Description
First edition of the memoirs of General George A. Custer, My Life On The Plains, published in 1874.
Octavo, [8], 256pp, [2]. Brown cloth, title in gilt on spine, decorative gilt and black stamping to the spine and front panel. Fully illustrated with eight full-page woodcut engravings by A. Roberts, including frontispiece of Custer. Period ownership inscription on the front free endpaper, dated 1885. Color photograph of Custer’s final resting place affixed to the rear endpaper, ownership inscription on rear pastedown. Frontispiece is tipped-in after the copyright page. A near fine copy, with light rubbing to the tips of the spine. 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 largely of his own making, as he was known to 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).
