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Auction archive: Lot number 875

Military Guide For Young Officers

Estimate
n. a.
Price realised:
US$7,475
Auction archive: Lot number 875

Military Guide For Young Officers

Estimate
n. a.
Price realised:
US$7,475
Beschreibung:

The Military Guide For Young Officers...Containing the Experience of many brave Heroes in Critical Situations. Including an Excellent Military, Historical, and Explanatory Dictionary. Simes, Thomas. 2 vols. Philadelphia: (sold by) Humphreys, Bell, and Aitken, 1776. 8vo, full leather. Vol I with 284 numbered pages, plus 5pp index, one foldout chart facing p300 outlining cavalry furnishings and standards. Vol. II is primarily the dictionary, pages not numbered, then Extracts from a Military Essay... by Campbell Dalrymple, 31 numbered pages plus 8 plates and explanations, plates 4 and 8 are fold-out, and Manual Exercise as Ordered by His Majesty in the Year 1764, 35 numbered pages and 2 fold-out plates. (Vol. II is listed in Evans as 15083) This publication likely represents the earliest military guide published in the infant United States. While there were a number of titles reported to be "standards" for officers of the day, all were published in Britain, and, indeed, it was the British Army that was primarily responsible for defense of the colonies. Each colony had its militia, but those troops were not well trained, and supplied their own arms, food, etc. Once war was declared against His Majesty, the fledgling Continental forces needed to be trained, and to know how their opponents were trained. Simes' book was one of the favorites of European troops, in part because it was written to be understood by relatively unsophisticated recruits (Simes reported that he wrote the first edition for Irish recruits). What better for a "raw" colonial force? Ffep of both volumes bear the inked manuscript inscription September 27th 1781 / Samuel Henderson / his book. Front cover of Vol. 2 with inked names: John Carson, James Henderson and P. Myerame (possibly Myerson)?? The owner(s) of these important volumes remain elusive, in part because similar names appear regularly in the early records of the Republic. Samuel Henderson, for example, appears to have served on the Continental Line in NC; several Samuel Hendersons from VA served the patriot cause. The names of James Carson, Samuel Henderson and James Henderson of Cumberland Co., PA, three signed the Petition to Land Commissioners, Louisiana Purchase (Missouri), 1810. A fine rarity from the Revolution. Condition: Binding shows wear, bumped corners and minor water wrinkling. Binding tight, boards intact, slight splits at top of front and back hinges of Vol. 2. Generally binding and boards in very good condition. Minor toning and foxing of pages, as expected.

Auction archive: Lot number 875
Auction:
Datum:
15 Nov 2006
Auction house:
Cowan's Auctions, Inc.
Este Ave 6270
Cincinnati OH 45232
United States
info@cowans.com
+1 (0)513 8711670
+1 (0)513 8718670
Beschreibung:

The Military Guide For Young Officers...Containing the Experience of many brave Heroes in Critical Situations. Including an Excellent Military, Historical, and Explanatory Dictionary. Simes, Thomas. 2 vols. Philadelphia: (sold by) Humphreys, Bell, and Aitken, 1776. 8vo, full leather. Vol I with 284 numbered pages, plus 5pp index, one foldout chart facing p300 outlining cavalry furnishings and standards. Vol. II is primarily the dictionary, pages not numbered, then Extracts from a Military Essay... by Campbell Dalrymple, 31 numbered pages plus 8 plates and explanations, plates 4 and 8 are fold-out, and Manual Exercise as Ordered by His Majesty in the Year 1764, 35 numbered pages and 2 fold-out plates. (Vol. II is listed in Evans as 15083) This publication likely represents the earliest military guide published in the infant United States. While there were a number of titles reported to be "standards" for officers of the day, all were published in Britain, and, indeed, it was the British Army that was primarily responsible for defense of the colonies. Each colony had its militia, but those troops were not well trained, and supplied their own arms, food, etc. Once war was declared against His Majesty, the fledgling Continental forces needed to be trained, and to know how their opponents were trained. Simes' book was one of the favorites of European troops, in part because it was written to be understood by relatively unsophisticated recruits (Simes reported that he wrote the first edition for Irish recruits). What better for a "raw" colonial force? Ffep of both volumes bear the inked manuscript inscription September 27th 1781 / Samuel Henderson / his book. Front cover of Vol. 2 with inked names: John Carson, James Henderson and P. Myerame (possibly Myerson)?? The owner(s) of these important volumes remain elusive, in part because similar names appear regularly in the early records of the Republic. Samuel Henderson, for example, appears to have served on the Continental Line in NC; several Samuel Hendersons from VA served the patriot cause. The names of James Carson, Samuel Henderson and James Henderson of Cumberland Co., PA, three signed the Petition to Land Commissioners, Louisiana Purchase (Missouri), 1810. A fine rarity from the Revolution. Condition: Binding shows wear, bumped corners and minor water wrinkling. Binding tight, boards intact, slight splits at top of front and back hinges of Vol. 2. Generally binding and boards in very good condition. Minor toning and foxing of pages, as expected.

Auction archive: Lot number 875
Auction:
Datum:
15 Nov 2006
Auction house:
Cowan's Auctions, Inc.
Este Ave 6270
Cincinnati OH 45232
United States
info@cowans.com
+1 (0)513 8711670
+1 (0)513 8718670
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