BATTLE OF WATERLOO by Hugo Victor - 1863

New York: J. Bradburn, 1863. Presumed first edition thus, AND VERY RARE. Small 8vo, in the publisher's original printed green paper wrappers stitched with thread, the upper cover lettered in black within a multi-ruled framework, the final leaf of ads serving as the lower cover. 76pp., 4 ads. A remarkably well preserved copy of this very rare printing, the text-block quite pleasing, the upper wrapper in excellent condition, the paper at the spine a bit worn and the lower wrapper lacking. A previous owners neat diagram of the battle is penciled on the blank verso of the title-page. A VERY RARE SEPARATE PRINTING OF THIS CONCISE AND VIVID ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AS PART OF LES MISERABLES. While there were several noteworthy 20th century printings, this is the earliest of the contemporary 19th century printings. ONLY SIX COPIES ARE LISTED IN INSTITUTIONAL HOLDINGS; Harvard, Yale, New York Public Library, The Huntington, Boston University, and the University of Pennsylvania. We can find no other copies of any of the 19th century imprints currently on the market whatsoever. This copy, the earliest of the imprints and in fully original period state, should be considered very rare.
Hugo's account of Waterloo originally appeared as part of Les Miserables. It is a romantic and idealized telling from the viewpoint of a Republican and a Bonapartist, very similar to Marius Pontmercy. The major events of the battle are there and quite accurately; the charge of the Ney, the fall of the Guard, etc. The smaller points are all quite plausible; the Colonel of the Guard not surrendering, Ney calling out to the retreating troops "come now and watch how a Marshal of France dies!" and the ferocious fighting that occurred through the the battle. There are only a few fantastical parts clearly there only for literary reasons.