A History of the Black Hawk War: Revised in Accordance with Recent Important Discoveries

by An Old Resident of the Military Tract

[30 Day Return Guarantee] Price: $125.00

Book Description

1832 A very scarce, enigmatic volume, this is a revised edition of a title for which known copies exist at Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Indiana University, and rare book collection of the Library of Congress. References to this edition are virtually nonexistent. A bibliography reference (Byrd, Illinois Imprints) cited from a 1967 Parke-Bernet auction, at which a copy of the earlier edition sold for $50, states: "Apparently printed in code, with chapter headings: 'Indian,' 'Squaw,' 'Warrior,' and 'Braves.' Despite the title this work appears to have little to do with the war, and may in fact be a ritual in code of some fraternal [probably masonic] organization, printed after 1900." To further cloud the book's history and perhaps cast doubt on the post-1900 printing theory, in 1884 the Grand Master of the Illinois Masons called for the widespread collection and destruction of a book with this title. Whether it was this volume or Campbell's 1834 History of the Black Hawk War is not clear. It may be noted also that according to one source a book was published in 1832 with the title "An Old Resident of the Military Tract," which, according to its rather brief description, featured a text either the same as or similar to the text of this offering. The binding of this offering is black calf, blank (no engraving), flexible and still supple and very solid with normal rubbing. Though soiled, it is in surprisingly good condition. A good portion of the interior is soiled, with pencilled notations on pastedowns and minor pencil underlining (primarily single words or coded terms) and minor marginal markings on fewer than an estimated 5% of pages. Two leaves are separated but present, and some of the stitching, which is rather sparse and brittle, has broken on one section of text, although the section is still attached and will remain so with gentle handling. A portion of a 3" tall label remains on the front pastedown, and the number "666" is stamped in red in the middle of a few pages, including the title page. Two leaves near the back, including rear free endpaper, are glued together to form a pocket. Although there is browning of leaves, it is not nearly as pronounced as it appears on the accompanying image.. Flexible Leather. Fair/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall.

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