheet, 18 x 20 inches. STEVENS & TREE 51(c).
8) Samuel Dunn: “A Map of the British Empire in North America.” Published Jan.
10, 1774. Half sheet, 12 x 19 inches. STEVENS & TREE 53(b).
9) Thomas Jefferys: “An Exact Chart of the River St. Laurence from Fort Frontenac
to the Island of Anticosti.” Published May 25, 1775. Two sheets joined into one,
23½ x 37 inches. STEVENS & TREE 76(d).
10) Sayer & Bennett: “A Chart of the Gulf of St. Laurence.” Published March 25,
1775. One sheet, 19½ x 24 inches.
11) Capt. [Samuel] Holland: “A Map of the Island of St. John in the Gulf of St.
Laurence.” Published April 6, 1775. One sheet, 15 x 27¼ inches.
12) James Cook and Michael Lane: “A General Chart of the Island of Newfoundland.” Published May 10, 1775. One sheet, 21½ x 22 inches. Lieutenant and
later captain James Cook went on to gain renown for his three exploratory voyages in the Pacific.
13) James Cook and others: “A Chart of the Banks of Newfoundland.” Published
March 25, 1775. One sheet, 19½ x 26 inches. Based on the surveys of James
Cook (see above), Chabert, and Fleurieu.
14) Thomas Jefferys: “A New Map of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island with the
Adjacent Parts of New England and Canada.” Published June 15, 1775. One sheet,
18½ x 24 inches. Originally published in 1755 at the beginning of the French
and Indian War, this map “proved to be important in evaluating respective French
and English claims to this part of North America” (Ristow). England gained
sole possession of the region by the Treaty of Paris, 1763. STEVENS & TREE 66(c).
15-16) Braddock Meade (alias John Green): “A Map of the Most Inhabited Part
of New England.” Published Nov. 29, 1774. Four sheets joined into two, 38¾
x 40¾ inches. The first large-scale map of New England. “The most detailed
and informative pre-Revolutionary map of New England...not really supplanted
until the nineteenth century” – New England Prospect. STEVENS & TREE 33(e).
NEW ENGLAND PROSPECT 13.
17) Capt. [Samuel] Holland: “The Provinces of New York and New Jersey, with Part
of Pensilvania.” Published Aug. 17, 1776. Two sheets joined, 26½ x 52¾ inches.
An important large-scale map of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey, by
Samuel Holland, Surveyor General for the Northern English colonies. With
fine insets: “A plan of the City of New York,” “A chart of the Mouth of Hudson’s
River,” and “A Plan of Amboy.” STEVENS & TREE 44(e).
18) William Brassier: “A Survey of Lake Champlain, including Lake George, Crown
Point and St. John.” Published Aug. 5, 1776. Single sheet, 26 x 18¾ inches. This
is the first state of Brassier’s extremely important and magnificently detailed map
of Lake Champlain. STEVENS & TREE 25(b).
19) Captain Carver and others: “A New Map of the Province of Quebec, according
to the Royal Proclamation, of the 7th of October 1763. From the French Surveys Connected with those made after the War, by Captain Carver, and Other
Officers.” One sheet, 19¼ x 26¼ inches. STEVENS & TREE 73(a).
20) William Scull: “A Map of Pennsylvania Exhibiting not only the Improved Parts
of the Province but also its Extensive Frontiers.” Published June 10, 1775. Two
sheets joined, 27 x 51½ inches. The first map of the Province of Pennsylvania
to include its western frontier. All earlier maps had focused solely on the settled
eastern parts of the colony.
21-22) Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson: “A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of Virginia, containing the Whole Province of Maryland...1775.” [n.d.]. Four sheets
joined into two, 32 x 48 inches. “The basic cartographical document of Virginia
in the eighteenth century...the first to depict accurately the interior regions of
Virginia beyond the Tidewater. [It] dominated the cartographical representation of Virginia until the nineteenth century” – Verner. STEVENS & TREE 87(f ).
23-24) Henry Mouzon: “An Accurate Map of North and South Carolina with their
Indian Frontiers.” Published May 30, 1775. Four sheets joined into two, 40 x 54
inches. “The chief type map for [the Carolinas] during the forty or fifty years
following its publication. It was used by both British and American forces during the Revolutionary War” – Cumming. CUMMING 450. STEVENS & TREE 11(a).
25) Thomas Jefferys: “The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana...The Peninsula
and Gulf of Florida.” Published Feb. 20, 1775. Two sheets joined into one, 19½
x 48 inches. A large-scale map of Florida, based upon the extensive surveys
conducted after the region became an English possession following the 1763
Treaty of Paris. STEVENS & TREE 26(b).
26) Lieut. Ross: “Course of the Mississipi....Taken on an Expedition to the Illinois,
in the latter end of the Year 1765.” Published June 1, 1775. Two sheets joined
into one, 14 x 44 inches. The first large-scale map of the Mississippi River, and
the first based in whole or part upon English surveys. STEVENS & TREE 31(b).
27) Thomas Jefferys: “The Bay of Honduras.” Published Feb. 20, 1775. One sheet,
18½ x 24½ inches.
28-29) J.B.B. D’Anville: “A Map of South America.” Published Sept. 20, 1775. Four
sheets joined into two, 20 x 46 inches.
30) Cruz Cano and others: “A Chart of the Straits of Magellan.” Published July 1,
1775. One sheet, 20½ x 27 inches.
HOWES J81. PHILLIPS ATLASES 1165, 1166 (refs). SABIN 35953. STREETER
SALE 72 (1775 ed). Walter Ristow (editor), Thomas Jefferys The American Atlas London
1776, facsimile edition (Amsterdam, 1974).
$155,000.
On the Eve of the Battle of Shiloh, Gen. Johnston Rallies His Troops
93. Johnston, Albert Sidney: HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF THE MIS-
SISSIPPI. CORINTH, MISS. APRIL 3d, 1862. SOLDIERS OF THE
ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI: I HAVE PUT YOU IN MOTION
TO OFFER BATTLE TO THE INVADERS OF YOUR COUNTRY...[caption title and beginning of text]. Corinth, Ms. April 3, 1862.
Broadside, 3¼ x 5¼ inches. Edges trimmed, minor foxing. Very good.
A very rare broadside, the last address of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston to his troops,
dated just three days before his death at the Battle of Shiloh, in which Johnston
exhorts his troops, reminding them of the justness of their cause and the defense
of their homes.
Johnston had generally been considered the best officer in the U.S. Army before
the Civil War. After graduating from West Point he served in the Republic of
Texas Army during the Texas War of Independence and in the U.S. Army during
the Mexican-American War, and later commanded during the Utah War.
This address from the great general was read at the head of each regiment
“during the intervals of the march on the 4th and 5th of April....The soldiers were
stirred to a still sterner resolution which proved itself in the succeeding conflict”
(W.B. Johnston, Life of Albert Sidney Johnston). Johnston’s message is passionate
and inspiring. It reads, in full:
I have put you in motion to offer battle to the invaders of your country. With
the resolution and disciplined valor becoming men fighting, as you are, for
all worth living or dying for, you can but march to a decisive victory over the
agrarian mercenaries sent to despoil you of your liberties, property and honor.
Remember the precious stake involved; remember the dependence of your mothers, your wives, your sisters and your children on the result; remember the fair,
broad, abounding land, the happy homes, and the ties that would be desolated
by your defeat. The eyes and hopes of eight millions of people rest upon you;
you are expected to show yourselves worthy of your race and lineage – worthy
of the women of the South, whose noble devotion in this war has never been
exceeded in any time. With such incentives to brave deeds, and with the trust
that God is with us, your Generals will lead you confidently to the combat –
assured of success. A.S. Johnston. General Commanding.
At Shiloh on April 6, Johnston was shot behind the right knee, a seemingly minor
injury. About an hour later he grew weak and pale enough to attract attention from
one of his staff. When asked if he was wounded, Johnston replied, “Yes...and I fear
seriously.” A little while later he died of blood loss from the wound, which had
unknowingly clipped part of his popliteal artery.
This small broadside is extraordinarily rare, not recorded in Crandall or Harwell. In Civil War Source Material in...Mississippi Black and Grimes record only
one copy in archival collections. Parrish & Willingham notes only the present
copy, from the famous Headman collection, offered by Goodspeed’s Book Store in
their catalogue 601.
BLACK & GRIMES, CIVIL WAR SOURCE MATERIAL IN MISSISSIPPI, p.37.
PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 1124 (locating only the present copy). GOODSPEED’S
CATALOGUE 601 (1987), item 17 (priced $1250).
$6500.
A French Mercenary in the British Service in the American Revolution
94. Joly de St. Valier, Le Sieur: HISTOIRE RAISONÉE DES OPÉRA-
TIONS MILITAIRES ET POLITIQUES DE LA DERNIÈRE
GUERRE, SUIVIE D’OBSERVATIONS SUR LA RÉVOLUTION
QUI EST ARRIVÉE DANS LES MOEURS & SUR CELLE QUI
EST SUR LE POINT D’ARRIVER DANS LA CONSTITUTION
D’ANGLETERRE. Liege. 1783. xii,235,[1]pp. plus 10pp. supplement (not
found in all copies). [bound following:] Lacombe, François: TABLEAU
DE LONDRES ET DE SES ENVIRONS, AVEC UN PRECIS DE
LA CONSTITUTION DE L’ANGLETERRE, & DE SA DECADENCE. Londres et a Bruxelles, 1784. 191pp. Joly with the half title; Lacombe without the half title. Bound together in contemporary French mottled
calf, spine richly gilt. Hinges neatly repaired. Very clean internally. An attractive copy.
A firsthand account of the Revolution, by a little-known but fascinating French
soldier of fortune who fought for the British. A disputatious and critical man, Joly
de St. Valier condemns the British conduct of the war, especially in naval matters,
and heaps some scorn on the French and De Grasse. The ten-page supplement,
included here, is found in only some copies of the work. It was likely printed later
and continues Joly’s war of words with Sir Joseph Yorke, former British Ambassador
at the Hague, who was quite involved in British naval strategy during the war. A
very rare work on the market, with much important firsthand material on the military
history of the Revolution. The Streeter copy realized $450 in 1967. Joly’s work is
bound in a contemporary French binding following a copy of François Lacombe’s
Tableau de Londres et de ses Environs..., which describes the moral and social failings
of London and Britain as a whole, a consequence being the unlikelihood of their
defeating the rebellious Americans.
SABIN 36428. HOWES J182, “aa.” STREETER SALE 802. GRAFF 2230.
$8500.
A Yale Librarian in the Early U.S. Navy
95. [ Jones, George]: SKETCHES OF NAVAL LIFE, WITH NOTICES
OF MEN, MANNERS AND SCENERY, ON THE SHORE OF
THE MEDITERRANEAN, IN A SERIES OF LETTERS FROM
THE BRANDYWINE AND CONSTITUTION FRIGATES. New
Haven: Hezekiah Howe, 1829. Two volumes. viii,284; vii,286,[1]pp., plus three
folding maps and eight plates. Original paper boards, cloth spines, printed
paper labels. Corners worn, some wear and rubbing to spines. Contemporary
ownership inscription on front fly leaf. Light foxing and soiling. About very
good. Untrimmed.
Printed in the form of letters written on board the frigates Brandywine and Constitution, this book contains wonderful descriptions of places visited as well as vivid
accounts of the harsher aspects of naval life. The author, George Jones, graduated
from Yale in 1823, the valedictorian of his class. In 1825 he shipped as Schoolmaster
aboard the frigate Brandywine, Charles Morris commanding, teaching navigation
to her midshipmen, among whom was Matthew Fontaine Maury. After conveying Lafayette home from his visit to the United States, the Brandywine joined
the Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore John Rodgers, where Jones was
transferred to the Constitution. Returning to the States in 1828, Jones contrived
to obtain a warrant as a Navy Chaplain and subsequently served on several ships
in that capacity. One of those ships was the seventy-two-gun ship-of-the-line
Delaware, whose Mediterranean cruise under Commodore Daniel Patterson is
documented by Jones in Excursions to Cairo, Jerusalem, Damascus and Balbec... (New
York, 1836). He was appointed the first chaplain of the Naval Academy when it
opened in Annapolis on Oct. 10, 1845, where he served as librarian as well. Jones
joined Matthew C. Perry’s expedition to Japan, 1852-54, and was a substantial
contributor to the three-volume report of the expedition.
SHOEMAKER 39158.
$1500.
A John Paul Jones Letter
Written on Board the Bonhomme Richard
96. Jones, John Paul: [MANUSCRIPT LETTER, SIGNED BY JOHN
PAUL JONES, ORDERING A MEMBER OF THE MARINES
TO ATTEND A COURT-MARTIAL ON BOARD HIS SHIP,
THE BONHOMME RICHARD]. On Board the Bonhomme Richard
at L’Orient, France. June 14, 1779. [1]p. manuscript letter on a folded folio
sheet. Docketed on the fourth page and addressed in Jones’ hand to “Captain
M[atthew] Parke of the Marine troops.” Sheet strengthened around the edges,
closed tear mended in the second sheet. Very good. In a half morocco and
cloth folding box, spine gilt.
A very interesting manuscript letter, signed by Capt. John Paul Jones as commander
the American squadron off the coast of Europe, ordering Matthew Parke, a member
of the Marine troops, to attend a court-martial on board his ship, the Bonhomme
Richard. Jones would gain everlasting fame and glory just a few weeks after he
signed this letter, when he captured the H.M.S. Serapis in the North Sea.
In 1779, John Paul Jones took command of a 900-ton French East Indiaman,
armed and renamed Bonhomme Richard as a compliment to his patron, Benjamin
Franklin. The outfitting of the ship in the port of L’Orient consumed several
months, and it was not ready for sea until June. The ship’s crew was originally
formed of prisoners taken from English ships by the French. Evidently, a group of
these prisoner-sailors conspired to capture the ship, and Jones ordered their courtmartial to take place on June 15 on board the Bonhomme Richard.
The manuscript text, signed by Jones in his own hand at the end, reads:
By the Honble. John P. Jones Captain in the American Navy and Commander
in Chief of the American Squadron now in Europe. Sir you are hereby required and directed to attend at a Court Martial to be held on board the Bon
homme [sic] Richard tomorrow for the Trial of James Enion, John Atwood,
John Lomney, John Balch, John Layton, Andrew Thompson, George Johnston,
William Carmichael, Alexander Cooper, William Hanover, Thomas Cole and
Nathaniel Bonner – all of whom have been put under confinement by Lieutenant John Brown for mutinous behaviour and for refusing to do their duty on
board the American ship of war the Bon homme Richard. You are also to try
any other person or persons belonging to the American service who may in
the course of the evidence appear to have been principally concerned in that
mutiny – for which this shall be your order. Given on board the Bon homme
Richard at L’Orient the 14th day of June 1779.
Along with the letter, laid into a compartment in the box, is a commemorative medal,
2¼ x 3¼ inches, with a portrait on the recto of Jones after the bust by Houdon,
and an allegorical scene on the verso entitled “America claims her illustrious dead
– Paris Annapolis 1905.” The medal was issued to commemorate the exhumation
and re-burial of Jones’ body from beneath the streets of Paris to its final resting
place in Annapolis, Maryland in 1905.
Any substantive, Revolutionary-era John Paul Jones letters or manuscripts are
extremely rare in the market. This is an especially interesting and displayable artifact
of Jones’ tenure as commander of the Bonhomme Richard, with several references
to the ship, where he earned his greatest fame during the Revolution. $75,000.
Magnificent Plates of the Mexican-American War
97. Kendall, George Wilkins, and Carl Nebel: THE WAR BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO ILLUSTRATED, EMBRACING PICTORIAL DRAWINGS OF ALL THE PRINCIPAL
CONFLICTS, BY CARL NEBEL...WITH A DESCRIPTION OF
EACH BATTLE BY...KENDALL. New York & Philadelphia: Plon
Brothers of Paris for D. Appleton & Co. and George S. Appleton, 1851.
iv,52pp. Twelve fine handcolored lithographic plates, heightened with gum
arabic, by Bayot (11) or Bayot & Bichebois (1) after Nebel, printed by Lemercier in Paris. One engraved map. Text: Original cloth-backed wrappers. Text
and plates: Publisher’s red three-quarter morocco and red moiré cloth boards
portfolio, titled in gilt on upper cover. Very good. In a red half morocco and
cloth clamshell box, spine gilt.
A firsthand report, in words and pictures, of the first offensive war fought by
the United States. This is the first and only edition, with superb handcolored
lithographed plates of one of the most important pictorial works relating to the
Mexican-American War. A review in the New Orleans Picayune, July 15, 1850 reads:
We have never seen anything to equal the artistic skill, perfection of design,
marvellous beauty of execution, delicacy of truth of coloring, and lifelike
animation of figures....They present the most exquisite specimens ever exhibited in this country of the art of colored lithography; and we think that great
praise ought to be awarded to Mr. Kendall for having secured such brilliant
and beautiful and costly illustrations for the faithful record of the victories of
the American army.
Kendall was America’s first great war correspondent, and an ardent proponent of
the necessity of America’s war with Mexico. When hostilities broke out, he went
at once to the Rio Grande, where he joined with the Rangers and later attached
himself to the Scott expedition. For this work he keyed his text to the individual
plates, and the combination affords a detailed illustrated account of each battle.
The plates are the work of German artist Carl Nebel, who painted the twelve major
clashes of the war. Kendall notes in his preface:
Of the twelve illustrations accompanying his work...the greater number were
drawn on the spot by the artist. So far as regards the general configuration of
the ground, fidelity of the landscape, and correctness of the works and buildings introduced, they may be strictly relied upon. Every reader must be aware
of the impossibility, in painting a battle scene, of giving more than one feature
or principal incident of the strife. The artist has even chosen what he deemed
the more interesting as well as exciting points of each combat...in the present
series of illustrations the greatest care has been taken to avoid inaccuracies.
The authors of Eyewitness to War wrote approvingly that the present work “represents the climax of the confluence of journalism and lithography on the prints of
the Mexican war” and that Nebel’s images are “the eyewitness prints that must be
compared against all others.” Kendall drew on “the official reports of the different
commanders and their subordinates” for the text, but “was present at many of the
battles” and “personally examined the ground on which all save that of Buena Vista
were fought” (for information on this he relied on a Capt. Carleton).
The plates are titled “Battle of Palo-alto”; “Capture of Monterey”; “Battle of
Buena Vista”; “Bombardment of Vera-Cruz”; “Battle of Cerro Gordo”; “Assault of
Contreras”; “Battle at Churubusco”; “Molino del Rey – attack upon the molino”;
“Molino del Rey – attack upon the casamata”; “Storming of Chapultepec – Pillow’s
attack”; “Storming of Chapultepec – Quitman’s attack”; “Gen. Scott’s entrance into
Mexico.” It is interesting to note that while the work was published by D. Appleton in New York and Philadelphia, the lithographs were produced in Paris. Both
Kendall and Nebel felt that the Paris lithographers alone were qualified to produce
their images, and they both spent some time in Europe overseeing the production of
the work, for which Kendall and Nebel shared all the costs. An article on Kendall
in the December 1965 issue of American Legion Magazine notes that “few [copies
of this work] were printed, and some destroyed in a fire at the Picayune” (Tom
Mahoney, Our First Great War Correspondent).
BENNETT, p. 65. HAFERKORN, p.47. HOWES K76, “b.” RAINES, p.132. SABIN
37362. TYLER, PRINTS OF THE WEST, p.78. M.A. Sandweiss, R. Stewart, & B.W.
Huseman, Eyewitness to War: Prints and Daguerreotypes of the Mexican War, 1846-1848 (Amon
Carter Museum of Western Art).
$32,500.
The Earliest Obtainable Edition of “The Star Spangled Banner”
98. [Key, Francis Scott]: FORT McHENRY, OR, THE STAR SPAN-
GLED BANNER, SUNG WITH GREAT APPLAUSE BY MR.
HARDINGE, AT THE THEATRE BALTIMORE. AIR, ANACREON IN HEAVEN [caption title]. Philadelphia: Published by G.E.
Blake, [1814]. [published with:] THE BATTLE OF THE WABASH. A
PATRIOT SONG, WRITTEN BY JOSEPH HUTTON, TO THE
FAVOURITE AIR OF ANACREON IN HEAVEN. [3]pp. Folio. Dbd.
