Volume 1 only of Casey’s Tactics published by D. Van Nostrand in New York in 1862. Volume meas. approx. 3.50 x 5.25 inches and runs 279 pages with index.

The volume is bound in green cloth that is worn on the edges and dirty. Barely visible on the front cover is the embossed eagle and stars. The title and eagle are present on the spine in a faded gold stamping. All the plates appear to be present. Spine is a little loose but still holding together. Page edges protrude a bit beyond the covers and have become worn and slightly discolored. Green cloth cover is worn through in a narrow slit at lower right front. From the appearance and wear this book was carried and used.

The first blank page in the front has “CECIL CLAY” in period ink. The second blank page has a large “C.C. 58^th P.V” in period pencil. A comparison of the ink signature on the first page matches perfectly a known signature found online.

Cecil Clay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 13, 1842. He was an 1859 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He was 20 years old when he was commissioned Captain of Company K, 58^th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on March 1, 1862.

The 58^th served its time with the 7^th Corps in North Carolina until January of 1863 when it became part of the 18^th Army Corps. It was involved in several smaller actions in North Carolina but then moved to Virginia with its Corps in August of 1863.

The regiment was engaged at Cold Harbor and Petersburg. On September 29, 1864 at the Battle of Fort Harrison, Virginia, Captain Clay would win the Medal of Honor (not awarded until April 19, 1892) for leading "his regiment in the charge, carrying the colors of another regiment, and when severely wounded in the right arm, incurring loss of same, he shifted the colors to the left hand, which also became disabled by a gunshot wound".

The account of the Captains exploits in his own words is found on page 431 of the book “DEEDS OF VALOR.” Though a little lengthy it is exciting enough to quote in full here.

“We were drawn up about three-quarters of a mile from Fort Harrison, and before us was a stretch of open ground.  Our skirmish line advanced alternately firing and halting to reload, while before them the rebel skirmishers retired with equal deliberation.  As soon as our advance commenced the rebel guns opened upon us all along the line.  We lost a large number of men crossing the open space, but I could see no signs of wavering.  When we reached a point about 100 yards from the fort, where we were protected from the fire of the enemy's guns by the steepness of the ground, we halted to get our breath and close up the gaps in our line.  We lay down for a moment, and as I looked to the right I saw a few hundred yards away what appeared to be a brigade moving into the works by fours.  We thought at first that it must be the Tenth Corps trying to get in ahead of us, but it occurred to me that they were rebels.

At that moment Colonel Roberts rode up to us, his old-fashioned black stock twisted around until the big bow was at the back of his neck.  Grasping a revolver by the muzzle, and, waving it as one would a war club, he shouted:  'Now men, just two minutes to take that fort!  Just two minutes, men!' We sprang to our feet and dressed our line in an instant.  'Forward !'  rang out from the officers, and away we went.

We struck the works on the north face, where the ditch was fully ten feet deep.  The rebels fired at us and threw at us anything they could lay their hands on while we were jumping into the ditch.  The first Sergeant of my company was hit on the head by a fuse mallet and knocked down.  He jumped to his feet, mad as a hornet, and exclaimed:  'Damn a man who will use a thing like that for a weapon.'  A rebel officer mounted on an old gray horse rode out of a sally port nearby, and pulling up on the bridge which spanned the ditch blazed away at us with his revolver.  One of my men, named Johnson, who had been shot through the right arm, took his revolver in his left hand and emptied it at the rebel, but every shot went wide, and Johnson was left with an empty revolver.

Billy Bourke, a sandy-haired Irishman, had picked up the blue State flag of the One hundred and eighty-eighth Pennsylvania, the bearer of which had been shot at the edge of the ditch.  Side by side we two climbed the parapet, until we could look over into the fort.  No sooner had we raised our heads than a ball struck Bourke, cutting a gash across his forehead.  He knocked against me, and we rolled back into the ditch together.  Bourke was unable to see, as the blood was running into his eyes, so he gave me the colors and with the aid of a sword which I had plunged into the embankment as a footstep he hoisted me up on the parapet once more.  Meantime Johnston had also climbed up, and was shot through the left arm below the elbow as soon as he appeared on the parapet.  Disregarding his wounds he jumped on the banquette, leveled his empty revolver at two wounded officers who were crouching there and made them surrender to him.  Just then a little fellow fired at Johnson with a revolver and knocked him over.  In the meantime the division was stubbornly fighting its way into the fort and the rebels were beginning to retreat when one of them turned and fired two shots at me, drilling a couple of holes in my right arm.  Shifting the colors to my left hand, I continued to lead the advance until that hand was shot through also, and I had to stop and lay the colors up against the parapet.  Some of the One hundred and eighty-eighth came up at this moment and I handed them their flag, which I had carried throughout the entire charge."

Clay would lose his right arm but remain in the army. He was promoted to Major to rank from September 30, 1864, was made Lieutenant Colonel in November that same year and promoted to Brigadier General by brevet on March 13, 1865. He was mustered out at City Point, Virginia on April 24, 1866.

After the war, Clay became a lumber merchant and was President of the St. Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company in 1870. From 1883 to 1903, he was chief clerk and general Agent, United States Department of Justice. He was also a colonel in the 2nd Regiment D.C. National Guard, 1887-1897 and President, Board of Reform School, Washington, D.C.

He was elected Companion No. 00149 in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), through the Commandery of Pennsylvania, on February 7, 1866. He later became a charter member of the Commandery of the District of Columbia, when it formed in 1882.

Clay died in Washington, D.C. on September 23, 1907 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in gravesite 2-1012.  [ad]

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