Item No. 4672477

An 1861 first-war-year pocket edition of U.S. Infantry Tactics, published in Philadelphia by J.B. Lippincott & Co. under authority of the War Department. Bound in original blue-green cloth featuring a bright gold gilt spine emblem, this volume served as the official tactical guide for Union field officers and enlisted men at the onset of the Civil War.

Inside the front cover, the owner’s identification is written in pencil: “John R. Oatley / Co. K, 12th Reg. / 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 9th Army Corps / Richmond, Ky.” Corporal Oatley of South Kingstown had enlisted in Company K of the 12th on October 13, 1862, and was mustered out July 29, 1863, at Providence.

Mustered in at Providence in October 1862 for nine months’ service, the 12th Rhode Island saw heavy action at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862. It then went west with the 9th Corps in early 1863 to join the Department of the Ohio for the balance of its enlistment.

The book’s original blue-green textured cloth binding remains tight throughout. The interior text is complete with its full title page and tactical folding diagrams. The pages exhibit mild, expected age toning and scattered foxing consistent with field carry, while the front flyleaf pencil inscriptions remain crisp and legible.