Tanned, dampstain in upper margin. Good. In a brown half morocco and
cloth box.
The rare second edition of “The
Star Spangled Banner,” the national anthem of the United
States, in music form. Here, all
four verses of Francis Scott Key’s
immortal poem are printed on the
third page. It is printed with a
song originally published in 1811,
“The Battle of the Wabash,” written to commemorate the Battle of
Tippecanoe. That song, as well as
“The Star Spangled Banner,” were
meant to be sung to the tune of
“Anacreon in Heaven,” also known
as the “Anacreontic Ode.” This,
therefore, is the first appearance
of Key’s lyrics, together with the
music to which it was meant to be
sung. As Dichter & Shapiro point
out, this printing is also “the only
appearance known of Francis Scott
Key’s immortal song together with
the words of the ‘Anacreontic Ode.’”
The present printing follows only a Baltimore edition by Carrs Music Store, which
is believed to have been issued before Nov. 18, 1814, and possibly before Oct. 19
(see Filby & Howard).
Francis Scott Key, a Baltimore lawyer, spent the night of Sept. 13-14, 1814,
detained on a British ship in Baltimore harbor. That night, Key witnessed the
British flotilla bombard Fort McHenry, an American stronghold in the harbor.
From the outset of the battle a large American flag could be seen flying over the
fort, but by the end the Stars and Stripes was nowhere to be seen. At dawn, the
flag was seen once again, showing that Fort McHenry had not been taken by the
British, and inspiring Key to write the lyrics that he initially called “Defence of
Fort M’Henry.” Key meant for the lyrics to be sung to the tune of a popular song
of the day, the “Anacreontic Ode,” also known as “To Anacreon in Heaven,” by
British composer John Stafford Smith. Key’s lyrics first circulated as a handbill, and
on September 20 were printed in a Baltimore newspaper. It soon became known
as “The Star Spangled Banner,” and was performed by Hardinge’s theatre troupe
in Baltimore on Oct. 18, 1814. As is noted in the title, the song was “sung with
great applause by Mr. Hardinge, at the Theatre Baltimore,” suggesting that this
publication dates to late 1814.
Both this Philadelphia printing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and the Baltimore
printing that precedes it are very rare. Two copies of the Baltimore printing have
appeared at auction since 1967: the Streeter copy, which brought $23,000 in that
year, and a copy that sold at Christie’s in 2008 for $506,500. In that same time
span only one copy of this Philadelphia printing sold at auction, in 2002, when a
copy at Christie’s brought $15,600. OCLC and Filby & Howard together locate
a total of only eleven copies of this Philadelphia printing.
A rare and early printing of “The Star Spangled Banner,” our national anthem,
which stands second only to the flag as a symbol of the nation.
DICHTER & SHAPIRO, p.36. FILBY &HOWARD, S8. LEVY & F ULD, p.245.
Muller, The Star Spangled Banner, pp.52-57. WOLF 8329A. BAL, p.247. OCLC 3823049.
$29,000.
Oglethorpe’s Attack on St. Augustine
99. [Killpatrick, James]: AN IMPARTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE LATE
EXPEDITION AGAINST ST. AUGUSTINE UNDER GENERAL
OGLETHORPE. OCCASIONED BY THE SUPPRESSION OF
THE REPORT, MADE BY A COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IN SOUTH-CAROLINA...WITH AN EXACT PLAN
OF THE TOWN, CASTLE AND HARBOR OF ST. AUGUSTINE
AND THE ADJACENT COAST OF FLORIDA; SHEWING THE
DISPOSITION OF OUR FORCES ON THAT ENTERPRIZE.
London: Printed for J. Huggonson, 1742. 68pp. plus two maps on one folding
sheet. Modern crushed red morocco, spine gilt. Bookplate on rear pastedown.
Final leaf trimmed a bit close in the upper margin, skimming the page numbers. Near fine.
First and only edition, and a primary account of the English incursion into Florida
against the Spanish at St. Augustine. The unsuccessful siege was led by Gen.
James Oglethorpe, one of the founders of Georgia. “During the War of Jenkins’
Ear, 1739-43, an expedition under General Oglethorpe seized two Spanish forts
on the St. John’s River early in 1740, and made an unsuccessful attempt to capture
St. Augustine. In 1742 Oglethorpe turned back an invasion into Georgia of a large
force of Spaniards, and the next year made another unsuccessful invasion of Florida.
The failure of the 1740 expedition caused much ill feeling in South Carolina against
Oglethorpe, and this anonymous Account, erroneously ascribed...to Oglethorpe, is
in fact a bitter criticism of him for mishandling the forces from South Carolina” –
Streeter. The author, in fact, has been identified as James Killpatrick, a Charleston
doctor and an officer who served under Oglethorpe.
Killpatrick quotes letters from Oglethorpe to the Carolina authorities in 1739
and 1740 asking for assistance in the expedition and gives a highly detailed account of the course of events from the arrival of the joint forces at the mouth of
St. John’s River (May 9, 1741) to the raising of the siege on July 5. The two maps
(which Streeter calls “detailed and excellent”) are a plan of the town, castle, and
harbor of St. Augustine with the disposition of Oglethorpe’s forces in 1740, and
another showing the Florida coast from the mouth of the St. John’s to Matanzas
Inlet. Servies notes that some copies have a plate showing the town and castle
of St. Augustine by Thomas Silver, which originally appeared in the Gentleman’s
Magazine for July 1740. It seems that the view was not originally issued with this
title but was inserted into some copies as they were published roughly contemporaneously. The Streeter and Siebert copies, for example, had no view, and Howes
does not call for one. The Streeter copy realized $2200 (now at Yale) while the
Siebert copy sold for $18,400 to a private collector. The publication of this text
sparked a pamphlet war, directly answered by George Cadogan in 1743 in his The
Spanish Hireling Detected.
EUROPEAN AMERICANA 42/104. HOWES O44, “c.” ESTC T60032. SABIN
56846. SERVIES 365. DE RENNE, pp.103-105. CLARK I:103. STREETER SALE 1125.
SIEBERT SALE 574.
$27,500.
100. [Ku Klux Klan]: [Georgia]: RADICAL RULE: MILITARY OUT-
RAGE IN GEORGIA. ARREST OF COLUMBUS PRISONERS:
WITH FACTS CONNECTED WITH THEIR IMPRISONMENT
AND RELEASE. Louisville, Ky. 1868. 199pp. Gathered signatures, stitched.
Minor edge wear. Erased ownership inscription at bottom of titlepage, light
foxing. Very good.
An early pro-Ku Klux Klan publication, consisting mostly of the “Proceedings of
the Military Commission” for the trials of nine men on the charge of murder in the
death of George W. Ashburn in the Spring of 1868. Ashburn was a Georgia judge
who actively worked for civil rights of all citizens, especially African-Americans,
and thus he racked up a long list of local enemies. On the evening of March 30,
1868, after participating at a political rally with noted black minister and civil rights
activist Henry McNeal Turner, Ashburn was gunned down by five masked men
in “a negro brothel of the lowest order,” becoming the first murder victim of the
Ku Klux Klan in Georgia. The Ku Klux Klan had formed in Columbus only nine
days earlier, after a visit from Nathan Bedford Forrest. As a result of the incident,
the military governor, Gen. George Meade, declared martial law in Columbus,
removing the mayor and ordering the immediate arrest of any potential suspects.
The present work decries Meade’s actions, the arbitrary nature of the numerous
arrests for the crime, and “the subversion of the Constitution” the entire situation
represented. According to the author here, no less a personage than Gen. Grant
should be held ultimately responsible for this unfortunate situation, referring to
him as “the man who abuses power throughout ten States of the Union” by allowing the military to act as a police force in the South. The text forlornly poses the
question: “How long are the denizens of our Southern States to be made the victims
of military misrule?” In a strange twist of political maneuvering, defenders of the
Ku Klux Klan agreed to support passage of the 14th Amendment if Gen. Meade
terminated the murder trials of Ashburn’s killers. Meade agreed, and no one was
ever prosecuted for Ashburn’s murder. A scarce and early anti-Reconstructionist
work by supporters of the Ku Klux Klan.
DE RENNE II, p.705.
$1750.
Classic of the New Orleans Campaign of 1814
101. Latour, Arsene Lacarriere: HISTORICAL MEMOIR OF THE WAR
IN WEST FLORIDA AND LOUISIANA IN 1814 – 1815.... Philadelphia. 1816. Text volume plus atlas. Text: xx,264,cxc pp. Atlas: Title-leaf
plus eight colored maps and plans (seven folding). Text volume: Frontispiece
portrait. Original paper boards, paper label with manuscript title. Spine perished, boards lightly soiled. Bookplate on rear pastedown. Contemporary ink
signature and annotations on front free endpaper, minor foxing. Atlas: Original
paper covered boards, paper label with manuscript title on front cover. Spine
largely perished. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. The bookplate of Frank
Cutter Deering laid in each volume. A near fine set, in original condition and
untrimmed. Together in a half morocco and cloth box, spine gilt.
One of the most important books on the War of 1812 in the South and West,
describing the campaign around the battle of New Orleans. “Major Latour’s account of the military events is minute and interesting, and the appendix contains an
invaluable collection of state papers” – Sabin. “Chief authority, well-documented,
on these operations” – Howes. The eight maps (Sabin states that there are only
seven) consist of battle plans and “A General Map of the Seat of War in Louisiana
and West Florida,” executed by Major Latour in his capacity as engineer. Streeter
describes the maps and plans (which are sometimes found bound in a separate atlas, as here) as “invaluable,” and Clark calls the Historical Memoir... “a detailed and
precise narrative of the 1814-15 campaign from the first arrival of British forces
on the Louisiana coast until their complete evacuation.” The portrait of Jackson,
not found in all copies, is present here.
SABIN 39214. CLARK II:158. STREETER SALE 1075. HOWES L124, “aa.” SHAW
& SHOEMAKER 38034, 38035. SERVIES 878.
$7500.
Premier Newspaper Version of the Gettysburg Address
102. [Lincoln, Abraham]: THE NEW-YORK TIMES. VOL. XIII – No.
3794 [CONTAINING THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS]. New York.
Nov. 20, 1863. 8pp. printed in six columns. Large folio. Very minor foxing.
Near fine.
A fine, complete issue of The New-York Times printing the Gettysburg Address on
Nov. 20, the first date of the speech’s printing. On Nov. 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered
his great address at the dedication of a cemetery on the Gettysburg battlefield four
months after the bloody and pivotal battle that turned the tide of the Civil War
in favor of the Union. Lincoln’s speech was preceded by an address from Edward
Everett, the most famous orator of his day. Everett’s speech took some ninety
minutes to deliver and today is largely forgotten. Lincoln’s speech, delivered in only
a few minutes, is immortal. It is a supreme distillation of American values and of
the sacrifices necessary for the survival of liberty and freedom.
Much controversy surrounds the circumstances and content of the address as
it was actually delivered at Gettysburg. The words spoken in the speech differ in
the versions appearing in newspapers and the text which appeared in Washington
several days later, which is now taken as the closest version to Lincoln’s final intent
because of its correspondence to the known manuscript versions. The most important
newspaper version is the present one, based on the notes of The New-York Times
correspondent, and it was widely copied by other newspapers around the country.
However, the circumstances of a windy day, and the reporter’s shorthand may have
interfered, as there is still dispute over how accurately it represents what Lincoln
actually said, versus a final version which he may have altered after the fact.
In his recent study of the Gettysburg Address and the evolution of its reception
through history, Gabor Boritt pays special attention to the front-page reporting of
this Nov. 20 issue of The New-York Times. Lincoln’s address, though printed in a
center column near the top of the front page, is visually swallowed by the headlines
and text surrounding it. This, as Boritt points out, includes an article on a speech
by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, which was given the front page’s “place of honor” and
received “superlatives within an inch of the president’s Gettysburg remarks, which
were reproduced with no comment” (Boritt, pp.138-39). Years would pass before
Lincoln’s short speech was acknowledged as one of the greatest in American history.
Together with examples from other newspapers of Nov. 20, 1863, this issue of
The New-York Times represents the first appearance of a version of the Gettysburg
Address in print, although at variance with the version Lincoln disseminated. A
remarkably good copy of this rare and important document.
Gabor Boritt, The Gettysburg Gospel (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006). Shelby Foote,
The Civil War, a Narrative: Fredericksburg to Meriden (New York: Random House, 1958).
$16,500.
Superb Military Map of Southern Virginia
103. Lindenkohl, Adolph: MILITARY MAP OF SOUTH-EASTERN
VIRGINIA. Washington: Henry Lindenkohl & Charles G. Krebs, 1864.
Map, 19 x 30½ inches. Printed in blue and black. Matted. Minor foxing and
soiling. Very good.
An important military map showing the area around Richmond and Petersburg,
Virginia, all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, and including the Northern Neck and
the country as far south as Norfolk. Railroads, roads, and waterways are all noted
in detail. Richmond has been ringed with concentric circles, printed in blue, spaced
five miles apart to show the distance from the city. This map was compiled by the
U.S. Coast Survey and is dated June 1864. With the beginning of the Civil War
the United States Army found itself scrambling to obtain adequate field maps for
military operations in the South. The most established cartographic branch of the
government, the Coast Survey, was pressed into service to provide these maps, some
with a coastal component, but mainly for landlocked locations. The cartographers
of the Coast Survey reviewed all of the existing cartography available as well as
drawing on military and scouting reports and covert agents to assemble the most
detailed possible maps showing places, roads, railroads, and natural features.
Two key figures in the Coast Survey effort during the War were Henry Lindenkohl and his brother, Adolph, who were responsible for actually drawing many of the
field maps. The Lindenkohls were born in Germany but emigrated to the United
States as teenagers and became American citizens. Adolph had already worked at
the Coast Survey before the war began, and Henry joined in 1861. Together they
made a huge contribution to the war effort through their superb cartographic work,
producing and revising maps of different theatres of operations through 1865. Both
continued with the survey for the rest of their lives. Adolph died in 1904 after fifty
years on the job, and Henry in 1920 after fifty-nine.
By the time this map was executed, Grant had pushed southward in the bitter
fighting of the summer of 1864, and the noose had tightened around Richmond
and Petersburg.
LC, MAPS OF THE CIVIL WAR 490.
$3500.
Detailed Field Map for the Union Army in
Northern Mississippi and Alabama
104. Lindenkohl, Adolph: NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA.
[ Washington]. 1864. Folded map, 24 x 33 inches, in thirty-two segments
mounted on linen. Original oblong 12mo. card covers with printed paper label.
Contemporary ownership inscription on label. Some light wear and minor
soiling. Very good plus.
A highly detailed map of the northern half of Mississippi and Alabama, showing
the border with Tennessee and all points south to Vicksburg and Montgomery,
produced to support the operations of the Union Army there in 1864. This is one
of several maps compiled by the U.S. Coast Survey in an attempt to adequately map
the South during the Civil War for military purposes. A note on the map indicates
that the present map was compiled from various sources, including “campaign maps
and information furnished by Capt. O.M. Poe, Chief Engineer, Military Division
of the Mississippi, and by Capt. W.E. Merrell, Chief Engineer, Department of the
Cumberland.” Merrill was Sherman’s chief topographical engineer, and he contributed to several important maps of the area, including one of northern Georgia
produced in Chattanooga following the vital capture of that city.
With the beginning of the Civil War the United States Army found itself
scrambling to obtain adequate field maps for military operations in the South.
The most established cartographic branch of the government, the Coast Survey,
was pressed into service to provide these maps, some with a coastal component, but
mainly for landlocked locations. The cartographers of the Coast Survey reviewed
all of the existing cartography available as well as drawing on military and scouting reports and covert agents to assemble the most detailed possible maps showing
places, roads, railroads, and natural features. The topography is illustrated with
hachured and shaded relief, and railroads shown in red. The circulation of these
maps was controlled, and only officers ranking major or higher were supposed to
control copies. As a result, they are rare today.
Two key figures in the Coast Survey effort during the war were Henry Lindenkohl
and his brother, Adolph, who were responsible for actually drawing many of the
field maps. The Lindenkohls were born in Germany but emigrated to the United
States as teenagers and became American citizens. Adolph had already worked at
the Coast Survey before the War began, and Henry joined in 1861. Together they
made a huge contribution to the war effort through their superb cartographic work,
producing and revising maps of different theatres of operations through 1865. Both
continued with the survey for the rest of their lives. Adolph died in 1904 after fifty
years on the job, and Henry in 1920 after fifty-nine.
This map has the ownership inscription of Col. Joseph Corson Read (183189). Read was one of the first wave of men to take up Lincoln’s call for volunteers
to put down the rebellion in April 1861. He remained continuously in the army,
serving first on Gen. Jesse Reno’s staff and rising to the rank of Chief Commissary for the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Gen. George H. Thomas.
Thomas was impressed with Read, and on May 1, 1864, with the spring campaign
against Atlanta imminent, Thomas named Read Chief Commissary of the Army of
the Cumberland in the Field. This meant that, although Col. A.P. Porter was the
Army’s overall chief, Read would serve alongside Thomas in the field and had the
responsibility to supply the entire army as it moved south. During the long and
arduous Atlanta campaign he was the man on the ground, making the supply side
work. Read developed a close relationship with Thomas, one with both personal
and professional aspects.
An important map of northern Mississippi and Alabama, particularly interesting
as part of the greater project undertaken by the Coast Survey to map out the South
$5500.
during the Civil War, and with excellent provenance and associations. The Best Edition, with Washington’s Journal
105. [Livingston, William]: A REVIEW OF THE MILITARY OPERA-
TIONS IN NORTH AMERICA; FROM THE COMMENCEMENT
OF THE FRENCH HOSTILITIES ON THE FRONTIERS OF
VIRGINIA IN 1753, TO THE SURRENDER OF OSWEGO, ON
THE 14th OF AUGUST, 1756.... Dublin. 1757. 276pp. 20th-century red
morocco, gilt, spine elaborately gilt, a.e.g., gilt inner dentelles, by Riviere &
Son. One corner lightly worn, bookplate on front pastedown. Internally clean.
Near fine. In a red half morocco slipcase and cloth chemise.
First Dublin edition of this important work, after the first London of the same
year, which is among the prime authorities for the Lake George campaign of 1755.
This Dublin edition is expanded slightly, including George Washington’s journal of
his 1754 expedition in Ohio. Largely a vindication of Maj. Gen. William Shirley’s
conduct during his service as commander-in-chief of the British forces in North
America during the Seven Years’ War, for which he was charged with neglect of duty,
reviewing the progress of the war in Virginia and the northern colonies, including
Washington’s capitulation at Fort Necessity and Braddock’s defeat at Monongahela.
Shirley was replaced by Lord Loudon as commander-in-chief. The following year
Loudon, placing the blame for the loss of Oswego squarely on Shirley’s shoulders,
dismissed him from military office and removed him from the governorship of
Massachusetts. It has been suggested that New York historian William Smith may
have had a hand in the preparation of this work.
ESTC N12681. HOWES L401, “aa.”
$7500.
106. Lushington, S.R.: THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF GENERAL
LORD HARRIS, G.C.B., DURING CAMPAIGNS IN AMERICA,
THE WEST INDIES, AND INDIA. London. 1840. xv,[1],551pp. plus
portrait, handcolored map, and 8pp. of publisher’s advertisements. Half title.
Original blue publisher’s cloth, stamped in blind and gilt. Front hinge cracked,
binding shaken, wear to spine. Text clean. Good.
Biography of Baron George Harris, who fought in the American Revolution and
later served with the British Army in India. Harris saw action at the Battles of
Lexington and Bunker Hill, and served under Howe’s command until 1778. He
subsequently served in both the West Indies and India, earning respect and renown
as a commander. A scarce Revolutionary source.
HOWES L570.
$750.
Important Rebuttal of Tarleton’s History
107. Mackenzie, Roderick: STRICTURES ON LT. COL. TARLETON’S
HISTORY “OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1780 AND 1781, IN THE
SOUTHERN PROVINCES OF NORTH AMERICA”...TO WHICH
IS ADDED, A DETAIL OF THE SIEGE OF NINETY SIX, AND
THE RE-CAPTURE OF THE ISLAND OF NEW-PROVIDENCE.
London: Printed for the Author, 1787. [2],vi,186pp., plus a portrait of Tarleton
bound in as a frontispiece. Modern three quarter calf and marbled boards,
spine gilt, raised bands, gilt leather spine label. New endpapers. A bit of light,
scattered foxing. A very good copy.
