This is a pocket-size New Testament, hard bound, with embossed cloth covers, printed in New York in 1851. It bears an ink owner’s inscription of “Miss Margaret Coles” of Manchester, Va., dated January 1863, indicating it was a Christmas gift from a friend. There are a couple of other names in ink on a front flyleaf, one of whom is located in “Charlestown Virginia,” but the purpose or intention of those notations is unclear. The endpapers of the bible include a three page poem titled “Two on Earth. Two in Heaven,” and signed, “By Margaret Coles / Manchester Va.” This would be more accurately signed, “transcribed by,” since it was written by Emily C. Huntingdon and published in 1858 in a collection of poems titled, “Our Little Ones in Heaven,” by William Simonds. It may even have been in print earlier since it seems a response to a story published as early as 1853. Such a collection may seem rather morbid to modern American sensibilities, but in an age of high infant mortality, it must have provided some comfort.

Miss Coles’ home, Manchester, Virginia, is the name of a location in the Richmond area, but also the old name of “New Manchester” in West Virginia. Given the mention of “Charlestown” with one of the other names, it seems likely the book comes from that area. It would thus make sense as a war souvenir acquired by George W. Mowers when he served six months in the 21^st PA Cavalry and his company was posted in Harpers Ferry. This comes from the large group of his material preserved by his family, among which was a religious tract with his name and unit written inside and a notation indicating he had gotten it in Charlestown. Mowers also gathered material he picked up around Gettysburg, having lived near the battlefield all his life, but the notations that seem to indicate a West Virginia association point to that period of his service.

This is a nice example of a southern bible that seems to have been brought home as a souvenir and might yield more history about Miss Coles and the other names recorded in it with further research.   [sr]

Accompanied by military & pension records.

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