IDENTIFIED COPY OF CRAIGHILL’S CIVIL WAR “ARMY OFFICER’S POCKET COMPANION”

IDENTIFIED COPY OF CRAIGHILL’S CIVIL WAR “ARMY OFFICER’S POCKET COMPANION”

Hover to zoom

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4 Image 5

$295.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 2026-1347

Shipping: Determined by Method & Location of buyer

To Order:
Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail

A nicely identified copy of William Craighill’s Army Officer's Pocket Companion by William P. Craighill. Based largely on French sources, this is a detailed manual, “principally designed for staff officers in the field,” based largely on French sources, but supplemented by American and English sources. It includes such essential and practical topics such as the order of march near and enemy, arrangement of camps and outposts, posting of sentries, organization of patrols, erection of field works, and practical matters such as creation of earthen ovens, etc. Handbooks and manuals like this were essential in the formation and training of huge numbers of inexperienced new soldiers, with the officers usually just as ignorant of military life as the enlisted men.

This copy shows use and wear to the edges of the covers and a missing spine, but appears to be complete and is nicely identified in pencil on a flyleaf, “John Murray / Asst. Adjt. Genl.” and in ink on the title page, “Jno. R. Murray.” This may be John Murray of Kingston, NY, who was born in Ireland and enrolled April 1861 at age 34 as 2nd Lieutenant of Co. F 20th NY State Militia for three months, and served until muster out with the company Aug. 2, 1861. He then received a commission in the US Volunteers as Captain and Assistant Adjutant General on August 27, 1861, serving until March 11, 1862, when his appointment expired “by constitutional limitation,” causing the appointment to be listed in Heitman as “negated.” We have not confirmed his middle initial as “R,” but he seems a likely candidate with the date of printing on the title page often a year ahead of the actual production and the copyright noted on the following page as 1861. He seems to have been a merchant in Kingston, NY, and to have died in 1870.

This would make a nice addition to a display of the military manuals and handbooks one might find in any newly-minted officer’s tent when the war broke out.  [ss][ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!

Inquire »

Inquire About IDENTIFIED COPY OF CRAIGHILL’S CIVIL WAR “ARMY OFFICER’S POCKET COMPANION”

should be empty