This is the first and only edition, called “Scarce” by Sabin. Mackenzie defends
Lord Cornwallis, and is severely critical of Tarleton’s History..., claiming that in
that work “some facts have been withheld, and some mutilated, while others are
raised to a pitch of importance, to which, if historical justice had been the author’s
object, they are by no means entitled.” Tarleton commanded a Tory cavalry unit,
the British Legion, during the American Revolution, and was infamous for his
brutal tactics. Mackenzie was a lieutenant in the 7th Regiment. Sabin attributes
the account of the siege of Ninety-Six to Lieut. Hatton. This copy is enhanced by
a portrait of a very youthful looking Banastre Tarleton, published in the March,
1782 issue of the London Magazine, which has been bound in as a frontispiece. A
very useful history of the Revolutionary War.
HOWES M138. SABIN 43431.
$3000.
108. Mahan, D.H.: AN ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON ADVANCED-
GUARD, OU T-POST, AND DETACHMENT SERVICE OF
TROOPS, AND THE MANNER OF POSTING AND HANDLING
THEM IN PRESENCE OF AN ENEMY. New Orleans: Bloomfield
& Steel, 1861. 143pp. 12mo. Original brown cloth, front cover gilt. Noticeable wear and soiling, a few small tears and frayed areas, corners worn, some
puckering to cloth. Front pastedown torn, rear free endpaper lacking. Minor
foxing and light staining to a few leaves. Good.
Later edition, after the first of 1847, but the first Confederate edition. A somewhat
ironic printing of this respected military manual. Mahan originally composed his
work as a professor at the United States Military academy during the MexicanAmerican War, but its popularity was assured when both Confederate and Union
officers consulted it during the Civil War. It was also reprinted in Richmond. A
key Confederate military item.
JUMONVILLE 3136. PARRISH & WILLINGHAM 4942. THOMPSON 1166. SABIN
43862. CRANDALL 2454. DAB XII, p.210.
$1250.
The Best Work on the French and Indian War
109. Mante, Thomas: THE HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR IN
NORTH-AMERICA, AND THE ISLANDS OF THE WEST-INDIES, INCLUDING THE CAMPAIGNS OF MDCCLXIII AND
MDCCLXIV AGAINST HIS MAJESTY ’S ENEMIES. London:
Printed for W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1772. [4],viii,542pp. plus errata and
eighteen folding engraved maps. Large quarto. Expertly bound to style in half
18th-century russia and period marbled boards, spine gilt with raised bands
in six compartments, morocco label. Very good.
The best contemporary account of the French and Indian War, justly celebrated
for its cartography and textual content, and one of the great rarities of colonial
Americana, complete with all maps and the elusive errata leaf.
Virtually all of Mante’s account relates to the war in North America, with detailed
narratives of Braddock’s campaign and the other frontier and Canadian campaigns
of the conflict. The work is particularly desirable for its contemporary descriptions
of Pontiac’s War, a campaign in which the author participated as major of brigade
to Col. Dudley Bradstreet. In addition, the introduction includes an interesting
account of young George Washington’s escape in 1753 from assassination by an
Indian who acted as his interpreter and guide. Mante evidently took great care
to gather information that was both historically and cartographically accurate for
the present work.
The maps are praised by all bibliographers as being by far the best relating to
the war, and include several seminal maps which are the most accurate produced
to that time. They comprise:
1) “Fort Beau Sejour, & the adjacent Country Taken Possession of by Colonel
Monckton”
2) “Lake Ontario to the Mouth of the River St. Lawrence”
3) [Map of Lake George and vicinity]
4) “A Plan of Fort Edward & Its Environs on Hudsons River”
5) “Communication Between Albany & Oswego”
6) “Attack on Louisbourg” [by Amherst & Boscawen]
7) “The Attack of Ticonderoga” [by Major General Abercromby]
8) “Plan of Fort Pitt or Pittsbourg”
9) “Guadaloupe”
10) “Attack on Quebec” [by Wolfe & Saunders]
11) “A Sketch of the Cherokee Country”
12) “The River Saint Lawrence from Lake Ontario to the Island of Montreal”
13) “A Plan of the Attack upon Fort Levi”
14) “River St. Lawrence from Montreal to the Island of St. Barnaby...& the Islands
of Jeremy”
15) “A View of the Coast of Martinico Taken by Desire of Rear Adml Rodney”
16) “Part, of the West Coast, of the Island of Saint Lucia”
17) “Plan of the Retaking Newfoundland” [by Colville & Amherst]
18) “Attack of the Havanna” [by Albemarle & Pococke]
Sabin writes of this great rarity: “Copies with all the maps are scarce. It is probable that but few were printed, though the large and beautiful plans and military
maps (which gave it so great a value), must have made its production a work of
much expense.”
CHURCH 1092. HOWES M267, “c.” STREETER SALE 1031. FIELD 1003. SABIN
44396. BEINECKE, LESSER ANTILLES COLLECTION 283.
$75,000.
110. Marshall, John: THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, COM-
MANDER IN CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN FORCES, DURING
THE WAR WHICH ESTABLISHED THE INDEPENDENCE OF
HIS COUNTRY, AND FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES...TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, AN INTRODUCTION,
CONTAINING A COMPENDIOUS VIEW OF THE COLONIES
.... Philadelphia. 1804-1807. Five volumes and separate atlas volume of 22pp.
and ten maps (most double-page). Text volumes: Portrait. Thick octavo. Contemporary calf, spines gilt. Two hinges cracked; some light wear to spines and
corners, foot of volume five chipped. Light foxing. Atlas: Quarto. Modern half
morocco and cloth. Light foxing. Overall, a good plus set.
First issue of the text (with the exception of the third volume, which is second issue) and the first edition quarto atlas. The classic biography of Washington. “After
the able, accurate and comprehensive work of Chief Justice Marshall, it would be
presumptuous to attempt a historical biography of Washington” – Jared Sparks.
Later American editions omitted the history of the colonies, which is the subject
of the first volume. The atlas volume contains ten maps relating to the Revolution
and twenty-two pages of subscribers’ names.
HOWES M317 “aa.” SABIN 44788. LARNED 1561.
$6750.
American Militia
111. [Martin, Samuel]: A PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING AND DISCI-
PLINING A NATIONAL MILITIA IN GREAT BRITAIN, AND IN
ALL THE BRITISH DOMINIONS OF AMERICA. London: Printed
for A. Millar, 1745. [2],xlvii,106pp. Antique half calf and marbled boards.
First and last pages heavily soiled, contemporary inscriptions. Negligible foxing and soiling. Else very good.
First issue. Outlines measures to be taken, particularly in North America, for protection against France, “now at enmity, whose interest it is to subdue by fraud or
force, all those Countries lying between his dominions and the sea. For preventing
such encroachments, no means can be so effectual as a general Militia....” Protection of the Newfoundland fisheries is also considered. A long appendix treats the
necessity of improving the naval strength of Britain, examining the added benefits
which would accrue to trade with the colonies, etc.
SABIN 63269. EUROPEAN AMERICANA 745/134. GOLDSMITHS 8200. ESTC
T93627.$1250.
A Remarkable Naval Work of the Spanish-American War
112. Martinez-Jurado y Ruiz, Adolfo: DATOS SOBRE LA MARINA DE
GUERRA DE LAS DIFERENTES NACIONES: ESTADOS UNIDOS. Havana: Impr. y Litografía de la Maestranza de Artillería, 1898. Letterpress title (verso blank); contents page (verso blank); 4pp. text (recto only
of four leaves); 1p. text (a table listing all thirty-four of the “Acorazados”
or battleships in the U.S. fleet,
recto only); 1p. text (a table of
the fifty-one other vessels [“No
Acorazados”] in the U.S. fleet,
recto only). Thirty-eight plates
(each with a tinted lithographic
image of an individual vessel
above cross-sectional line images and a letterpress table giving logistical details of the same
vessel). Large folio. Dark green
three-quarter calf over textured
green paper-covered boards, the
flat spine lettered and simply
decorated in gilt. Very good.
This volume, printed for the Cuban
navy’s artillery division, illustrates
thirty-nine ships in the United
States Naval Fleet in detail. Each
vessel is illustrated in pictorial and
schematic form, with a toned lithograph of each ship and three crosssection views. The U.S.S. Maine,
whose sinking in Havana harbor was a precipitating cause of the Spanish-American
War, is among the ships illustrated. On each ship, the most vulnerable section is
indicated. In the introductory notes, the author indicates that the purpose of this
volume is to prepare Cuba for counterattacks to which it may one day be exposed.
A large and remarkable volume, and an extremely interesting piece of American
naval history. OCLC records only a single copy of this work, at the Naval Historical Center, but also mentions what may be a second copy at Harvard (lacking a
titlepage, tentatively dated 1897 and apparently titled Buques de Guerra de la Marina
de los Estados Unidos de América). Quite rare.
OCLC 39900517.
$6000.
Raising Massachusetts Troops, 1776
113. [Massachusetts Militia]: IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES, SEP TEMBER 17th, 1776. WHEREAS DOUBTS MAY
ARISE IN THE MINDS OF SOME OF THE GOOD PEOPLE
OF THIS STATE...[first line of text]. [Watertown, Ma.: Benjamin Edes,
1776]. Broadside, 11¾ x 8½ inches. Old fold lines. Light dampstaining in
margin. Very good. Untrimmed. Matted.
A Revolutionary broadside posting the period of service fixed for Massachusetts
militiamen. The copy at the American Antiquarian Society is printed on half a
sheet, with a similar broadside (intended to be separated). The broadside reads:
Whereas doubts may arise in the minds of some of the good people of this
state, who are willing to go out at this important juncture against our unnatural
enemies, agreeable to the resolve of this Court passed the 12th instant, about
what time they shall be held in that service: Therefore for removing any difficulties of that nature, – It is resolved, That all those persons who shall march
out on the exigence, shall be recalled within the space of two months from
this date, at the furthest, and as much sooner as the service may admit of....
It goes on to empower officers to collect fines for sending another person to fight
in one’s stead, and allows officers to muster the militia “when and so often as they
may respectively find it necessary, in order for the obtaining the Quota designed....”
NAIP locates six copies.
EVANS 14867. BRISTOL B4268. SHIPTON & MOONEY 43087. FORD 1998.
CUSHING, MASSACHUSETTS LAWS 950. NAIP w027212.
$4500.
The Battle of Long Island
114. [Mauduit, Israel]: REMARKS UPON GEN. HOWE’S ACCOUNT
OF HIS PROCEEDINGS ON LONG-ISLAND, IN THE EXTRAORDINARY GAZETTE OF OCTOBER 10, 1776. London.
1778. [4],54pp. Modern cloth, spine gilt. Small closed tear expertly repaired
on verso of titlepage. Internally clean. Very good. Lacks the half title.
“Second edition,” but, as Adams notes, printed in the same press run as the first
edition of the same year. Criticism of Howe’s conduct in the Battle of Long Island,
wherein he refused to allow the entrenchments at Brooklyn to be attacked because
of the element of risk. Mauduit gives a detailed analysis of the battle, including
the deposition of troops involved.
AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 78-69b. HOWES M430. SABIN 46919.
$750.
An Extremely Rare Personal Narrative of Valley Forge
115. [Maxwell, Priscilla]: THE CHRISTIAN PATRIOT: SOME REC-
OLLECTIONS OF THE LATE COL. HUGH MAXWELL, OF
MASSACHUSETTS. COLLECTED AND PRESERVED BY A
DAUGHTER. New York. 1833. 139pp. 16mo. Contemporary half morocco
and marbled boards, spine gilt. Edges worn, ink library stamp on verso of
titlepage. Light scattered foxing, heavier in last gathering. Very good.
A biographical sketch of Hugh Maxwell, a western Massachusetts farmer who served
in the American Revolution, written by his daughter. Maxwell’s account records
the hardships of the common soldier in the Continental Army. Hugh Maxwell
wintered at Valley Forge, and his daughter writes: “Badly armed, worse clad, and
in many instances bare-footed, they often marked their footsteps with blood on
the frozen ground.” She also recounts the role that women played in the campaign
and the difficulties they faced. Scarce, with fewer than ten copies listed on OCLC.
Only one sale record appears on Americana Exchange, at an auction in 1972. A
rare and important work.
AMERICAN IMPRINTS 20066. SABIN 47048.
$3500.
Superb George McClellan Letter
on His Mexican-American War Service
116. McClellan, George B.: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM
GEORGE McCLELLAN TO CAPT. GEORGE WASHINGTON
CULLUM, ABOUT HIS MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR SERVICE
WITH THE ENGINEER CORPS]. West Point, N.Y. Nov. 14, 1848.
[7]pp. Three quarto sheets (one bifolium, and two loose sheets). Two horizontal mailing folds, light foxing to last two sheets, a few very short fold
separations. Very good.
An unpublished report by George Brinton McClellan on his Mexican-American
War service, written while a first lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers to his commanding officer, Capt. George Washington Cullum, additionally docketed with
McClellan’s signature on the verso of the last leaf.
McClellan (later commander of the United States Army during the Civil War)
was a young graduate from West Point when he received his first taste of combat as
a lieutenant with Company A of the Corps of Engineers in the Mexican-American
War. At the war’s close he returned to West Point, where his regiment helped with
the instruction of young engineers. This letter was drafted at the request of his
West Point commanding officer, George Washington Cullum, who wanted a full
report on the company’s activities in Mexico. For most of the war the company was
commanded by Capt. Gustavus Woodson Smith, who later fought against McClellan as a Confederate major general. McClellan’s report reflects the dangerous and
unglamorous nature of military engineering work from their arrival under Zachary
Taylor’s command to the conclusion of the war. In the campaign for Tampico, the
company “performed a great deal of hard & useful labour in repairing the road,
making bridges &c, for which the men...have never received one word of credit in
any official paper.” Of the siege of Vera Cruz, McClellan recalls “cutting the road
for the investing corps, the handsome manner in which they supported the reconnoitering officers & their constant & untiring exertions in doing the work of at least
10 times their number in the trenches.” Again he laments the lack of recognition
and hopes the Chief Engineer will “do it the justice denied by others.” From there
they rushed to the Battle of Cerro Gordo, with “wretched & insufficient” transportation which forced them to “literally push the wagons up every hill we came
to.” He then describes the march on to Puebla and Mexico City, followed by the
journey back to West Point. An engaging account of the war by a major historical
$7500.
figure. 117. McDonald, John: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF GENERAL
NATHANIEL MASSIE, GENERAL DUNCAN McARTHUR, CAPTAIN WILLIAM WELLS, AND GENERAL SIMON KENTON:
WHO WERE EARLY SETTLERS IN THE WESTERN COUNTRY. Cincinnati: Printed for the Author..., 1838. 267pp. Contemporary
calf, spine gilt, leather label. Light wear, front hinge neatly repaired. Modern
bookplate on rear pastedown. Minor scattered foxing. Very good plus. In a
black cloth slipcase.
McDonald, who took part in many of the events he details herein, personally knew
the subjects of this work, who were border Indian fighters. “He was an actor in many
of the scenes he describes; and the incidents detailed in this volume, which he did
not witness himself, were communicated to him by the actors...he is thus original
authority, and the fullest reliance may be placed on his statements” – Thomson.
The Massie sketch is mainly concerned with his activities in southern Ohio in the
1790s. That of MacArthur covers the Indian struggles of the 1790s and, in great
detail, his part in the campaigns of the War of 1812 in Michigan and western
Canada. This section occupies almost a third of the book. The Wells sketch is
almost entirely about Wayne’s campaign of 1794. The Kenton sketch is devoted
mainly to his role in opening Kentucky in the 1770s.
SABIN 43160. HOWES M83, “aa.” THOMSON 750. JILLSON, p.100.
$750.
A Manuscript Confederate Military Map
from the Tennessee Theatre in 1863
118. Meister, C.: [Confederate Manuscript Map]: [CONFEDERATE MIL-
ITARY MANUSCRIPT MAP OF SHELBYVILLE AND TULLAHOMA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA]. Tullahoma, Tn.: From
Engineer Office, May 10, 1863. Single sheet, 12¼ x 13¼ inches. Old fold
lines. Backed on slightly later paper. Minor loss at some folds. Light soiling
and dampstaining. Good plus.
A highly important Confederate manuscript map of the area to the north and east
of Shelbyville, Tennessee, located about twenty-five miles south of Murfreesboro,
executed in the midst of the Civil War. This map was made a month before the
Tullahoma Campaign in late June and early July, in which the Union pushed the
Confederacy out of Middle Tennessee, opening the way to the capture of Chattanooga. The map is signed by C. Meister, one of the Confederacy’s draughtsman
deployed in the field with Braxton Bragg’s Army of Tennessee. Bragg headquartered
his army at this time in Tullahoma, anticipating any attack would come through
Shelbyville. Bragg’s troops were spread across a wide front which encompassed most
of the territory shown on this map. Union general Rosencrans was headquartered
in Murfreesboro, just to the north.
The map shows Christiana to the north, Pocahontas and Manchester to the
east, and Tullahoma on the southern edge of the surveyed area. Roads have been
marked in red, with rivers and streams delineated in blue, and the railroads and
towns marked out in black ink. Meister has included key details such as bridges
(noted as being in “good order”), mills and other landmarks, and occasionally
mileage between points. The map is noted as “No. 32” in the bottom left corner.
With the outbreak of the Civil War there was a surge in demand for accurate
and up-to-date maps. The Union had field presses and several government surveyors employed in creating maps. The Confederacy, however, was in short supply
of everything, including surveyors, proper equipment, and the means to print. As
a result, Confederate survey parties were sent into the field to draw maps, which
were later traced into multiple copies. Although time consuming, this method was
significantly cheaper than any method of printing available to them.
A wonderful exemplar of Confederate cartography, showing a key piece of
ground covered by the Army of Tennessee, essential to the Tullahoma Campaign.
$12,500.
A Rarity of American Cartography
119. Melish, John: A MILITARY AND TOPOGRAPHICAL ATLAS OF
THE UNITED STATES; INCLUDING THE BRITISH POSSESSIONS & FLORIDA.... Philadelphia: G. Palmer, November 1813. 6,[3]34,[3]-18,[3]-29,44pp. plus five folding partially colored engraved maps on
thick paper, and three engraved plans. Contemporary three-quarter calf and
marbled boards, gilt. Minor edge wear, boards rubbed, remnants of string ties.
Mild tanning to text, some expert repairs to maps along folds. A handsome
copy in very good to near fine condition, certainly one of the best copies we
have seen. In a cloth slipcase.
This superb and very rare American atlas contains maps by H.S. Tanner and was
prepared for the War of 1812. The five maps are: “Seat of War in North America”;
“...the Southern Section of the United States including the Floridas & Bahama
Islands Shewing the Seat of War...”; “Detroit”; “...the American coast from Lynhaven Bay to Narraganset Bay”; and “...Quebec and Adjacent Country....” The text
which accompanies the maps includes interesting commentary on why the maps
are pertinent, where the cartographic information came from, and other useful
information. The Siebert copy fetched $12,650 in 1999 (the present copy is in
superior condition).
HOWES M492, “aa.” STREETER SALE 81. AMERICAN IMPRINTS 29143. PHILLIPS ATLASES 1346.
$14,000.
120. Melvin, James: A JOURNAL OF THE EXPEDITION TO QUE-
BEC. IN THE YEAR 1775. UNDER THE COMMAND OF COLONEL BENEDICT ARNOLD. Philadelphia: Printed for the Franklin Club,
1864. [4],38pp. Quarto. Modern half morocco and marbled boards, gilt leather
label. Light dampstaining to the bottom of a few leaves. Very good.
Number 11 of twenty quarto copies. The journal of a private in Capt. Dearborn’s
Company of the disastrous Arnold expedition to invade Quebec during the American Revolutionary War. The result of the expedition was a significant loss for the
American forces, with Gen. Montgomery killed, Arnold wounded, and hundreds
of Americans taken as prisoners of war. This printing of the text was limited to
100 regular and twenty large copies.
HOWES M503.
$750.
