Memoirs of General William T. Sherman, First Edition, Two-Volume Set, 1875

Sherman, William T. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, Written By Himself. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1875. First edition. In two volumes. Rebound in quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers. New custom archival cloth slipcase with ribbon and inlay.

Presented is a first edition printing of The Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman. This two volume book set was published by D. Appleton and Company, in New York, in 1875. It is presented here, rebound in striking quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers, and a custom archival cloth slipcase to fit both books. 

Ten years after the end of the Civil War, Sherman became the first General to publish his memoirs of that period. He began writing his account  in 1872 and the two volumes were published by D. Appleton and Company in the spring of 1875.  According to the publisher’s prospectus, the two volume set was originally offered in four different bindings, including fine blue cloth, green cloth, full sheepskin, and half blue moroccan leath. 

Sherman explains his motivations for writing in the preface of Volume I: “Nearly ten years have passed since the close of the civil war in America, and yet no satisfactory history thereof is accessible to the public;…. What is now offered is not designed as a history of the war, or even as a complete account of all the incidents in which the writer bore a part, but merely his recollection of events, corrected by a reference to his own memoranda, which may assist the future historian when he comes to describe the whole, and account for the motives and reasons which influenced some of the actors in the grand drama of war.” 

His two volume account touches briefly on his early life, including his time at West Point, his life in and out of the army in Florida, California, New York, Kansas, and Louisiana. Yet the bulk of the writing is focused on the Civil War. “Written with the propulsive energy and intelligence that marked his campaigns” his memoir provides firsthand accounts of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the infamous Atlanta campaign, and his march to the sea through Georgia and the Carolinas. 

The memoir describes striking incidents and anecdotes and collects dozens of his incisive and often outspoken wartime orders and reports. Throughout it all, Sherman is quite frank in describing the rights and wrongs of the campaigns he saw, writing without much concern for the feelings or experiences of others. This complex self-portrait of an innovative and relentless American general provides for a vivid read and an exceptional Civil War account. 

CONDITION:

Good condition. First edition. In two volumes. Beautifully rebound. Quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers. Paper is good, with toning as to be expected. No tears. Scattered spots. With a new custom archival cloth slipcase with pull ribbon and inlay of Sherman’s portrait on the front. Large fold-out map removed from pocket of Volume II, restored by a conservator, and tipped in with new guard. Fold lines on map, from past storage.

Book Dimensions: 8 7/8" H x 6 1/8" W x 1 1/2" D (Vol I). 8 7/8" H x 6 1/8" W x 1 5/8" D (Vol II). Slipcase Dimensions: 9 1/4" H x 6 1/2" W x 3 3/4" D.