Front EPS inscription in ink “found on the body.” On front fldg. diagram, opposite title page, in pencil: “Lieut. A.B. Harris,” in pencil (twice). Rear eps inscription, in ink: “Found on the body of Lieut. (Capt.) Harris. Killed at Pittsburg Landing. By my mother and given to me / Henry D. Foster.” On opposite page, in pencil, “Lieut. A.B. Harris / Capt. A.B. Harris.” Between the two Harris inscriptions in a penciled name (Lined out)…”Capt. D.M. Stump / Co. “C”/ 6^th Iowa Infantry.”

After researching the names in the front and rear eps, it has become obvious that the book owner was not Captain Abraham B. Harris, Co. “C”, 6^th Iowa Infantry, because this officer survived the battle and resigned his commission, 1/2/1863. Nor could the owner have been the other name appearing on the rear eps, Captain David M. Stump, because this officer was cashiered from the army, 2/12/1862 and his name in the book is lined out. It seems probable that the body on which the book was found was one of the company “C” enlisted men killed in the battle, though it would have been highly unusual for an enlisted soldier to be carrying former Capt. Stump’s Tactics manual. Invites further research.

The book is the standard U.S. Tactics pocket size tactics book, published by J.B. Lippincott, Phila., PA, 1861. 350 pp., fldg. Diagram. In brown buckram, spine cover missing, page signatures tight. Covers worn at the extremities, heavily worn at the corners. The soaked blood—rusty red, w/purple tinge at edges of stains, is obvious in the eps, the front endpapers especially.

Assigned to McDowell’s Brigade, Sherman’s 5^th Division, Army of the Tennessee, the Sixth Iowa was heavily engaged at Shiloh, suffering 64 killed, 100 wounded and 47 missing for a total of 211.

An extraordinary, blood-soaked memento from Shiloh, from an Iowa regiment that fought desperately to staunch the collapse the Union right, 6 April 1862. Invites further research.    [JP][PH:L]

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