A Great Midwestern Rarity
121. Metcalf, Samuel L.: A COLLECTION OF SOME OF THE MOST
INTERESTING NARRATIVES OF INDIAN WARFARE IN THE
WEST, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE ADVENTURES
OF COLONEL DANIEL BOONE, ONE OF THE FIRST SETTLERS OF KENTUCKY.... Lexington, Ky. 1821. [2],270pp. Contemporary calf, spine gilt, leather label. Top of front hinge cracking, corners worn
and bumped. Contemporary ownership inscription on front fly leaf, modern
bookplate on rear pastedown. Light tanning, moderately foxed. A good, solid
copy.
One of the rarest works of the midwestern frontier, chronicling the Indian wars
and skirmishes of the Kentucky and Ohio frontiers in the late 18th century. “This
compilation, seeking to preserve for posterity early border narratives, has become
almost as rare as the originals themselves” – Howes. Metcalf includes narratives of
Boone, Knight and Slover, several Indian captivities, and personal experiences of the
Harmar, St. Clair, and Wayne campaigns in Ohio. The last two-fifths of the book
is a slightly abridged second edition of one of the rarest western Indian captivities,
that of Col. James Smith during the French and Indian War, first published in the
unobtainable 1799 Lexington edition.
STREETER SALE 1655. AYER SUPPLEMENT 84. FIELD 1061. THOMSON 818.
SABIN 48166. PIERSON, LEXINGTON IMPRINTS 323. HOWES M560.
$3500.
Maine Raises a Mexican-American War Regiment
122. [Mexican-American War]: STATE OF MAINE, EXECUTIVE DE-
PARTMENT, AUGUSTA, MAY 29, 1846. TO THE CITIZENS OF
MAINE...STATE OF MAINE. HEAD QUARTERS, AUGUSTA,
MAY 29, 1846. GENERAL ORDER...[caption title]. [Augusta, Me.
1846]. [2]pp. on bifolium sheet of blue paper. Printed on recto of each leaf
only. Early soft creases from folding. Tiny separations at cross-folds. Small
bit of discoloration on second page. Very good.
Message of Maine governor H.J. Anderson and a general order from Alfred Redington, Commander in Chief of the Maine militia, calling volunteers to arms in the
Mexican-American War. Anderson explains that “the repeated and long continued
efforts of the National Government to effect an amicable settlement of the differences with the government of Mexico, have unfortunately proved unavailing,”
resulting in the American declaration of war. Anderson notes that the President
has requested one regiment of infantry from Maine, and writes that he has no doubt
“that the patriotic citizens of this State will promptly respond to the call of the
general government for aid in defending any portion of its territory.” Redington’s
general order lists the positions in the infantry volunteer corps being assembled
and transmits instructions for volunteers. “Maine, although distant from the scene
of the conflict, will be as prompt as any of her sister States in repelling the forces
of the invader. Her patriotic citizens will be as ready to vindicate rights upon the
Rio Grande, as upon their own immediate territory. Their love of country knows
no section, but embraces the entire boundaries of the Republic” – Redington.
$750.
123. [Mexican-American War]: [THREE LETTERS WRITTEN BY
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR SOLDIERS]. [Various locations]. 18461847. Two quarto bifolium sheets and one folio bifolium. Typical mailing folds,
some soiling and staining. Overall very good.
A collection of three letters written from soldiers in the Mexican-American War
to David Hofins of Bedford, Pennsylvania. Details of each letter are as follows:
1) Langdon, John P., of “Co. B. 4th Arty. USA”: Autograph letter, signed. Monclova,
Mexico. Nov. 8, 1846. [4]pp. Langdon reports that his regiment is two hundred
miles north of Gen. Zachary Taylor’s force at Monterey and eighty miles west of
the Rio Grande. He also includes rumors of the possible taking of Chihuahua
with no loss of men.
2) Mann, Ben Frank: Autograph letter, signed. Island of Lobos, Mexico. Feb. 23,
1847. [3]pp. Mann writes about the American plans to land Gen. Winfield
Scott’s army near Vera Cruz to begin the city’s siege, which began on March 9
and lasted until March 29. Postmarked from New Orleans.
3) Marin, Lieut. E.C.: Autograph letter, signed. St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans.
April 29, 1847. [2]pp. Marin, much taken with the pleasures of life in New
Orleans, writes to Hofins about the city and traveling via steamboat down the
Mississippi River.
$900.
Establishing Martial Law in Mexico City
124. [Mexican-American War]: Scott, Winfield: HEADQUARTERS OF
THE ARMY, NATIONAL PALACE OF MEXICO, SEPT. 17, 1847.
GENERAL ORDERS – No. 287. Mexico City. Sept. 17, 1847. [4]pp.
printed on a single folded sheet. Old vertical crease. Three tears along the
central fold, resulting in loss of paper but no text. Very good.
A rare copy of an important order issued by Gen. Winfield Scott just days after his
victory at the Battle of Chapultepec and his taking of Mexico City. Chapultepec
was the final victory in Scott’s march to the Mexican capital, following victories at
Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. Largely outnumbered
against Santa Anna’s forces, Scott produced a series of stunning victories leading
to his capture of Mexico City and the issuance of this broadside, which seeks to
establish order by proclaiming martial law in the capital.
A preamble to the General Orders announces that this is a restatement, “with
important additions,” of Scott’s order of Feb. 19, 1847, issued from Tampico, which
also declared martial law. In the present order, meant to maintain order in the newly
conquered city, Scott lays out the prohibitions for a wide variety of acts, including
assassination, murder, poisoning, rape, assault, robbery, theft, the desecration of
churches and cemeteries, and more. Significantly, he announces that such rules
will apply equally to Americans as to Mexicans. He points out that these laws are
important not only to guide his army, but “for the protection of the unoffending
inhabitants and their property, about the theatres of military operations, against
injuries on the part of the army, contrary to the laws of war.” Scott further extends
martial law to any part of Mexico under the control of U.S. forces. Lastly, he announces that the American army will safeguard all of the churches, monasteries,
convents, inhabitants, and property in Mexico City, and announces a “contribution”
of $150,000 to be imposed on the capital to pay for these services, payable in four
equal installments.
The order is signed in manuscript at the end by Winfield Scott’s Assistant
Adjutant General, H.L. Scott. Garrett locates the copy at the University of Texas
at Arlington, and OCLC adds copies at the California State Library (Sutro copy)
and the University of North Carolina.
GARRETT, p.390. OCLC 52501908.
$1750.
Scarce Separately Issued Mexican-American War Map
125. [Mexican-American War]: SIEGE OF VERA CRUZ, BY THE U.S.
TROOPS UNDER MAJOR GENERAL SCOTT, IN MARCH 1847,
FROM SURVEYS MADE BY MAJOR TURNBULL, CAPTAINS
HUGHES, McCLELLAN & JOHNSTON; LIEUTENANTS DERBY & HARDCASTLE, TOPL. ENGINEERS. DRAWN BY CAPT.
McCLELLAN. [Washington, D.C. 1847]. Engraved map, 16 x 25¼ inches,
with hand-coloring, on a 19½ x 27 inch sheet. Worn around the edges, with
chips and loss, not affecting the map imagery itself. Two closed tears in the
left edge do intrude into the map. Paper tanned, upper portion stained. About
good.
A scarce and detailed map of the Siege of Vera Cruz, a turning point in the Mexican-American War. Winfield Scott, with ten thousand American troops and a
siege train, landed on the beach near Vera Cruz on March 9, 1847. The American
forces outnumbered the Mexican defenders of the city by a two-to-one margin, and
the American guns were especially devastating. The city’s castle was undamaged,
but the terrified citizenry implored Gen. Juan Morales to capitulate, which was
done at the end of March. The map notes American casualties as twelve killed
and sixty-one wounded (the actual numbers were slightly higher); the casualty rate
among Mexican soldiers and civilians outnumbered that of the Americans. Vera
Cruz would become an important port base for the American forces. This map
shows the coastline from the road to Jalapa to the landing point of the American
troops. The city and its main defenses are shown in detail, and the headquarters
of American commanders Scott, Worth, Patterson, and Twigg are also shown. The
Line of Investment is colored in red, as is the location of the American hospital.
Text on the map describes the make-up of the divisions led by Patterson, Worth,
and Twigg. This map was drawn by George B. McClellan, then a captain under
Winfield Scott and a participant in the battle, some fifteen years before he achieved
notoriety as a commander in the Civil War and as the Democratic nominee for
president in 1864. OCLC records some sixteen institutional copies, but in our
experience this map is scarce in the market. $2000.
126. [Mexican-American War]: [Griffin, Thomas]: [TWO LETTERS
WRITTEN BY A SOLDIER IN SOUTH TEXAS AND MEXICO
DURING THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR]. [South Texas &
Mexico]. 1847-1848. [7]pp. Each letter a single quarto bifolium. Two horizontal and two vertical mailing folds in each, one letter with two small holes
created when the seal was broken, minor fold separations, some soiling and
staining. Good.
Thomas Griffin writes to Miss Elizabeth Griffin, presumably his sister, who lived
in New Geneva, Pennsylvania. Griffin appears to be heading to Mexico during
the latter period of the war, his first letter written in the summer of 1847 and his
second dated Jan. 30, presumably, after his division proceeded south to Vera Cruz.
This would put Griffin in Vera Cruz just days before the signing of the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb. 3, 1848.
1) Autograph letter. “Camp at the mouth of the Rio Grande.” July 22, 1847. 4pp.
Stamp-postmarked on the address panel “Brazos July 26” and “10.” Griffin
provides a vivid description of the Texas landscape. He then describes in detail
his rough sea voyage from New Orleans to south Texas, where his unit landed
at Brazos Santiago, a former port located on Brazos Island, which Gen. Taylor
had established as a supply depot for the American military during the MexicanAmerican War.
2) Autograph letter, signed “Thomas.” Pueblo, Mx. Jan. 30, [n.y., likely 1848]. 3pp.
Stamp-postmarked on the address panel: “Vera Cruz Mexo.” Griffin writes about
mail delivery, and almost a page on observations of locals.
$950.
127. [Mexican-American War]: [Scott, Winfield]: OFFICIAL LIST OF
OFFICERS WHO MARCHED WITH THE ARMY UNDER THE
COMMAND OF MAJOR GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT, FROM
PUEBLA UPON THE CITY OF MEXICO...AND WHO WERE
ENGAGED IN THE BATTLES OF MEXICO. Mexico: American Star
Print, 1848. [24]pp. With errata slip pasted to verso of titlepage listing two
officers whose “names were accidentally omitted,” and lithographic map of the
“Battles of Mexico.” Oblong small quarto. Original printed wrappers. Old fold
lines. Rear cover separating at spine, some chipping and separation at edges
of folds. Minor soiling and foxing. Very good.
First and only edition of a scarce work. The text, in the form of detailed tables,
lists the officers with Scott, where they were employed, and whether they were
killed or wounded or distinguished themselves. “Printed on the occupying army’s
own press” – Howes. This copy includes the plan of the battles in the vicinity of
Mexico City which is often lacking, and it includes the extra two lines of errata.
The inside lower cover includes a letterpress printed “extract” of Scott’s summary
of the casualties and the magnitude of the victory.
HOWES S243, “aa.” GARRETT, p.131. HAFERKORN, pp.53-54.
$1750.
Vernacular Photographs of U.S. Army Camp Life in Texas
at the Start of the Mexican Revolution
128. [Mexican Revolution]: [ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS DEPICT-
ING THE MOBILIZATION, CAMP LIFE, AND DRILLING
OF U.S. ARMY TROOPS AT FORT SAM HOUSTON AT THE
START OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION]. [Fort Sam Houston,
San Antonio, Tx.] 1911. Eighty-five photographs (sixty-seven being vernacular
images presumably by a soldier or press corps photographer, eighteen photographs relating to the Mexican Revolution by Jim A. Alexander and others),
approximately 3 x 5½ inches each, mounted recto and verso within a small
oblong album (approximately 5½ x 8 inches). Most images with manuscript
captions in ink on the mounts below the image, some with additional annotations within the image, inscribed on the front pastedown: “Mobilization
of 10,000 Regulars to Fort Sam Houston on March 5, 1911.” Contemporary
brown leather, upper cover stamped in gilt.
The Mexican Revolution of 1910-20 offers a fascinating lesson in the evolution
of photo-journalism, as it was in this very time period that advances in camera
technology allowed the photographer, both professional and amateur, to easily
document their surroundings using single-lens reflex cameras. The present album
would seem to have been assembled by a soldier among those mobilized by the
U.S. at the start of the Revolution. Learning a lesson from the Spanish-American
War, as Revolution began in Mexico the U.S. Army mobilized in Texas to allow for
a speedy deployment if necessary, as well as to improve training procedures. The
present album depicts members of the 10th Infantry, 9th Cavalry, 11th Cavalry,
15th Infantry, 22nd Infantry and others at or near Fort Sam Houston. The images include depictions of everyday camp life, drills, and parade marches. Of great
interest is an image of a Wright model B military flyer, among the first airplanes
used for military purposes.
Also included in this album are a number of photographs from “Mexican revolutionary” photographers depicting scenes in Mexico during the Revolution. See
John Mraz’s study on these photographers and images, Photographing the Mexican
Revolution (Austin, 2012). $4250.
Mexican Military Pamphlets
from the Texan and Mexican-American War Era
129. [Mexico]: [Military]: [THREE SAMMELBANDS, WITH THIR-
TY-THREE MEXICAN PAMPHLETS REGARDING THE MILITARY ]. Mexico & Queretaro. [1838-1851]. Thirty-three pamphlets, variously paginated, bound in three volumes. Contemporary half calf and marbled
boards, spines gilt. Front hinge of first volume cracking. Light scattered foxing
and soiling, but generally quite clean internally. Some light wear to several
larger documents folded into volume. Manuscript index at rear of first and
third volumes. Very good.
Three volumes of pamphlets relating primarily to the military in Mexico, compiled
by a contemporary owner. Many of the items present here are official decrees. The
first volume contains many decrees pertaining to laws passed June 13, 1838. Among
those are decrees relating to the establishment of an honor corps, laws concerning
penalties for desertion, a treatise on infantry bayonet technique illustrated with
plates, and a decree relating to the operation of the Mexican military in Texas.
The third volume contains a treatise on the dissolution of the medical corps and
its replacement with individual doctors. Collectively they illustrate much about
the Mexican army during the era of its wars with the Republic of Texas and then
the Mexican-American War. In all, a fascinating compendium of Mexican military
history, and an interesting collection of imprints, dated from 1838 to 1851. A
detailed list of the contents is available upon request. $7500.
The U.S. Navy Pacific Squadron Captures Mazatlán in 1847,
Depicted by Its Most Famous Artist
130. [Meyers, William H.]: MAZATLAN, WAS TAKEN BY THE U.S.
PACIFIC SQUADRON, COMMODORE WM. BRANFORD SHUBRICK, NOV. 12th, 1847 [manuscript caption title]. [N.p. ca. 1847].
Gouache and pencil on paper, 11 x 18½ inches. Some flaking of the blue paint
in the water. 4½-inch horizontal closed tear in right portion of the image.
Overall, very good. Matted, and in a modern frame.
A detailed, colorful, and accomplished painting of the American capture of Mazatlán
during the Mexican-American War. William H. Meyers, a gunner on board the
U.S.S. Dale, produced some of the most significant artwork illustrating the fighting in California and on the west coast of Mexico. A collection of his drawings,
owned by Franklin Roosevelt, was published in 1939. The present work was not a
part of that collection but is clearly part of the same series.
Original artwork from the Mexican-American War is rarely available. In the
preface to the 1939 publication of the Meyers sketchbook that he owned, Roosevelt
wrote:
By means of Meyers’ realistic sketches...we are enabled to follow the epic naval
conquest of California with an understanding which has heretofore been impossible. He participated in many of the scenes depicted, and for the others had
the privilege of discussion with eye-witnesses. There seems to have been no
facile pen among the handful of bold, hard-bitten husky sailors, marines, soldiers
and frontiersmen who won that empire for us. No doubt pen and paper were
scarce in that primitive region. Complicated war operations scattered through
a thousand miles of virgin coast and country gave little opportunity for writing
or sketching. Thus the very dearth of adequate contemporary literature adds
much to the historical value of Gunner Meyers’ brush.
The capture of Mazatlán, on the west coast of Mexico, was an important American victory during the Mexican-American War. The most active Mexican port
on the West Coast, Mazatlán was strategically important as an information link
to the East Coast, and was a major supply base for Mexican forces. The port was
captured by naval forces led by Commodore William Shubrick commanding his
ship, Independence, assisted by the United States ships Congress and Cyane. At
the time that Mazatlán was captured, the U.S.S. Dale, on which William Meyers
served, was patrolling off the coast of Guaymas, some 560 miles to the north. As
Roosevelt noted, for the scenes that Meyers did not witness personally (such as this
one), he relied on eyewitness testimony for his paintings.
This painting is dominated by Shubrick’s flagship, the Independence, with a
number of smaller rowboats behind it. The buildings and hills of Mazatlán stretch
the length of the image beyond the ship, and a number of individuals can be seen
along the beach and on the waterfront. Several of the buildings fly various flags,
demonstrating the importance of Mazatlán as a port.
William H. Meyers (b. 1815) went to sea aboard a trading vessel to the West
Indies in 1838 and also worked as a civilian in ordinance at the Washington Navy
Yard. In 1841 he joined the United States Navy as a gunner, and was assigned
to the U.S.S. Cyane. He served under Commodore Thomas Ap Catesby Jones,
taking part in the presumptive American seizure of Monterey in 1842. During
the Mexican-American War, Meyers served as gunner on the U.S.S. Dale, and
participated in many naval and land battles on the coast of Mexico and California.
Due to ill health Meyers resigned from the Navy in 1848, and worked at the naval
laboratory in Washington, DC.
Meyers was an untrained but accomplished and prolific artist and he made a
number of sketches and paintings during his career of naval service in the 1840s.
Franklin Roosevelt owned one of Meyers’ original sketchbooks, containing fiftyfour drawings of scenes during the Mexican-American War. Twenty-eight of those
sketches were published by Random House in 1939 in a volume printed by the
Grabhorn Press in an edition of 1000 copies, and with an introduction by Roosevelt
and a historical narrative by Capt. Dudley W. Knox. Roosevelt’s sketchbook is part
of the collection at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park,
New York. Meyers also made sketches of his 1841-44 cruise in the Pacific aboard
the U.S.S. Cyane, several of which were published in 1955 in a volume also printed
by the Grabhorn Press. The Bancroft Library at the University of California owns
a painting by Meyers of “The Taking of Monterey on October 20, 1842,” created
during Meyers’ service on the Cyane. The present view of Mazatlán being taken
by the U.S. Pacific Squadron in 1847 was part of an exhibition at the Los Angeles
County Museum of Art in 1976.
An attractive painting of an important American naval victory during the
Mexican-American War.
HUGHES, ARTISTS IN CALIFORNIA II:378.
$30,000.
A Rare South Carolina Scene
131. Mills, Robert: THE MONUMENT TO DE KALB, WHO FELL
FIGHTING IN DEFENCE OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN ON
THE PLAINS OF CAMDEN, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
AUGUST 16th, 1780.... [New York]: John Hill, 1827. Aquatint with handcoloring. Sheet size: 17½ x 22½ inches. Minor toning and light wear. Closed
tear in top half of sheet, near center; closed tear repaired with tissue in left
margin. Minor loss in center of image. Good.
Handsome image of the monument erected to honor the Baron De Kalb, who was
killed at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. The
monument was erected in front of the Presbyterian Church in Camden and the
cornerstone laid by Gen. Lafayette, who was De Kalb’s protegé and fellow general
during the war. The aquatint shows the church, with the monument in the rightcenter. A couple with a small dog stand before the monument, the man pointing
with his cane and presumably explaining the importance of the monument to the
woman. “...at Camden Kalb achieved immortality. Positioned on the American
right, he and his regulars were exposed when the militia forces under Gates on the
left and center collapsed and fled. Surrounded by superior forces, Kalb resisted
stubbornly and mounted three assaults in an attempt to break the British lines.
He sustained eleven wounds and died at Camden, having earned the apotheosis he
sought. To a British officer who consoled him in his last hours, Kalb said, ‘I thank
you for your generous sympathy, but I die the death I always prayed for – the death
of a soldier fighting for the rights of man’” – ANB.
This very rare print was executed by John Hill, the foremost aquatint artist to
work in the United States and creator of the famed Hudson River Portfolio. Any
of Hill’s individual productions are rare. There are very few prints of southern
subjects from this early a date.
