PBA Galleries

[24] pp. With publisher's errata slip mounted on the title page verso; steel-engraved portrait of General Scott, laid in. 7½x10, bound in contemporary limp black straight-grain morocco with gilt ruling, spine rebacked in later black morocco, hinges reinforced with archival paper.

Presentation copy from one U.S. war veteran to another, Col. T[hompson] Morris to naval midshipman Robert C. Rogers, with ink inscription on front free endpaper. During this campaign on Mexico City, Colonel Morris served as Captain of the 2nd Infantry (in January 1848 he was promoted to major of the 1st Infantry, then Lt. Col. Of the 4th in 1855, retiring in 1861). During the Mexican War, he was made brevet major in April 1848, following the citation for “gallantry and meritorious conduct in the battles of Conteraras and Churubusco” (noted in this List). A native of Ohio, Morris graduated from West Point in the class of 1817; served in the Army for 44 years and died in 1870. Although Rogers was a naval officer attached to the 3rd Division, he and Thompson were present at two of the same battles as well as “employed” in Mexico City. Morris obviously had this booklet specially bound for presentation to Rogers. A few freshly-printed copies were specially bound for prominent officers such as Morris. This copy was bound without the map entitled “Battles of Mexico. Survey of the line of operations,” nor is there evidence that this map was ever present for this copy. The original wrappers not present, except a clipped portion of the original printed yellow paper rear cover "Extract from the Report of Major-General Winfield Scott..." tipped-in (facing the last page of text). The engraved battle plan was printed on different paper stock than the booklet, and the portable regimental press, which printed the List, obviously did not have the equipment to print such a map. It would seem that the map was added into later copies, which also had a second small 2-line errata pasted below the larger errata. The absence of the later issued map and the second errata suggests that this is an early issue of the List (and a third of the copies located on OCLC do not include the map). Rogers, or someone else, circled his entry in this List, which is one of the few books printed by the regimental press that accompanied Scott on his campaign. Howes S243.