Description
First edition of the memoirs of General George A. Custer, My Life On The Plains, published in 1874.
Octavo, 256pp. Burnt orange cloth, title in gilt on spine, decorative gilt and black stamping to the spine and front panel. Bookplate remnant on front endpaper. Fully illustrated with 8 full page woodcut engravings by A. Roberts, including frontispiece of Custer with tissue cover. Frontispiece is tipped-in after the copyright page, possibly a printing error. A near fine copy, with faint sunning to spine and bumped corners. A bright example with a solid text block. (Howes C981) (Graff 961) (Tal Luther 7) The first edition was also found in blue, maroon and green.
Published in 1874 before the infamous “Last Stand” of General Custer at Little Big Horn, this work details Custer’s military exploits in the American Indian Wars. It’s considered a valuable piece of primary source information. The legend of General George Armstrong Custer was much of his own making, in that he was known to covet the media and encourage coverage of his military exploits. His legend was also cultivated after his death by his wife, Elizabeth Custer, who wrote Boots and Saddles (1885), Tenting on the Plains (1887) and Following the Guidon (1890).