STAUFFER 1327.
$3500.
Influential Study of the Anglo-French Balance of Power
in Colonial America
132. [Mitchell, John]: THE CONTEST IN AMERICA BETWEEN
GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE, WITH ITS CONSEQUENCES
AND IMPORTANCE; GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS
AND DESIGNS OF THE FRENCH, WITH THE INTERESTS OF
GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE SITUATION OF THE BRITISH
AND FRENCH COLONIES, IN ALL PARTS OF AMERICA. London: A. Millar, 1757. [2],xlix,[1],[17]-244pp. including errata. Contemporary
half calf and paper boards, gilt leather label. Some edge wear, spine head
slightly chipped. Internally clean. Very good.
This book is almost universally ascribed to Dr. John Mitchell, resident of Virginia
from 1700 to 1746 and noted physician, botanist, and geographer. The author
takes an understandably pro-British stance, deriding French encroachments and
outlining a “proper barrier” between the French and British possessions in North
America: “...the river St. Laurence from its mouth to its source, and the Great Lakes
that empty themselves into it.” “[The book] shows an unusual familiarity with the
internal geography of America and the affairs of the French on the lakes, the Ohio,
and in Western Virginia” – Sabin. This work, along with Pownall’s Topographical
Description..., served as Pitt’s primary source of information on America during the
Seven Years’ War. Sometimes ascribed to Oliver Goldsmith.
HOWES M676, “aa.” CHURCH 1018. SABIN 49693. THOMSON 838. TPL 264. SIMMONS 1757:28. VAIL 520.
$6000.
Important Map Produced in the Confederacy
133. Mitchell, Samuel P.: SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY OCCUPIED
BY THE FEDERAL & CONFEDERATE ARMIES ON THE 18th
& 21st JULY 1861. Richmond: W. Hargrave White, [ca. 1861]. Lithographed map, 14 x 17 inches. Small chips at bottom left corner and bottom
edge, a few short closed marginal tears, not affecting image. Vertical centerfold; minor wrinkling; minor, mostly marginal foxing and spotting. Good.
A handsome and historic map depicting the First Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run,
depicting troop positions and movements, roads, railroads, vegetation, houses,
names of residents, and drainage. First Manassas was the first significant engagement of the Civil War, and the place where Thomas J. Jackson became “Stonewall”
Jackson when his brigade stood their ground against disorganized Union forces.
The Confederate troops won the battle, raising hopes in the South and signaling
to the North that the war would not be won so easily.
“Southern publishers also tried to satisfy the public’s demand for maps of significant campaigns and engagements. Captain Samuel P. Mitchell of Virginia’s
1st Infantry Regiment sketched a map of the Confederate army’s stunning victory
at the First Battle of Manassas. A Charleston, South Carolina, lithographer [F.
W. Bornemann] rushed the work to a Richmond publisher, W. Hargrave White,
who issued the map to a Southern public hungry for news from the battlefield” –
Stephenson.
CRANDALL 3060. STEPHENSON, VIRGINIA IN MAPS, p.202, IV-29.
$5000.
134. Moore, H. Judge: SCOTT’S CAMPAIGN IN MEXICO; FROM
THE RENDEZVOUS ON THE ISLAND OF LOBOS TO THE
TAKING OF THE CITY, INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE
SIEGE OF PUEBLA, WITH SKETCHES OF THE COUNTRY,
AND MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE INHABITANTS.
Charleston, S.C. 1849. xii,234pp. Contemporary half sheep and embossed
cloth, spine gilt. Head and foot of spine slightly chipped, spine lightly worn.
Extremities rubbed and lightly soiled. Contemporary ownership inscription on
front pastedown, later bookplate on front fly leaf and rear pastedown. Scattered
foxing and tanning. Very good.
One of the more important Mexican-American War narratives, written by a member
of the famous Palmetto Regiment. “Narrative of an eye-witness; remarkable for
credit given Santa Anna” – Howes.
HOWES M769, “aa.” TUTOROW 3390. GARRETT, p.163. HAFERKORN, p.61.
$750.
Washington’s Journal: The Extremely Rare First Edition
135. [Moreau, Jacob N., comp.]: [ Washington, George]: MÉMOIRE
CONTENANT LE PRÉCIS DES FAITS, AVEC LEURS PIECES
JUSTIFICATIVES, POUR SERVIR DE RÉPONSE AUX OBSERVATIONS ENVOYÉES PAR LES MINISTRES D’ANGLETERRE,
DANS LES COURS DE L’EUROPE. Paris. 1756. vi,198pp. Quarto. Half
calf and marbled boards, rebacked with original spine laid down. Extremities
rubbed. Minor foxing. Very good.
A crucial document in the history of the French and Indian War. The obscure
frontier clash between Virginia troops under George Washington and French troops
under Lieut. Jumonville was the spark which ignited the international conflict between Great Britain and France. In the initial clash Washington’s forces wounded
Jumonville, who was later killed by the Americans’ Indian allies. The French later
surrounded Washington at Fort Necessity and forced his surrender. The French
seized Washington’s journal of the expedition and Braddock’s instructions to Washington, as well as Braddock’s letters to the British Ministry. These papers were
sent to France to support the French claim that Washington murdered Jumonville.
This memoir, which includes the first printing of Washington’s journal of 1754,
although in translation, indicates that Jumonville was approaching Washington on
a peaceful mission, but that Washington distrusted him and ordered the party to
be fired upon. The memoir also contains a survey of the alleged French rights to
the region west of the Alleghenies. Streeter quotes Lawrence Wroth, in his JCB
Library Report of 1945-46, as calling this memoir “One of the most important
documents in American colonial history.” Extremely rare in this quarto first edition (not to be confused with the later duodecimo reprints).
HOWES M787, “c.” WINSOR 5:573. WROTH, AMERICAN BOOKSHELF, pp.22,
40. SABIN 47511 (another ed). TPL 250 (another ed).
$12,500.
Revolutionary War Classic
136. Moultrie, William: MEMOIRS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLU-
TION, SO FAR AS IT RELATED TO THE STATES OF NORTH
AND SOUTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA. New York: Printed by
David Longworth, 1802. Two volumes. 506; 446pp. Portrait in first volume.
Contemporary calf, spines gilt, leather labels. First volume expertly rebacked
with original backstrip laid down, gilt leather label; second volume with modern calf backstrip in matching style, gilt leather label. Boards a bit shelfworn.
Early ownership signature on verso of frontispiece in first volume; institutional
ink stamp on titlepage of second volume and a handful of text leaves. Text
tanned, some foxing. Good.
A scarce work, and one of the most valuable firsthand narratives of the American
Revolution in the South. At the outbreak of the Revolution, Moultrie was a politician and an officer in the South Carolina colonial regiment (where he had risen to
prominence during the Cherokee War). He was eventually promoted to the position
of brigadier-general in the Continental Army. Moultrie fought in several important
southern battles, including the defense of Fort Sullivan in 1776, and helped lead the
defense of Charleston from the British before his forces were finally overcome in
1780. He was taken prisoner and held for more than a year, after which the British
tried to bring him to their side by offering him a command in Jamaica. “Of great
value for the history of the Revolution in South Carolina and Georgia” – DAB.
“The author’s position as Governor of South Carolina, afforded him ample facilities to consult original authorities, and the result of his researches is a good book”
– Sabin. “One of the most interesting of the Revolutionary narratives” – Larned.
HOWES M865, “aa.” SABIN 51142. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 2704. LARNED 1441.
DAB XIII, pp.293-94.
$5500.
With Engraved Frontispiece by Norman
137. [Nelson, Horatio, Lord]: MEMOIRS OF THE LIFE OF LORD
NELSON: CONTAINING A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF ALL
HIS VICTORIES, BY SEA AND LAND.... Boston: Printed for William Norman, 1806. 46pp. plus frontispiece portrait and folding plate. Contemporary wrappers. Spine mostly perished, lower left corner of front cover
torn away. Moderately foxed, some light wear to text. Overall good. In a cloth
clamshell box.
The frontispiece portrait of Nelson, taken from the European Magazine, is engraved
by the printer’s brother, [ John] Norman, and is rarely found. The large folding plate
entitled “Adm’l Lord Nelson’s Fleet bearing down to engage the Combined Fleet off
Trafalgar Oct’r 21 1805” is bound after page 22, instead of being the frontispiece as
called for in the title, and as found in the copy described in Rosenbach’s catalogue,
The Sea (Philadelphia, 1938). “This is quite probably the most elusive American
imprint relating to Lord Nelson. It amounts to a pirated condensation of Lloyd’s
biography of the same year...the folding battle plate a superbly crude homegrown
copper engraving. NUC lists AAS, Harvard, and Indiana University locations, but
with slightly different collation. One hesitates to use the word ‘rare,’ but this is
surely deserving of the designation.” – Howland, describing this copy.
SHAW & SHOEMAKER 10850. HOWLAND CATALOG 8-81 (1981, this copy).
$2250.
The Texas Revolution, with a Significant Map
138. Newell, Chester, Rev.: HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION IN TEX-
AS, PARTICULARLY OF THE WAR OF 1835 & ’36; TOGETHER
WITH THE LATEST GEOGRAPHICAL, TOPOGRAPHICAL,
AND STATISTICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE COUNTRY, FROM
THE MOST AUTHENTIC SOURCES. ALSO, AN APPENDIX.
New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1838. x,[2],215pp. plus folding map. Modern
three-quarter morocco and marbled boards. Minor foxing. Very good.
“This is one of the earliest books published about Texas after it became a republic...
the quotations from participants are of considerable historical value. The descriptive
portions add much to our knowledge of the early republic....The work begins with
an excellent summary of Mexican history from 1821 to 1835, followed by a sketch
of Texas history from 1832 to 1835, ending with Cos’ retreat from San Antonio.
The events of 1836 are described, including quotations from participating Texans
and from...Mexican accounts, such as Almonte’s diary....Of particular value are the
account of Santa Anna’s capture [and his] confrontation with Houston shortly afterwards. Newell was one of the first to seduce Sam Houston into giving particulars
of the campaign” – Jenkins. The map shows all of Texas north to the Red River.
“One of the rare and reliable books on Texas” – Raines. The appendix prints some
important historical documents regarding the revolution.
BASIC TEXAS BOOKS 151. HOWES N115, “aa.” CLARK III:215. GRAFF 3010.
RADER 2479. RAINES, p.154. SABIN 54948. STREETER TEXAS 1318.
$6000.
A Pristine Copy on Large Paper
139. Paris, Louis-Phillipe-Albert d’Orleans, comte de: HISTOIRE DE LA
GUERRE CIVILE EN AMERIQUE. Paris: Michel Lévy Frères, 18741890. Seven volumes plus folio atlas. Atlas with thirty color maps. Original
printed wrappers. Atlas in period-style black morocco-backed marbled boards,
gilt-ruled spine, marbled endpapers, original printed wrappers bound in. Fully
untrimmed, unopened set with leaves measuring 7½ x 9½ inches (including
2-inch deckle edge). Some professional restoration to wrappers of atlas, else
a fine set in unusually pristine condition.
“A massive and valuable narrative of operations up through Mine Run in the East
and Chattanooga in the West, by a French nobleman on McClellan’s staff ” – Nevins. Prince Philippe d’Orleans, Count of Paris (1838-94), grandson of King Louis
Phillippe I, the last French ruler, was a historian and journalist. He volunteered
to serve as a Union Army officer in the Civil War. His history of that war is
considered a standard reference work. Though the American edition in English
translation is a a fairly common book, the French edition is much less so, especially
in such fine condition.
DORNBUSCH III: 228, 229. NEVINS I, p.40.
$6000.
140. [Pennant, Thomas]: AMERICAN ANNALS; OR, HINTS AND
QUERIES, FOR PARLEMENT MEN, 1775 [caption title]. [Darlington: George Allan, ca. 1819]. [9]-16pp. Quarto. Late 19th-century red
three-quarter morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt. Lightly worn at extremities, spine rubbed. Bookplate on front pastedown. Pencil notation on
verso of front fly leaf. Very minor soiling. Very good. In a red half morocco
and cloth slipcase, spine gilt.
The second printing of this privately published work, criticizing Gen. Howe’s conduct of the war in America in 1775-78. Both editions appear to have come from
the private press of antiquary George Allan; this edition is printed on paper which
is watermarked “1819.” This version seems to have appeared in some larger work,
from the pagination and the title heading, “Miscellanies.” This copy has a notation
on the fly leaf in the hand of John Carter Brown librarian Lawrence C. Wroth, and
appears to be a deaccessioned JCB duplicate. Relatively scarce, with only a few
copies of either edition recorded by the ESTC. This is the only copy that appears
to have been on the market, last appearing in a Goodspeed’s catalogue in 1972.
ESTC N474410. SABIN 59756.
$750.
New Campaign Strategy: Attack the Candidate’s Grandfather
141. [Polk, Ezekiel]: VINDICATION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY
CHARACTER AND SERVICES OF THE LATE COL. EZEKIEL
POLK, OF MECKLENBURG, N.C. [Nashville: Printed by John P. Heiss,
1844]. 16pp. Modern half morocco and cloth, gilt. Modern bookplate on rear
pastedown. Small marginal contemporary ink notation on first page, small
stain on last few leaves, moderate toning, minor foxing. Else very good.
A rare pamphlet written as a defense of Ezekiel Polk, grandfather of James K. Polk,
who was accused of playing an unpatriotic or lukewarm part in the American Revolution. “This pamphlet is an answer to charges typical of the kind thrown about in
political campaigns, when a candidate’s private life and ancestry are turned inside
out in the hunt for seamy spots” – Goodspeed. “An answer to the campaign-canard
that Polk’s grandfather had been a Tory” – Midland. Rare, with only nine copies
recorded in OCLC.
AII (TENNESSEE) 115. GOODSPEED 203:933. MIDLAND NOTES 23:224. OCLC
7862755.$1250.
Firsthand Account of the Seminole War
142. [Potter, Woodburne]: THE WAR IN FLORIDA: BEING AN EX-
POSITION OF ITS CAUSES, AND AN ACCURATE HISTORY
OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF GENERALS CLINCH, GAINES AND
SCOTT...By a Late Staff Officer. Baltimore: Lewis and Coleman, 1836.
viii,184pp. plus three folding maps. Original blindstamped cloth. Spine slightly
faded. Minor foxing, several map tears neatly repaired. Very good.
A significant history of the Seminole War, by a participant. “Unsparingly critical
of Jackson, Jesup and the Secretary of War” – Howes. The maps are “A Map of the
Seat of War in Florida, 1836”; plans of the “Battle and Massacre Ground of Major
Dade and Command Dec. 28th, 1835”; and “Camp Izard on the Ouithlacoochee
River Feb. 29, 1836.” Potter was a former United States military officer who was
wounded at Camp Izard.
CLARK III:225. HOWES P515, “aa.” STREETER SALE 1236. SABIN 64673. FIELD
548, 1628. SERVIES 1902.
$3000.
143. Preble, Edward, Commodore: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED,
FROM COMMODORE EDWARD PREBLE TO NAVY PURSER
NATHANIEL LYDE, AUTHORIZING HIM TO PROCURE MEN
AND PAY NECESSARY EXPENSES OF OFFICERS FOR THE
U.S. NAVY. WITH A FURTHER LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION, ALSO IN PREBLE’S HAND, TO NAVY AGENT SAMUEL
BROWN, COPIED OUT FOR THE USE OF PURSER LYDE].
Portland, Me. Feb. 8, 1806. [1]; [1]p. on a folded folio sheet. A bit of old
tape residue along edge of fourth page (used for addressing and docketing).
Near fine.
A pair of letters on a single sheet, in the hand of Commodore Edward Preble,
written just a year before his death, in his role supervising shipbuilding activities
for the United States Navy in Portland, Maine. In the letters Preble authorizes
the procuring of petty officers for two of the Navy’s newest bomb ketches, U.S.S.
Etna and Vesuvius. The main letter is written from Preble to U.S. Navy Purser
Nathaniel Lyde at Boston. On the verso of this page Preble has copied out for
Lyde a letter he wrote to Navy Agent Samuel Brown, which reads: “Sir, there is
wanted five hundred dollars for the purpose of procuring petty officers & men for
the U.S. Bomb Ketches Etna & Vesuvius and for boats no. 11 & 12 at Portland
and near my post for which I am held accountable to the U.S. Navy Departments.”
Preble (1761-1807) joined the Massachusetts state navy in 1780 and participated in battles against the Royal Navy and Loyalist privateers. For a brief time
he was held prisoner by the British aboard the prison ship Jersey. After the war
he engaged as a master of supercargo and merchants’ vessels sailing to Europe,
Africa, and the West Indies. By the time of the “Quasi War” in the 1790s he was
eager to join the American navy. He was commissioned a lieutenant in 1798 and
promoted to captain the following year. In 1803-4, Preble was commander of the
U.S. Mediterranean Squadron, arguably the most important command in the navy
at the time, and his heroics against the Barbary states are what made his reputation.
He fought successfully against Morocco and Tripoli and engineered, with Stephen
Decatur, the destruction of the captured American frigate Philadelphia. After his
return to the United States he supervised the construction of gunboats and served
$750.
as an adviser to the Navy. 144. Ramsay, David: HISTOIRE DE LE RÉVOLUTION D’AMERIQUE,
PAR RAPPORT A LA CAROLINE MÉRIDIONALE. Paris: Froullé,
1787. Two volumes. [4],520; [4],xxxvi,673,[5]pp., plus five folding maps. Contemporary half calf and boards, spines gilt, leather labels. Lower labels lacking,
spine on first volume chipped, corners worn. Contemporary notations on front
endpapers. Several leaves loosening in first volume. Internally clean. Maps with
several discreet repairs on verso. Just about very good.
First French edition, after the first American of 1785. As an historian and a public
figure Ramsay made an important contribution to events in Revolutionary America.
His service as a military surgeon resulted in imprisonment at St. Augustine for a
year after the capture of Charleston. After the war, and until his assassination
by a maniac in 1815, he wrote a number of works of lasting historical value. The
maps depict various battlefields, with the largest being a map of South Carolina.
Excellent cartography.
HOWES R36. SOWERBY, JEFFERSON’S LIBRARY 489. SABIN 67692. NEBENZAHL, MAPS OF THE REVOLUTION, 62, 73, 84, 85, 199.
$1750.
A Massive Manuscript Account of Civil War Service
145. Reep, Jacob: REMINISCENCES OF ARMY SERVICE. FOUR
YEARS WITH THE 19th OHIO VETERAN VOL. INFANTRY.
ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND [manuscript caption title]. [N.p.,
but likely Ohio. 1896]. [1],1071 leaves, written on rectos only. Folio. First
three leaves with soiling and significant chipping, tape repairs on verso. Final
leaf with some chipping and soiling, a few leaves similarly affected. Mostly
clean and highly legible. Very good.
This lengthy manuscript is a vivid and extensively detailed account of the daily
life, military operations, and personnel of the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, written by a young dairy farm apprentice from Niles, Ohio who enlisted in September
1861 at the tender age of sixteen. The author has dedicated the manuscript “To
the survivors of the Federal armies, whose loyalty and devotion to the government,
whose valor in battling for a perpetuation of its Constitution and laws, gave us a
peaceful victory, and closer union.” Reep wrote his book-length account in 1896.
The 19th Infantry assembled at Alliance, Ohio in October 1861. Reep was a
member of Company G, commanded by Capt. F.E. Stowe. The eighty-five members of the company were mainly young men from the nearby towns of Braceville,
Warren, Niles, and Mineral Ridge. In the winter of 1862 the 19th Ohio was transported to Camp Dennison, just outside Cincinnati. Under the command of Col.
Sam Beatty the regiment traveled by steamboat to Louisville and Bowling Green,
where it joined with the 9th Kentucky, 13th Kentucky, and 59th Ohio regiments
to form the 11th Brigade, Crittenden’s Division, Army of the Cumberland, under
the command of Gen. Buell. In the early spring Buell’s troops joined Gen. Grant’s
forces at Savannah to battle Confederate general Albert Sydney Johnston’s troops.
Under the command of Gen. Walleck, Grant’s and Buell’s regiments fought the
Confederates under Johnston, and after Johnston was killed at Shiloh, under Gen.
