Post-Revolutionary War to Civil War
1829 Military Manual On Artillery And Horse Artillery
1829, Congressional authorized Book titled: “A System of Exercise and Instruction of Field Artillery, Including Manoeuvres for Light or Horse Artillery,” compiled by the Department of War, published by Hilliard, Gray, Little & Wilkins in Boston, Rare, Very Good.
In 1829 Congress authorized Hilliard, Gray & Co. to print 5,000 copies of this book for use by the United States Army. This hardcover, 7.5” x 4.5” book contains 78 pages of text plus 56 engraved plates, explaining in detail how to organize, move and operate artillery units in the 1820’s and 1830’s. This book has obviously been well used, the cover being well worn, chipped and cracked along the spine, and the contents being foxed and damp stained. Most of this book is intact and loosely bound, though lacking the introduction, contents and nomenclature (pages 3-10) and plates 1 through 8. Handwritten on the title page is the name of a previous owner and the date: “William A. Coggeshall 1842.” An internet search turned up a man of this name (1808-1882) from Newport, Rhode Island, who organized a company of adventurers, which purchased a ship and sailed for the California gold fields in February 1849. Another William Coggeshall was cashier of the Fall River Union Bank in Massachusetts from about 1850 till 1860.