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Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00768.01 Author/Creator: Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Book signed Date: 1866 Pagination: 272 p. 19 x 13 cm Order a Copy

First edition of Melville's only book of poetry. Inscribed on inital blank facing the titlepage: "Major Edward Y. Lansing from H. Melville. As a souvenir of his soldier hospitality at the cavalry camp in the Virginia woods, April 1864." Also inscriped by Lansing in pencil on page 187 above the peom "The Scout toward Aldis": "Major Edwin Y. Lansing's cavalry camp in the Virginia woods, April 1864." In April, 1864 Melville and his brother obtained a pass to visit the front to search for their cousin, Colonel Henry Gansevoort. Melville met Lansing in a scouting party he and his brother accomanied, and experienced a brief skirmish with the enemy.

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