P.T.G. Beauregard. In the present manuscript Reed describes in vivid and minute
detail the conditions of battle, movements of regiments, experiences of individuals,
and general impressions of the war. The hardships of battle and troop movements
are recounted as the 19th Ohio moved south to participate in the battles of Shiloh, Chickamauga, and Stone River in 1862. Reep was wounded in the battle of
Murfreesboro in January 1863, just after Gen. Rosecrans assumed command of the
Army of the Cumberland. He rejoined his regiment later in 1863 to fight in the
battles of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and Chattanooga.
After returning to Ohio for a short respite in November 1863, Reep recounts
the 19th Ohio’s movements through Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Parker’s
Gap. The regiment, together with Sherman’s military division of the Mississippi,
moved south to battles at Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, and Atlanta. The
descriptions of battle conditions and of individuals wounded and killed are quite
vivid in Reep’s accounting. From Atlanta the Army of the Cumberland moved back
to Tennessee, while Sherman headed across Georgia. They joined Gen. Thomas’s
Federal forces at the battles of Franklin and Nashville, and by January 1865 moved
through Huntsville and Jonesboro.
Reep’s narrative continues after the end of the Civil War, when in June of 1865
the 19th Ohio regiment was transported down the Mississippi by steamboat and
across the Gulf of Mexico to Matagorda Bay, Texas. From there the troops marched
to Green Lake, west of Port Lavaca. Reep describes the striking contrast in climate,
geography, and daily life in Texas as compared with the brutal conditions under
which the regiment had traveled and fought for the previous three years.
On Nov. 24, 1865 the men of the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry were mustered
out at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. Reep concludes his account by writing:
“In a few hours they were scattered all over twelve or fifteen counties of the state
and but few of those who were at Camp Chase that November night in 1865 ever
got together again, except occasionally at long intervals and for short periods only.”
In its four years of service the regiment had buried 253 of its original membership
of 1,492 men.
Reep’s account appears to be unpublished. It is notable for its remarkable length
and detail. A wonderful and significant Civil War narrative. $9500.
146. Reid, John, and John Henry Eaton: THE LIFE OF ANDREW JACK-
SON, MAJOR GENERAL IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED
STATES: COMPRISING A HISTORY OF THE WAR IN THE
SOUTH, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE CREEK
CAMPAIGN, TO THE TERMINATION OF HOSTILITIES BEFORE NEW ORLEANS. Philadelphia: M. Carey and Son, 1817. 425pp.
plus four folding maps. Contemporary tree calf, gilt leather label. Boards
rubbed, corners bumped, hinges neatly repaired. Minor ink markings on fly
leaves. Foxing throughout, scattered dampstaining. Maps slightly torn, otherwise very clean. Good.
The definitive account of Jackson as a commander in the War of 1812, with four
excellent maps including “A Sketch of the Battle of Talledega,” “The Battle of the
Horseshoe,” “A Sketch of Attack” made by Jackson (with the various troops designated
with hand-coloring), and the “Plan of an Attack made by the British Forces on the
American Lines in advance of Orleans on the 8th of January 1815” (also partially
handcolored). The maps are some of the best produced to illustrate major battles
in the War of 1812. The editors treat Jackson’s controversial management of the
intended desertion of numerous Tennessee volunteers with a questionable absence
of criticism. An engaging contemporary resource for the enterprising commander.
HOWES R171, “aa.” SABIN 69016b.
$1250.
Scarce Mexican-American War Narrative
147. Richardson, William H.: JOURNAL OF WILLIAM H. RICHARD-
SON, A PRIVATE SOLDIER IN THE CAMPAIGN OF NEW AND
OLD MEXICO. New York: Published by William H. Richardson, 1848.
96pp. plus three wood-engraved plates, one in-text illustration, and a facsimile
manuscript. Original pictorial green wrappers. Early ownership signature at
top of front wrapper. Very clean and fresh internally. Near fine.
Third edition, after the very rare first edition
of 1847 and the rare second edition of 1848,
of this important Wagner-Camp and Mexican
War title. This third edition remains quite
scarce and is seldom met with in commerce.
Richardson enlisted as a mounted volunteer
due to patriotism engendered on the 4th of
July in Carrollton, Missouri. He took part
in Doniphan’s expedition over the Santa Fe
Trail in the fall of 1846, heading south to El
Paso by the first of the New Year, then on
to Chihuahua and eventually to Matamoros,
where the command shipped by boat to New
Orleans. By July 10, Richardson was back
home in Anne Arundel County, Maryland,
and the first edition of his fascinating journal
was published before the end of 1847 in the
nearest city, Baltimore.
An important and well-written account
of overland travel along the Santa Fe Trail
during the Mexican-American War.
GRAFF, FIFTY TEXAS RARITIES 33 (1st ed). WAGNER-CAMP 137:3. CLARK
II:164. HOWES R262. TUTOROW 2630. HAFERKORN, p.50. RITTENHOUSE 480
(note). GRAFF 3496 (1st ed). SABIN 71093.
$4500.
148. Rodenbough, Theo. F., compiler: FROM EVERGLADE TO CA-
ÑON WITH THE SECOND DRAGOONS...AN AUTHENTIC
ACCOUNT OF SERVICE IN FLORIDA, MEXICO, VIRGINIA,
AND THE INDIAN COUNTRY.... New York. 1875. 561pp. plus plates,
including five chromolithographs and two folding maps. Chromolithographic
frontis. Contemporary sheep, recased with original spine, boards, and labels
laid down. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Tiny chip to bottom corner
of frontispiece, light offsetting to titlepage. Very good. In a cloth slipcase.
This classic work on the history of the military unit which became the Second
United States Cavalry offers accounts of Indian fights in Nebraska, Colorado,
Montana, and Wyoming. The appendix includes biographical sketches of prominent
officers in the Second Dragoons, as well as brief accounts of battles in which they
participated from 1836 to 1875. William Drown’s daily journal from 1852 to 1858
is present, as well as material on the Civil, Mexican-American, and Florida wars,
and the Mormons. The work is highlighted by handsome and bright color plates
by Edwin Forbes depicting military scenes; and two folding maps of battles, one of
the United States and Mexico, the other of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
GRAFF 3544. HOWES R395. MUNK (ALLIOT), p.191. BENNETT SUPPLEMENT
1, p.140. FLAKE 7399. SABIN 72467. TUTOROW 3312.
$1750.
149. Rogers, Robert: JOURNALS OF MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS:
CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF SEVERAL EXCURSIONS
HE MADE UNDER THE GENERALS WHO COMMANDED
UPON THE CONTINENT OF NORTH AMERICA, DURING
THE LATE WAR. London: Printed for the Author, and sold by J. Millan,
1765. [iii]-viii,236pp., followed by [1]p. “advertisement” for subscribers to a
second volume (which never appeared). Lacks the half title. Antique-style
three quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt. Boards lightly rubbed, glue
residue from an old bookplate on front pastedown. An occasional bit of light
tanning or foxing. Near fine.
First edition of this classic narrative of the French and Indian War. Rogers acted
as a scout for the 1755 expedition against Crown Point, and in 1756 became captain of an independent company of Rangers. He made scores of raids against the
French in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, going as far west as the shores of
Lake Huron. His exploits, detailed in this book, made him the most romantic and
famous figure of the war in America. The book has served as the basis for much
romantic fiction, most notably Kenneth Roberts’ Northwest Passage. Rogers went
on to briefly lead British rangers at the outset of the Revolution, raising recruits to
fight against the American rebels.
HOWES R419, “b.” GAGNON II:1828. GREENLY MICHIGAN 16. BELL R366.
JCB 1474. LANDE 760. WINSOR V, pp.592-93. CLARK II:58. THOMSON 996. SABIN
72725. TPL 393. VAIL 563. STREETER SALE1029. GRAFF 3555. FIELD 1315.
$10,000.
150. Roosevelt, Theodore: THE WINNING OF THE WEST. New York.
1900. Four volumes. [20],352; [10],427; [12],339; [14],363pp., plus five maps
and 153 plates. Original brown cloth, stamped in gilt, t.e.g. (other edges
untrimmed). Minor shelf wear and rubbing to boards. Modern bookplate on
each rear pastedown. Overall, a near fine set.
The “Alleghany” edition of Roosevelt’s greatest historical work, described by Howes
and others as the “best edition.” Roosevelt’s important history of American westward expansion during the Early National period, with emphasis on the northwest
and southwest territories in the late 1780s and 1790s. The “West” in this book is
the trans-Appalachian frontier from the French and Indian War through the end
of the 18th century, but the work certainly embodies the attitudes toward expansion which Roosevelt demonstrated after he became president, the year after the
publication of this set.
HOWES R433. BRADFORD 4701.
$2250.
151. Sampson, Abel: [Kendall, Edmund Hale]: THE WONDERFUL AD-
VENTURES OF ABEL SAMPSON, RELATED BY HIMSELF.
[Lawrence City, Ma. 1847]. 91,[4]pp. Illustrated. 12mo. Original pictorial
wrappers. Most of the front wrapper detached but present, portion along the
bottom lacking, some soiling; minor chipping to rear wrapper. Some light
scattered foxing. Good.
First edition of a rare account by an American seaman and war privateer. Sampson
was born in Maine in 1790 and first went to sea on a merchant schooner in 1808.
The next year he was pressed on board a British Man of War. He escaped and
worked on a slaver for a time, shipped on the privateer Saratoga in 1812, then did a
second more successful tour on the Yorktown before being captured by the British.
These adventures were followed by tours in the European, Indian, and West Indian
trades. He gave up sea life in 1820 and returned to his original trade, carpentry.
HOWES S59.
$850.
American Military Pocket Atlas
152. Sayer, Robert, and John Bennet [publishers]: THE AMERICAN MIL-
ITARY POCKET ATLAS; BEING AN APPROVED COLLECTION
OF CORRECT MAPS, BOTH GENERAL AND PARTICULAR,
OF THE BRITISH COLONIES; ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH
NOW ARE, OR PROBABLY MAY BE THE THEATRE OF WAR:
TAKEN PRINCIPALLY FROM THE ACTUAL SURVEYS AND
JUDICIOUS OBSERVATIONS OF ENGINEERS...AND OTHER
OFFICERS EMPLOYED IN HIS MAJESTY ’S FLEETS AND
ARMIES. London: Printed for R. Sayer and J. Bennet, [1776]. Titlepage,
2pp. dedication to “Gov. Pownall,” 2pp. “Advertisement,” 1p. “List of maps,”
and six engraved maps, handcolored in outline. Contemporary marbled boards,
rebacked to style in modern calf, gilt leather label. Boards worn. Maps with
some light foxing and soiling, light wear at edges and folds, slight separation
at some folds. Map 2 split along length of one vertical fold. About very good.
The “Holster Atlas” is one of the most important atlases of the American Revolution, designed for use in the field. It was issued at the suggestion of Governor
George Pownall and included the “maps that the British high command regarded
as providing essential topographical information in the most convenient form”
(Schwartz & Ehrenberg).
This collection of maps was published by Sayer and Bennet at the beginning of
the Revolution for the use of British officers. “Surveys and Topographical Charts
being fit only for a Library, such maps as an Officer may take with him into the
Field have been much wanted. The following Collection forms a Portable Atlas
of North America, calculated in its Bulk and Price to suit the Pockets of Officers
of all Ranks” – Advertisement. Although the publishers claimed the atlas would
fit into an officer’s pocket, it was usually carried in a holster and thus gained its
nickname. The atlas was generally bound in an octavo format, as is the case in this
copy. The six maps are as follows:
1) Dunn, Samuel: North America, as Divided Amongst the European Powers. By Samuel
Dunn, Mathematician. London: printed for Robt. Sayer, Jan. 10, 1774. Engraved
map, handcolored in outline, 13½ x 18¼ inches. Engraved for Dunn’s A New
Atlas (London, 1774).
2) Dunn, Samuel: A Compleat Map of the West Indies, Containing the Coasts of Florida,
Louisiana, New Spain, and Terra Firma: With All the Islands. London: Robt. Sayer,
Jan. 10, 1774. Engraved map, handcolored in outline, 13¼ x 18½ inches. Engraved
for Dunn’s A New Atlas (London, 1774). The “Advertisement” describes these
first two maps as “a general map of the part of the globe, called North America,
and a second general map of those islands, shores, gulfs, and bays, which form
what is commonly called the West Indies; these we consider as introductory, and
as giving a general idea, and we trust a just one.”
3) A General Map of the Northern British Colonies in America. Which Comprehends the
Province of Quebec, the Government of Newfoundland, Nova-Scotia, New-England and
New-York. From the Maps Published by the Admiralty and Board of Trade, Regulated
by the Astronomic and Trigonometric Observations of Major Holland and Corrected
from Governor Pownall’s Late Map 1776. London: Robt. Sayer & Jno. Bennet,
Aug. 14, 1776. Engraved map, handcolored in outline, 20¾ x 26¾ inches. First
state, also issued as a separate map. This map was re-issued in 1788 with the
title changed to reflect the new political realities. McCORKLE, NEW ENGLAND
776.11. SELLERS & VAN EE 143. STEVENS & TREE 65.
4) Evans, Lewis: A General Map of the Middle British Colonies, in America. Containing
Virginia, Maryland, the Delaware Counties, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. With the
Addition of New York, and the Greatest Part of New England, as Also of the Bordering
Parts of the Province of Quebec, Improved from Several Surveys Made After the Late
War, and Corrected from Governor Pownall’s Late Map 1776. London: R. Sayer
& J. Bennet, Oct. 15, 1776. Engraved map, handcolored in outline, 20½ x 26¾
inches. Based on Lewis Evans’ map of 1755, with additions and corrections.
STEPHENSON & McKEE, VIRGINIA, p.82 (an image of the Evans map).
5) Romans, Bernard: A General Map of the Southern British Colonies, in America.
Comprehending North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, with the
Neighbouring Indian Countries. From the Modern Surveys of Engineer de Brahm,
Capt. Collet, Mouzon & Others; and from the Large Hydrographical Survey of the
Coasts of East and West Florida. By B. Romans. London: R. Sayer & J. Bennett
[sic], Oct. 15, 1776. Engraved map, handcolored in outline, 21¼ x 26 inches.
Based on charts and maps by Romans and others.
6) Brassier, William Furness: A Survey of Lake Champlain Including Lake George,
Crown Point and St. John, Surveyed by Order of...Sr. Jeffery Amherst...by William
Brassier, Draughtsman. 1762. London: Robt. Sayer & Jno. Bennet, Aug. 5, 1776.
Engraved map, handcolored in outline, 28 x 20½ inches. Also issued as the first
separately published map of Lake Champlain, this excellent detailed chart was
based on a survey made during the French and Indian War but not published
until the Revolution. The map was issued in two states and is included here
in its appropriate (and preferred) second state, illustrating the very first battle
fought by the U.S. Navy: the Battle of Valcour Island, which transpired near
present-day Plattsburgh, New York. The inset in the lower right corner of the
map features an extremely detailed rendering of Lake George, surveyed by British
captain Jackson in 1756. No mention is made of Ethan Allen’s taking of Fort
Ticonderoga in 1775.
An important collection of Revolutionary-era American maps, intended for use
by British officers in the theatre of war, and here in handsome original condition.
FITE & FREEMAN, A BOOK OF OLD MAPS, pp.212-16. HOWES A208. NEBENZAHL, ATLAS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, pp.61-63. PHILLIPS ATLASES
1206. RUMSEY, p.311. SABIN 1147. SCHWARTZ & EHRENBERG, p.190. STREETER
SALE 73. CLARK I:189.
$22,500.
Glory: The Death of Col. Shaw at Fort Wagner
153. [Shaw, Robert Gould, Col.]: STORMING FORT WAGNER. Chicago:
Kurz & Allison, 1890. Color lithograph, 19½ x 26 inches. Matted and framed.
Near fine. See cover of this catalogue for illustration.
A dramatic rendering of the first major battle in the Civil to involve AfricanAmerican troops, the attempted storming of a Confederate fort near Charleston,
South Carolina on July 18, 1863. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw was killed along with
fifteen other officers and nearly 300 of his men. The print shows the Union troops
charging the ramparts of Fort Wagner, charging into the oncoming Confederate
rifle and cannon fire. A Union officer, likely intended to be Shaw, stands atop the
first rampart, sword held high, the flag waving boldly next to him. Union ships
float off the coast in the background, shells bursting above them.
Shaw (1837-63) came from a wealthy Massachusetts family noted for upholding reform and abolitionist causes. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Shaw
distinguished himself in combat, surviving the bloody battles of Antietam and
Cedar Mountain. After the Emancipation Proclamation was passed in 1863, Massachusetts governor John Andrew organized the army’s first black volunteer unit,
the 54th Massachusetts. Despite his initial refusal, Shaw was ultimately persuaded
by his family to accept the command. Sent to fight in the Union effort to seize
the border islands of the Carolina coast in the late spring of 1863, the regiment
proved its valor that summer by holding off Confederate troops at James Island,
South Carolina. “Two days later [ July 18, 1863], on Morris Island, Shaw proudly
volunteered his regiment to lead the assault on the impregnable Fort Wagner, the
first step in an offensive on the Confederate stronghold of Charleston, South
Carolina. When the Fifty-fourth charged the fort, 272 were killed, wounded, or
captured. One of those who fell was Shaw, leading his African-American troops
in battle. Although the assault failed, the bravery of the Fifty-fourth proved the
ability of black troops, and in death, the young Shaw was ennobled as a martyr to
freedom and as a symbol of enlightened sacrifice” – ANB. The soldiers of the 54th
impressed Shaw with their dedication and valor, which they demonstrated during
the Fort Wagner assault. Shaw was buried with his troops by the Confederates in
a mass grave on the site of the assault.
Shaw and his troops are the subject of one of the most celebrated works of public
sculpture in the United States, Augustus St.-Gaudens’s Shaw Memorial, on the
corner of the Boston Common nearest the State House. Shaw’s leadership of the
regiment is best known to many people today through the film Glory (1989), which
culminates in the attack on Fort Wagner and Shaw’s death. A dramatic portrayal
of this important historical moment.
BLOCKSON 111.
$6000.
A Key Work of King George’s War
154. Shirley, William: A LETTER FROM WILLIAM SHIRLEY, ESQ;
GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSET’S [sic] BAY, TO HIS GRACE
THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE: WITH A JOURNAL OF THE
SIEGE OF LOUISBOURG, AND OTHER OPERATIONS OF
THE FORCES, DURING THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE
FRENCH SETTLEMENTS ON CAPE BRETON; DRAWN UP
AT THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSET’S
BAY.... London. 1746. 32pp. Antique-style three-quarter calf and marbled
boards. Old library stamp faintly visible, title-leaf remargined in gutter, else
very good.
First printing of this account of important events of King George’s War in 174448. “The attack on Louisbourg in 1745 was looked upon by Shirley only as a step
towards a complete conquest of Canada, and the success of the siege at once raised
his hopes. Instigated by him, the English ministry approved of an expedition against
Canada, and a force of over eight thousand men was raised, principally from the
northern colonies. The British force which was to have co-operated was, however,
detained either by bad weather or by the blundering of the ministry, and nothing
came of the attempt” – Lande. Shirley describes the capture of Louisbourg by
British naval forces and New England troops under William Pepperell.
EUROPEAN AMERICANA 746/186. HOWES S424, “aa.” SABIN 80548. STREETER
SALE 1004. TPL 4703. LANDE 786.
$6500.
A Famous Seminole War Account
155. [Smith, W.W.]: SKETCH OF THE SEMINOLE WAR, AND
SKETCHES DURING A CAMPAIGN. By a Lieutenant of the Left
Wing. Charleston: Dan J. Dowling, 1836. [2],[6],311,[1]pp. Original paper
boards with original muslin cloth spine. Occasional light foxing. A near fine
copy, completely untrimmed.
One of the rarest personal narratives of the second Seminole War of 1835-36.
The volume was absent from the Streeter collection, which contained some of the
rarest Seminole War material. It is also lacking from several otherwise exhaustive
collections of southern military history.
The author was an officer in the South Carolina volunteer regiment commanded
by Col. A.H. Brisbane. James Servies, in the new edition of his Bibliography of West
Florida, identifies the author as W.W. Smith on the basis of a Niles Weekly Register
article about the book. Smith gives a general history of the beginning of the war,
then proceeds to a narrative of his experience with the South Carolina volunteers
between the formation of the regiment in January 1836 and the termination of
their service at St. Augustine in May. He gives a lively firsthand account of the
campaign and his part in it, with interesting observations on the land, natural history, and Indians, as well as military details. He also provides a “Vocabulary of the
Seminole language.”
