Two Scarce First Editions on South Carolina Civil War Brigades

J[ames] F[itz] J[ames] Caldwell. THE HISTORY OF A BRIGADE OF SOUTH CAROLINIANS, KNOWN FIRST AS "GREGG'S," AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS "McGOWAN'S BRIGADE." Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1866. First edition. Front endpaper signed in pencil "From the / author / J F J Caldwell." Hardcover. Blind-stamped red cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering on the spine. 12mo; 247, [1]pp. Howes C22; Sabin 9916.

D[avid] Augustus Dickert. HISTORY OF KERSHAW'S BRIGADE, WITH COMPLETE ROLL OF COMPANIES, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, INCIDENTS, ANECDOTES, ETC. Newberry, SC: Elbert H. Aull Company, 1899. First edition. Hardcover. Pebbled cloth-covered boards, with gilt lettering on the spine, and patterned endpapers. 8vo; [1-9], 10-583, [1] blank, [1]-5 index, [1] blank, 2pp. errata. Introduction by Associate Justice Y. J. Pope; with (5) total plates including frontispiece, and appendix with rolls of members in the brigade. Howes D323.

7 3/8 x 4 3/4 in.; 9 1/4 x 6 1/4 in.

James Fitz James Caldwell (1837-1925) was a lawyer from South Carolina. He served in the Confederate Army in the 1st South Carolina Infantry, and worked as an aide-de-camp to General Samuel McGowan. Howes calls Caldwell's book "One of the best chronicles of a Confederate military organization."

Caldwell's book with light scuffing and marks to boards, spine sunned, with wear to extremities including spine ends; small tear to cloth at front joint and front hinge cracked with separation from text block; interior with wear at inner margins, general handling and age wear, scattered foxing, staining, grime, a few leaves with damp staining, a few small burn holes, some pencil notations, and ownership signature. Dickert's book with age wear to cloth board including some damp staining; lacking some plates, gutter and hinge cracking, pencil notations, ownership signature, and a fair amount of wear through out from moisture, age, and general use, with heaviest wear and staining through preliminaries and one fairly substantial loss to one leaf. Both rather fragile copies, but quite scarce.