HOWES S284. SERVIES, FLORIDA 1913. CLARK III:237. GILCREASE-HARGRETT, p.336. FIELD 1418. EBERSTADT 103:106. SABIN 81536. AMERICAN IMPRINTS 40183.
$12,500.
With the Famous Plates by Benjamin West
156. [Smith, William]: AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE EX-
PEDITION AGAINST THE OHIO INDIANS, IN THE YEAR
MDCCLXIV. UNDER THE COMMAND OF HENRY BOUQUET,
ESQ....INCLUDING HIS TRANSACTIONS WITH THE INDIANS, RELATIVE TO THE DELIVERY OF THEIR PRISONERS...
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE PRECEDING
CAMPAIGN.... Philadelphia, Printed; London, Re-printed for T. Jefferies
[sic], Geographer to his Majesty..., 1766. [2],xiii,71pp. plus folding engraved
map, two engraved plates by Grignion and Canot after Benjamin West, and
two engraved plans. Quarto. Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked to style. Corners bumped and rubbed. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Very minor
foxing and soiling. Very good.
The principal account of the Bouquet Expedition: a lovely copy of
the first British edition containing
the famous plates by Benjamin
West not found in the American
first edition.
Bouquet ’s expedition to relieve Fort Pitt displayed British
strength in the Ohio Countr y
in the wake of the conclusion of
the French and Indian War, and
brought an end to the Pontiac War
and the beginning of settlement
in the region. The Indians were
soundly defeated at the battle of
Bushy-Run and treated for peace,
releasing captives taken during
previous years. Smith describes
the campaign, gives an account of
the country, tells of Indian warfare, and offers recommendations
for repelling the natives.
“Originally ascribed to Thomas Hutchins, who accompanied this expedition and executed the 2 plans; but that
the book was prepared by Smith, from Bouquet’s notes, has been established. This
campaign gave Pontiac’s conspiracy its death-blow” – Howes. The important map
by Thomas Hutchins within the work is titled “A Map of [the] Country on the Ohio
& Muskingum Rivers Shewing the Situation of the Indian Towns with respect to
the Army under the Command of Colonel Bouquet,” and includes an inset showing “A Survey of that part of the Indian Country through which Colonel Bouquet
Marched in 1764.” The map, re-engraved for this edition, is the most detailed
depiction of the Ohio Valley up to that time.
The present first British edition contains two famous plates by Benjamin West
that did not appear in the first edition published in Philadelphia the previous year
(“The Indians giving a Talk to Colonel Bouquet in a Conference at a Council Fire,
near his Camp on the Banks of Muskingum in North America, in Octr. 1764” and
“The Indians delivering up the English Captives to Colonel Bouquet, near his Camp
at the Forks of Muskingum in North America in Novr. 1764”). In addition, this
edition contains an appendix not found in the first edition.
SABIN 84617. FIELD 1442. THOMSON 1066. HOWES S693, “c.” VAIL 572.
SIEBERT SALE 279.
$35,000.
157. Soules, François: HISTOIRE DES TROUBLES DE L’AMERIQUE
ANGLAISE, ECRITE SUR LES MEMOIRES LES PLUS AUTHENTIQUES.... Paris. 1787. Four volumes. [8],379,[3]-6; [4],365; [4],
420; [4],272,43pp. (with many misnumberings), plus three folding maps (two
partially handcolored). Half titles. Contemporary gilt calf, spines gilt. Minor
edge wear, spine ends of fourth volume slightly chipped. Armorial bookplate
on each front pastedown, minor insect damage to hinges. Light scattered foxing, two maps with short tears near the mounting stub. Overall, very good.
Second, enlarged, and best edition. An excellent work covering the history from
1768 through 1783 and the signing of the treaty at Paris. “In its completed form
the best French history of this war; Rochambeau aided in its preparation” – Howes.
The large map is a handsome rendering of the eastern and southern United States
north through a good portion of Canada. On the “Plan d ’York en Virginie, avec les
attaques et les Campemens de l’Armee combinee de France et d ’Amerique,” a number of
those locations are colored by hand, as is the case with the map of Long Island,
and Delaware and Chesapeake bays (both are on blue paper).
SABIN 87290. HOWES S770. GEPHART 1031.
$2500.
Early South Carolina Military Manual
158. [South Carolina]: A SYSTEM OF TACTICS; OR RULES FOR
THE EXERCISES AND MANOEUVRES OF THE CAVALRY OF
THE STATE OF SOUTH-CAROLINA. Charleston: Wm. Riley, 1834.
xii,167pp. Contemporary mottled calf, gilt titles. Edge wear and rubbing, neat
repair to spine. Scattered staining and foxing. Good. In a blue cloth box, gilt
leather label.
A rare military manual for cavalry troops in South Carolina, broken into six sections, beginning with instructions for training the horse and ending with the
specific maneuvers expected of the trained cavalryman. Only nine institutional
copies reported on OCLC.
SABIN 87370.
$5500.
One of the Most Important British Accounts of the Revolution
159. Stedman, Charles: THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS,
AND TERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN WAR. London: Printed
for the Author, sold by J. Murray, J. Debrett and J. Kerby, 1794. Two volumes.
xv,399; xv,449,[13]pp., plus fifteen engraved maps and plans (eleven folding).
Half titles. Quarto. 18th-century speckled calf, gilt; expertly rebacked to style,
spines elaborately gilt, morocco labels, marbled endpapers. An occasional light
fox mark. Very good.
First edition of a work that is fundamental to any collection of books relating to the
American Revolution. This work is “generally considered the best contemporary
account of the Revolution written from the British side” (Sabin). Stedman was a
native of Philadelphia, a Loyalist who served as an officer under Howe, Clinton,
and Cornwallis, and later became an examiner of Loyalist claims for the British
government. He had firsthand knowledge of many of the campaigns and persons
involved in the effort. He is critical of Howe, and describes all the major theatres
of war, as well as individual battles from Bunker Hill to Yorktown.
The beautifully engraved maps (the largest of which is approximately 20 x 30
inches) constitute the finest collection of plans assembled by an eyewitness. They
depict the sieges of Savannah and Charlestown, plus the battles of Saratoga, Camden, Guilford, Hobkirk’s Hill, and Yorktown.
HOWES S914, “b.” JCB II:372. LOWNDES V, p.2504. SABIN 91057. WINSOR VI,
p.518.$15,000.
160. Steuben, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin, Baron von:
REGULATIONS FOR THE ORDER AND DISCIPLINE OF THE
TROOPS OF THE UNITED STATES. PART I [all published]. Hartford: Printed by Hudson and Goodwin, [1782?]. 138,[6]pp. plus eight folding
plates. Contemporary calf. Head of spine chipped, extremities rubbed. Modern
bookplate on front pastedown. Light foxing and soiling. Plate I repaired at two
folds. A few small chips or edge tears to other plates. Very good.
A comparatively nice copy of this important military manual, which was written
expressly for the use of American troops during the Revolutionary War and first
published in 1779. The German-born Steuben, well-trained in the highly disciplined military system developed under Frederick the Great, served as inspector
general of the Continental Army. In this capacity he wrote his Regulations for the
Order and Discipline of the Troops of The United States on orders from the Continental Congress. First published in 1779, the work became the standard text for
the Continental Army and the United States Army into the early 19th century.
Fifty editions, abridgements, extracts, and adaptations were printed before 1800.
Steuben’s contribution to American independence cannot be underestimated. “He
was unrivaled among the citizens of the new nation as an expert on military affairs.
His introduction of European military concepts to the Continental army marks the
beginning of a truly professional military tradition in the United States” – ANB.
This edition was published three years after the first edition, and is one of two
editions printed in Hartford circa 1782 by Hudson and Goodwin. While most
references cite this imprint as having a date of 1782, the American Antiquarian
Society asserts a publication date of 1787 based on an advertisement in the Connecticut Courant in March of that year.
A good copy, in a contemporary binding, of an early printing of the first military
manual devised for the Continental Army, a foundation work for American military
history and the Revolutionary War.
SHIPTON & MOONEY 44279. EVANS 20780. BRISTOL B5608. TRUMBULL,
CONNECTICUT 2638. HOWES S951, “aa.” SABIN 91398.
$3000.
Important Revolutionary War Guerilla Tactics Manual
161. Stevenson, Roger: MILITARY INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFICERS
DETACHED IN THE FIELD; CONTAINING A SCHEME FOR
FORMING A CORPS OF A PARTISAN. ILLUSTRATED WITH
PLANS OF THE MANOEUVRES NECESSARY IN CARRYING ON THE PETITE GUERRE. Philadelphia: R. Aitken, 1775.
[8],vii,[1],232,[4]pp., plus twelve plates (seven folding). 12mo. Antique-style
three-quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt, leather label. Small portion
at top of titlepage replaced, not affecting text. Light foxing and soiling. Very
good.
A most important early American military manual, preceding the celebrated works
of Baron Von Steuben and, appropriately, the first book bearing a dedication to
George Washington. Edited by Hugh Henry Ferguson, the present manual was one
of the most significant military manuals associated with the years of the American
Revolution. The engravings illustrate the strategies promoted in the text, both
historic and theoretical. These celebrated guerilla tactics, combined with a superior geographical knowledge of local terrain, gave the Continentals a significant
advantage over the regimented fighting style of the British. In short, this is how
we won the war.
EVANS 14475. HOWES S981, “aa.” HILDEBURN 3290. NAIP w020757.
$7500.
First Account of Oglethorpe’s Expedition to Reach England
162. Sutherland, Patrick: FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE, OF DE-
CEMBER 25, 1742. AN ACCOUNT OF THE LATE INVASION
OF GEORGIA, DRAWN OUT BY LIEUTENANT PATRICK
SUTHERLAND, OF GENERAL OGLETHORPE’S REGIMENT,
WHO LATELY ARRIVED IN ENGLAND, AND WAS SENT EXPRESS ON THAT OCCASION, BUT BEING TAKEN BY THE
SPANIARDS OFF THE LIZARD, WAS OBLIGED TO THROW
THE SAID EXPRESS AND HIS OTHER PAPERS OVER-BOARD
[caption title]. [London. 1743?] 4pp. Folio. Modern red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, ruled in gilt, spine gilt. Bookplate on rear pastedown.
Old horizontal folds. Closed tears neatly repaired along the center horizontal
fold. Light soiling. Very good.
A rare account of the defense against the 1742 Spanish invasion of Georgia. In
1740, during the War of Jenkins’ Ear, Gen. James Oglethorpe, a founder of Georgia,
mounted an attack on the Spanish in St. Augustine, Florida. The Spanish repulsed
Oglethorpe’s colonial troops, and in 1742 made their own offensive against Georgia,
the defense of which is described here. This account was made by Lieut. Patrick
Sutherland, a member of Oglethorpe’s regiment who brought the news back to
London. He describes the Spanish naval attack on St. Simon’s Island, the colonial
response, and the land engagements that followed, all of which occurred in June
and July, 1742. The text concludes with a list of the Spanish forces employed in
the invasion, including “ninety Indians and 15 Negroes, who run away from SouthCarolina.”
ESTC locates a total of only three copies, at the British Library, the John Carter
Brown Library, and the University of Virginia. Sabin notes the copy in the De
Renne collection (now at the University of Georgia). Goodspeed’s bought the
Streeter copy for $1500 in 1967, which is the last copy that we have been able to
locate in the market.
ESTC T86385. EUROPEAN AMERICANA 743/209. SABIN 93962. STREETER
SALE 1153. DE RENNE I, p.114-115.
$20,000.
Key Revolutionary Work
163. Tarleton, Banastre, Lieut.-Col.: A HISTORY OF THE CAM-
PAIGNS OF 1780 AND 1781, IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES
OF NORTH AMERICA. London. 1787. vii,[1],518pp. (including errata)
plus one folding map with routes marked by hand in color, and four folding
plans, with positions and troop movements marked by hand in colors. Quarto.
Contemporary tree calf, recased with original gilt spine and board leather
laid down, leather label. Some edge wear. Contemporary bookplate on front
pastedown, modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Light dampstain in bottom
corner and outer margin of some leaves. Very good.
A standard work concerning the southern campaigns of the American Revolution.
Tarleton, the commander of a Tory cavalry unit, the British Legion, served in
America from May 1776 through the siege of Yorktown. He was infamous for his
brutal tactics and hard-riding attacks. His narrative is one of the principal British
accounts of the Revolution, notable for his use of original documents, a number of
which are included as notes following the relevant chapters. The handsome maps
and plans include “The Marches of Lord Cornwallis in the Southern Provinces...”
showing the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware (with routes traced by
hand in color); and plans of the siege of Charlestown, the battles of Camden and
Guildford, and the siege of Yorktown.
HOWES T37, “b.” CHURCH 1224. CLARK I:317. SABIN 94397.
$8500.
The Rare Militia Laws
164. [Tennessee]: THE MILITIA LAW OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE. PRINTED BY AUTHORITY. Nashville: S. Nye & Co., 1836.
38,[1]pp. plus large folding chart. Original cloth-backed limp paper boards.
Some mildewing to binding, affecting first few text leaves. Bottom edge of
text trimmed close. Final two leaves and folding chart detached. Good.
A scarce Tennessee imprint regarding the laws governing the state militia for 1836.
Include rules for dividing the militia into companies, battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions; provisions for electing company officers, laying out the duties
of various officers, establishing criteria for courts-martial; and much more. The
large folding chart formalizes reporting for the strength and condition of brigades
of cavalry. Scarce, with only thirteen copies on OCLC.
AII (TENNESSEE) 1793-1840, 343. HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY, TENNESSEE PAMPHLETS AND BROADSIDES 614. ALLEN 1308. ALLEN MORE TENNESSEE RARITIES 496. AMERICAN IMPRINTS 40446. OCLC 4569963.
$2000.
The Pursuit of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
165. [Terry, Alfred H.]: [CONTEMPORARY MANUSCRIP T COPY
OF GEN. ALFRED H. TERRY ’S GENERAL ORDER NUMBER
11, COMMENDING NELSON A. MILES FOR HIS EFFORTS IN
PURSUIT OF SITTING BULL, CRAZY HORSE, AND OTHER
“HOSTILE INDIANS” FOLLOWING CUSTER’S DEFEAT AT
THE LITTLE BIG HORN]. Yellowstone Command, Cantonment Tongue
River. March 13, 1877. [3]pp. on a folded sheet of ruled paper. Old folds, with
slight splitting in outer edges of horizontal folds. Small chip (with no loss of
text) at foredge of one fold. Near fine.
In the wake of the Battle of Little Big Horn and the massacre of George Armstrong Custer and his men, the U.S. Army launched a massive campaign to pursue
the Indian perpetrators, specifically Chief Sitting Bull. Nelson Miles, a Civil War
veteran and still not forty years old, was a leader in this campaign and saw several
successes, culminating in the capture of the Nez Perce leader, Chief Joseph, in late
1877. Several months before that success, on Jan. 8, 1877, at the Battle of Wolf
Mountain (also called the Battle on the Tongue River), Miles and his forces fought
Crazy Horse and his Sioux warriors, achieving an important strategic victory.
Following that battle, in February 1877, Brig. Gen. Alfred Terry, commander
of the Department of the Dakota, issued his General Order No. 11, congratulating Miles on his victory, of which this is a contemporary manuscript copy. Since
no army field press was available, it is likely Terry had several copies of the order
written out. Terry writes the Adjutant General of the Division of the Missouri:
I desire to invite the attention of the Lieut. General to the great vigor & zeal
which has been displayed by General Miles, his officers & men with extremely
limited means and under the most disadvantageous circumstances he has persistently pursued and harassed the hostile Indians & though this report is meager
in details, I think it is evident that he has gained a very important success.
In a portion of the text directed to Miles, Terry writes: “I thank you most heartily
for the zeal, vigor, & ability which you have displayed and I congratulate you upon
the well merited success which has rewarded your efforts.”
Excellent manuscript evidence of the army’s war against the Sioux after Little
Big Horn, and of the psychological need to publicize and commend military victories
in the aftermath of the Custer disaster. $3500.
Civil War Letters by a New Haven Boy
as a Soldier in the Trans-Mississippi West
166. Treat, Sheldon C.: [ARCHIVE OF CIVIL WAR LETTERS WRIT-
TEN BY LIEUT. SHELDON C. TREAT OF THE 4th IOWA INFANTRY ]. [Various locations, including Missouri, Iowa, and Arkansas].
1860-1864, 1873. Twenty-two letters and one brief biographical sketch.
Quarto and octavo sheets. Old folds. Some light wear and soiling. Very good.
Born in West Haven, Connecticut, Sheldon Treat emigrated to Missouri in 1859
to find work as a carpenter. Along with gainful employment, Treat soon found
himself on the front lines of what would become the Civil War. This fine collection
documents the transformation of a young easterner looking for work into a Civil
War soldier. His service included marching with Gen. Sherman from Atlanta to
the sea. The archive is comprised of four letters written before Treat’s enlistment;
fifteen letters from the war, including one from Treat’s commanding officer; three
letters written in the years after the war; and a brief autobiographical sketch.
In some ways the three pre-war letters are the most interesting of the lot.
Written from Forest City, Missouri, a troubled outpost near the Kansas border,
the letters provide a glimpse into the drama as war fever rose in an area already
engulfed by violence.
He enlisted in the 4th Iowa Infantry, where he proved himself a capable soldier,
earning promotion to second lieutenant by October 1862 and to first lieutenant in
January 1863. Serving mostly in the western theatre, he saw action in seventeen
battles and took part in Sherman’s March to the Sea, reenlisting after a furlough for
the duration. His letters reveal a strong pro-unionist as he became accustomed to
military life in Missouri, culminating in his first major battle, at Pea Ridge. Posted
at Helena in the latter half of 1862, the 4th Iowa took part in the early maneuvers
of the Vicksburg Campaign, and the archive includes a fine description of the fall
of Fort Hindman, Jan. 18, 1863.
There are also two excellent letters from later in the Vicksburg Campaign, written
after the regiment had been circled behind Vicksburg, to cut off any possible escape
to the east, though at heavy cost to their own ranks. On May 24, 1863 he writes:
We have taken 8000 prisoners and 75 pieces of artillery. Our loss is hevy. My
Reg has lost about 50 men. The 9 Iowa lost all but 130. Some Reg have lost
all their field officers and some most all their line officers. Jackson the capital
of this state is burned down. I am in camp on Walnut Hills 2 miles back of
the town in front is a big Fort still in the hands of the rebels....We have got
Warenton and Haines Bluffs both with all their guns and have got the rebels
whare we can tend to them jest when it suits us....
$6500.
The First American Army Regulations
167. [United States Continental Congress]: RULES AND ARTICLES
FOR THE BETTER GOVERNMENT OF THE TROOPS RAISED,
OR TO BE RAISED AND KEPT IN PAY BY AND AT THE EXPENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Philadelphia:
Printed by John Dunlap, 1776. 36pp. Original plain paper wrappers, stitched.
Spine worn, light wear and slight soiling. Discreet ink stamp inside rear cover.
Near fine, untrimmed. In a blue half morocco and cloth slipcase.
The first edition of one of the first and most important acts of Congress after the
Declaration of Independence. On June 14, 1776 a committee was formed composed
of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Rutledge, James Wilson, and Robert R.
Livingston. These committee members revised the 1775 code, which had been
published for “the Twelve United English Colonies of North America.” The present
revised code was recast so as to more closely resemble the British Articles of War.
The Continental Congress approved the revised Articles of War on Sept. 20, 1776,
and they remained in force, with one major revision, until 1806. This document
is the foundation of American military law. At the end is printed a resolution of
Congress, dated Aug. 21, 1776, and signed in print by John Hancock as president,
stating: “That all persons...found lurking as Spies in or about the fortifications or
encampments of the Armies of the United States...shall suffer Death according to
the law and usage of nations, by sentence of a Court-Martial....” It was under this
ruling that Major André was executed for treason in 1780.
EVANS 15187. NAIP w022042. HILDEBURN 3466. SABIN 74058. DNB VII, pp.58384.$25,000.
168. [Van Ness, William Peter]: A CONCISE NARRATIVE OF GEN-
ERAL JACKSON’S FIRST INVASION OF FLORIDA, AND OF
HIS IMMORTAL DEFENCE OF NEW-ORLEANS: WITH REMARKS. New York. February 1827. 48pp. Modern three-quarter polished
calf and cloth, gilt titles. Modern bookplate on rear pastedown. Ink ownership
inscription and tiny ink stamp on titlepage, contemporary ink pagination on
rectos only. Small closed tear in upper margin of last leaf, minor toning. Very
good.
The rare first edition of a laudatory campaign biography focusing on Andrew
Jackson’s heroism during the First Seminole War and the Battle of New Orleans.
Signed “Aristides,” Howes and Servies attribute authorship to William P. Van Ness,
friend of Washington Irving, former judge for the United States district court for
southern New York, a protegé of Aaron Burr, and his second in the Hamilton duel.
Van Ness’ pseudonymous defense of Jackson for his invasion of Florida during the
Seminole War, in which he extols the new president as the “Military Chieftain,”
arguing that “no man’s manners and character have been more misrepresented or
less understood.” “Ascribed also to Samuel Swartout” – Howes.
HOWES V36, “aa.” SHOEMAKER 31581. SABIN 35362. SERVIES 1354. STREETER
SALE 1214.
$1500.
Rare Confederate Cornerstone
169. Warder, T.B., and James M. Catlett: BATTLE OF YOUNG’S
BRANCH; OR, MANASSAS PLAIN, FOUGHT JULY 21, 1861.
WITH MAPS OF THE BATTLEFIELD MADE BY ACTUAL SURVEY...ALSO, AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE...WITH GENERAL BEAUREGARD’S REPORT OF SAID BATTLE. Richmond:
Enquirer Book and Job Press..., 1862. [3]-156,[1, errata],[2],xv-xvi,66pp. plus
folding map laid in. 16mo. Contemporary three-quarter morocco and marbled
boards, spine gilt, corners renewed. Minor edge wear, some rubbing. Some
repairs to verso of map. Internally clean. Very good.
A paramount Civil War item, with “...[m]uch local color and numerous incidents.
The action of each Confederate command is followed in detail” (Douglas Southall
Freeman). Howes notes some copies were issued with only one map, as in the
present case, and some copies were issued with two. “The maps are the best which
appear in any Confederate book” – Harwell. This copy includes the map titled,
“Battle Field of Young’s Branch, or Manassas Plains.” It is a very detailed illustration of the battlefield, drawn by James L. Bowen, and lithographed by Hoyer and
Ludwig of Richmond for inclusion in the official report of the battle. Scarce. This
copy includes a partial Portuguese dictionary bound at the rear (possibly reflecting
a Confederate transplant to Brazil).
HOWES W101, “aa.” CONFEDERATE HUNDRED 96. CORNERSTONES OF
CONFEDERATE COLLECTING 5. CRANDALL 2662. PARRISH & WILLINGHAM
5100.$1250.
First Major Historical Work by an American Woman
170. Warren, Mercy Otis: HISTORY OF THE RISE, PROGRESS AND
TERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. INTERSPERSED WITH BIOGRAPHICAL, POLITICAL AND MORAL
OBSERVATIONS. Boston. 1805. Three volumes. viii,447; vii,412; vi,475pp.
Contemporary calf, spines gilt, leather labels. Rubbed at extremities; foot of
spine on first and third volumes chipped, likewise head of spine on second
volume. Bookplate on front pastedowns. Each volume lightly dampstained.
Scattered toning and foxing. Still, a good set, in the original bindings. In tan
linen slipcases, gilt leather labels.
This excellent account of the events of the Revolution was written by a woman
intimate with those prominent in the Revolutionary councils of Massachusetts.
Throughout the Revolutionary period, historian, poet, and dramatist Mercy Otis
Warren actively corresponded on political matters with numerous leaders including
Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and especially John Adams, who became her literary mentor in those early
years of unrest. In 1805 her literary career culminated with the publication of The
History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. The book’s
sharp criticisms of Adams – that his passions and prejudices often debilitated his
judgment and that he had demonstrated a distinct leaning toward monarchy during his sojourn in England – led to a heated correspondence and a breach in their
friendship in 1807. After nearly five years Elbridge Gerry managed to effect a
reconciliation between Mercy and Abigail and John.
Howes describes this book as the first important historical work by an American woman. “Her history is interesting both for the expert knowledge it reveals
of public affairs and for its lively and penetrating commentary upon the leading
figures of the day, more especially for the caustic analysis of character and motives
among the ‘malignant party’ who opposed American freedom” – DAB.
HOWES W122, “aa.” SABIN 101484. SHAW & SHOEMAKER 9687. DAB XIX,
p.484.$3750.
With Detailed Battle Plans
171. White, Thomas: NAVAL RESEARCHES; OR, A CANDID INQUI-
RY INTO THE CONDUCT OF ADMIRALS BYRON, GRAVES,
HOOD, AND RODNEY, IN THE ACTIONS OFF GRENADA,
CHESAPEAK, ST. CHRISTOPHER’S, AND OF THE NINTH
AND TWELFTH OF APRIL 1782.... London. 1830. 136pp. plus ten
handcolored folding maps. Modern three-quarter calf and marbled boards,
spine gilt, leather labels. Armorial bookplate on front fly leaf, with ownership
signature (see below). Maps lightly dampstained. Very good.
An examination of the Battle of the Saintes in the West Indies during the American
Revolutionary War, written by British naval officer Thomas White. The battle was
fought between the British Royal Navy and the French fleet assisting the American
colonials. The work contains ten folding maps showing the engagement. With
the ownership markings of Sir Henry Bradshaw Popham, who served as governor
of the British Windward Islands from 1937 to 1942.
SABIN 103459.
$1500.
“Five of the rarest lithographs of the [Mexican] war” – Ron Tyler
172. Whiting, Daniel P., Lieut.-Col.: [ARMY PORTFOLIO. BY CAPT.
D.P. WHITING, 7th INF’Y, U.S.A. No. 1]. [New York: G. & W. Endicott, 1847]. Five tinted lithographed plates by Chas. Fendrich, F. Swinton
(2), and C. Parsons (2), after Whiting, printed by G. & W. Endicott. Each
approximately 18 x 23 inches. Expert restoration at sheet edges, else very good.
Matted and housed together in a dark blue half morocco box.
A very scarce series of Mexican-American War views, which according to Whiting
family tradition was limited to no more than twenty-four sets (see Goodspeed’s of
Boston’s “The Month at Goodspeed’s Book Shop” Vol. XXI, nos. 2-3, Nov-Dec.
1959, p.43).
Daniel Powers Whiting was born in Troy, New York and graduated from the
U.S. Military Academy, where he received formal training as a topographical artist.
He was assigned to the 7th U.S. Infantry, with which he served in various garrisons
before being promoted to captain in the spring of 1845. In the Mexican-American
War he served with the army of Gen. Zachary Taylor and saw action in the battles
of Fort Brown, Monterey, Vera Cruz, and Cerro Gordo.
Late in 1845, Gen. Taylor’s army was camped at Corpus Christi, Texas. In January 1846 it advanced to the United States side of the Rio Grande, remaining there
until May, when it marched on the strongly fortified city of Monterey, eventually
taking the city in September. It is this portion of the campaign that is portrayed
in the present work by Whiting. This work is one of the primary visual records of
the conflict (along with the Walke and Nebel portfolios) accurately recording the
area at a turning point in its history. The plates are as follows:
1) “Monterey, As seen from a house-top in the main Plaza, [to the west.] October,
1846...[No. 1 of a Series.] [after the capture of the city by the U.S. Forces under
Gen’l Taylor].” By Chas. Fendrich.
2) “Heights of Monterey, From the Saltillo road looking towards the City, [from the
West,] [Worth’s Division moving into position under the guns of the enemy,
after the action of ‘St. Jeronimo’, on the morning of 21st. Septr. 1846]...[No.
2].” By F. Swinton.
3) “Valley towards Saltillo, From near the base of ‘Palace Hill’, at Monterey. [Looking to the S.West.]...[No. 3.] [with the rear guard and wagon train of the U.S.
Army coming into the Castle after its capitulation].” By C. Parsons.
4) “Monterey, From Independence Hill, in the rear of the Bishop’s Palace. As it appeared on 23d. September 1846. [Looking East.]...[No. 4] [with the village of
Guadeloupe and Sierra Silla, or Saddle Mountain, in the distance].” By F. Swinton.
5) “Birds-eye view of the Camp of the Army of Occupation, commanded by Genl.
Taylor. Near Corpus Christi, Texas, [from the North] Oct. 1845.” By C. Parsons.
Whiting intended the series to continue beyond the single part which appeared.
However, the loss of the original drawings for the other plates aboard a steamboat
that sank in the Mississippi prevented any more than the present five plates being
published.
AMERICA ON STONE, p.175. EBERSTADT 162:910. STREETER SALE 275. Tyler,
The Mexican War, pp.24-45.
$27,500.
173. Wilkinson, James: MEMOIRS OF MY OWN TIMES. Philadelphia.
1816. Three text volumes plus quarto atlas. Atlas with four leaves of text and
fifteen (of nineteen) maps and plans (two folding). xv,855,[44]pp. plus seven
folding tables; [2],578,[260]; [4],496,62pp. plus folding table and two plates
(one folding). Text in contemporary calf, spines gilt, leather label; atlas bound
to match. Boards rubbed and worn, corners bumped and lightly worn. Foot
of spine on second volume a bit chipped. Contemporary bookplate on front
pastedown of each volume. Light dampstaining on first few leaves of each
volume. Minor worming to last few leaves in second volume. Text moderately
foxed. Atlas volume: First map trimmed close, with loss to portion of map.
One folded map repaired at fold with some loss, primarily in margins. Lightly
foxed. Overall, good plus.
Wilkinson’s long and detailed memoir, full of justification of his own actions, but a
vital work for the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Burr conspiracy.
Wilkinson (1757-1825) was a general in the American Revolution; he subsequently
served in Wayne’s Ohio campaign against the Indians, and was successively governor
at Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans. He was embroiled in Aaron Burr’s western
schemes and ultimately became a Texas landowner. The narrative begins in 1776
with his appointment to the Continental Army and his part in Arnold’s attack on
Quebec, and concludes with the end of the War of 1812. The atlas illustrates battles
in both conflicts. A fascinating and well-illustrated biography of one of the most
adventurous and controversial figures in American history.
STREETER SALE 1706. PHILLIPS ATLASES 1344. TOMPKINS 108. SABIN
104029. HOWES W429, “b.”
$2000.
America Enters World War I
174. Wilson, Woodrow: MESSAGE DU PRESIDENT WILSON LU AU
CONGRES DES ÉTATS UNIS D’AMERIQUE LE 2 AVRIL 1917.
Paris: Impremerie des Journaux officiel, [1917]. Broadside, 37 x 25½ inches.
Printed in two columns. Small areas of paper loss in upper and lower margins
from hanging, else very good.
French broadside printing of President Wilson’s address to Congress asking for a
declaration of war against Germany.
After years of insisting on neutrality, the sinking of the Lusitania and the infamous Zimmermann Note scandal persuaded Wilson that the time for action was at
hand. On April 2, 1917, before a special joint session of Congress, Wilson asked for
a declaration of war against Germany, and America entered World War I. Wilson’s
speech, known as “The world must be made safe for democracy” speech, would be
a defining moment of his presidency, and America entering the war would, in turn,
be the beginning of the end of the World War I.
In the speech, printed here in French on a large sheet and no doubt hung in the
streets of Paris, Wilson begins with a harsh condemnation of German unrestricted
submarine warfare and a review of the reasons neutrality was no longer possible.
He then continues:
With a profound sense of the solemn and even tragical character of the step I
am taking and of the grave responsibilities which it involves, but in unhesitating
obedience to what I deem my constitutional duty, I advise that the Congress
declare the recent course of the Imperial German government to be in fact
nothing less than war against the government and people of the United States;
that it formally accept the status of belligerent which has thus been thrust upon
it; and that it take immediate steps, not only to put the country in a more thorough state of defense but also to exert all its power and employ all its resources
to bring the government of the German Empire to terms and end the war....
The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon
the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve.
We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves,
no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but
one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when
those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations
can make them....
It is a distressing and oppressive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, which I
have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many months
of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great
peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars,
civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious
than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried
nearest our hearts for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority
to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small
nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as
shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.
To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we
are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the
day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might
for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she
has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.
A remarkable relic of the war to end all wars. $7500.
A Remarkable Japanese Publication About Pearl Harbor,
Issued in English in the Midst of War
175. [World War II]: [Pearl Harbor Attack]: SPECIAL ATTACK FLOTILLA. Tokyo: Japan Times, 1942. [8],82,[1]pp. plus frontispiece and twenty-three pages of photographs. Half title. Quarto. Original green cloth, gilt,
with two string ties. Minor sunning at edges, light wear along spine and front
joint. Internally clean and bright. Very good.
First and only edition of a very rare volume of Japanese propaganda, curiously
published in English at the height of the battle for the Pacific in World War II.
Subtitled Bushido in the War of Greater East Asia on the half title, it is a tribute to
the nine Japanese sailors who launched an undersea attack on the United States fleet
at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941 in a “Special Attack Flotilla” of two-man
“midget” submarines. None of them survived. The sailors were treated as heroes
and the text is nothing short of worshipful of the “Hero Gods.” Includes a fantastic
account of the attack, biographies of each of the crew members and skippers, the
text of their final letters to their families, an interview with the Japanese Chief
of the Naval Press Section of the Imperial Headquarters by Japanese novelist Eiji
Yoshikawa, and more. The closing text advises: “The end of the War of Greater
East Asia is still far off. In order to gain a final victory, the present total war must
be fought with unflagging energy to a finish, and for this purpose the nation must
form an even firmer resolution to gain complete mastery of all seas.” It is not
at all clear why this work was published in English, as the colophon, printed in
Japanese at the end of the text, warns that it is not for sale; this warning does not
appear in English anywhere in the book. OCLC locates only six copies (three in
the United States).
OCLC 3530134, 12420612.
$3750.
Horrific Photographs of Guadalcanal
176. [ World War II]: [STUNNING PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC
RECORD OF AN AMERICAN SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCES IN
GUADALCANAL DURING WORLD WAR II]. [Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. ca. late 1942]. Sixty-two candid photographs, most 4½ x 3½
inches. Contemporary leatherette covers, string-tied to black album pages.
Some edge wear to album. A few photos edgeworn, but overall the photos
are in very nice condition.
An astonishing, at times gut-wrenching, collection of vernacular photographs featuring the experiences of American military personnel in the wake of the Guadalcanal
Campaign during World War II. The Guadalcanal Campaign, or the Battle of
Guadalcanal, was an extended military campaign comprising several battles fought
between August 1942 and February 1943. It was the first major offensive by Allied forces against Japan, and resulted in a valuable strategic victory for the Allies
in the Pacific Theater.
There are numerous photos of wounded subjects in this album, with eight grisly
photos showing dead human casualties in various horrific conditions, likely all of the
enemy, and including not one, but two photos featuring American soldiers posed
with severed heads. In one, an African-American soldier smiles calmly while holding the maimed and severed head of a Japanese combatant. There are several action
shots of the American soldiers in battle, with two photographs showing explosions,
one shot of troops storming a beach, and one presumably showing a sinking submarine. The album also includes photos of downed aircraft and other after-effects of
recent battle, including at least one shot of a destroyed Japanese transport ship, the
Kinugawa Maru, which was attacked and sunk by American Marines just offshore
of Guadalcanal on Nov. 15, 1942. In addition, there are several shots of native
islanders, scenes of the American troops at mealtime and at prayer, troops on the
march, and more. Two photographs contain images of morale-boosting signs posted
on Guadalcanal and intended to encourage the American troops. One reads “Kill
the bastards ! Down this road marched one of the regiments of the United States
Army...Twenty of their wounded in litters were bayoneted, shot and clubbed by
the yellow bellies. Kill the bastards!” Another sign features a quote by Admiral
Halsey, reading, “Admiral Halsey says ‘Kill japs, kill japs, kill more japs!’ You will
help kill the yellow bastards if... you do your job well.”
The album concludes with several shots of the soldier who compiled this album
at home, presumably taken after his return from the war. He likely never realized
the historical value in the stunning photographic record he left behind documenting
the stark realities of war. $1750.
177. [ World War II Defense Photographica]: ALUMINUM SHEET
ROLLING MILL TRENTWOOD, WASHINGTON DESIGNED
AND CONSTRUCTED BY UNITED ENGINEERING & FOUNDRY COMPANY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA FOR THE DEFENSE PLANT CORPORATION 1942 – 1943 [cover title]. [Trentwood, Wa. 1942-1943]. 440 original photographic prints, two 8 x 10 inches,
the rest (438) 4 x 5 inches, each page of photographs with a typed explanation
of the images on the facing page. Plus additional printed items bound in (see
below). All affixed to leaves of a folio volume. Original green cloth, front
board and spine stamped in gilt. Shelfworn, cloth a bit soiled. A few photographs lightly faded or edgeworn. In very good condition overall.
A marvelous, likely unique photographic record of the construction of the Trentwood
defense plant in Washington during World War II. This volume bears the ownership signature, dated 1943, of “H.O. Shepard” on the front pastedown. Shepard, an
employee of United Engineering, was one of the assistant project engineers, and he
would have been intimately involved with most aspects of the construction of the
plant. More than forty companies participated in the construction of the Trentwood
plant, located near Spokane. Ground was broken in April 1942, and the first ingot
was poured less than eight months later. The first carload of finished aluminum
was shipped at the end of February 1943. The plant employed more than 2,400
workers, including numerous women (as evidenced by the photographs), and had
more than 3.5 miles of aisles among its various buildings. Built to manufacture
aluminum sheets for war planes in the United States Air Corps, the plant is now
owned by Kaiser and produces aluminum sheets for the aerospace industry.
The Pacific Northwest became the center of aircraft production during World
War II because alumina ore could be easily transported there by boat, and because
the vast amounts of electricity needed to refine the ore to aluminum were readily
available from the massive hydroelectric projects built during the 1930s. Once
established, the aircraft industry has remained centered there to this day.
This album is a comprehensive photographic record of the construction of the
plant, from the period when the land was initially acquired through its completion. The hundreds of photographs are enhanced by dated captions explaining
each image, often identifying the people that are pictured. The photographs show
groundbreaking and initial construction, including sewer lines being dug, railroad
tracks laid to the plant, supplies being delivered, water sources accessed, the various plants and mills being constructed, etc. Several pictures show the engineers
in charge of the construction, including H.O. Shepard. After early 1943 many of
the photographs show the plant and its machines in operation, including images of
female workers packing sheets of aluminum, operating electric trucks, and working
in the physical laboratory and the chemical laboratory. The final photographs are
dated September 1943, and most of these show the machines of the plant, as well
as the electrical system that was built in order to get them running.
Also affixed in the album is a contemporary twenty-seven-page pamphlet about
the Trentwood Aluminum Sheet Rolling Mill, a large folding construction organizational chart, two folding property maps of the plant, folding progress charts,
and more. Excellent documentation of the construction and early operations of a
major World War II defense plant in Washington. $2750.
The Official Army Map of the Wounded Knee Massacre
178. [Wounded Knee Massacre]: SCENE OF THE FIGHT WITH BIG
FOOT’S BAND. DEC 29th 1890. SHOWING POSITIONS OF
TROOPS WHEN FIRST SHOT WAS FIRED FROM SKETCHES
MADE BY LIEUT. S.A. CLOMAN, ACT’G ENGR. OFFICER, DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI. [N.p. 1891]. Blueprint map, 12½ x 14
inches. Older folds, some minor wear. Near fine.
Battle plan of the Wounded Knee Massacre, showing the location of troops and the
Indian camp, as well as the geographic features of the area. Wounded Knee was the
last of the major conflicts with the Sioux and the effectual end to the Indian Wars.
On the morning of Dec. 29, 1890 the U.S. 7th Cavalry attempted to disarm a band
of Sioux Indians whom they had rounded up the previous day. In the process, a
gun went off and the cavalry opened fire, killing about 300 Sioux, most of them
women and children. Several cavalrymen were also killed, both by the Indians and
by friendly fire. The map was drawn by Private James Hade of the 6th Cavalry.
$2500.