Description
The scarce first edition of Personal Reminiscences of Gen. Robert E. Lee by Rev. William J. Jones, published in 1874.
Octavo, xvi, 509pp, [1], [2pp ads]. Publisher’s green cloth, title and illustrations in gilt, embossed illustrations in black print. A touch of wear to ends of spine, bright gilt, internally fine. Period ownership notation on front endpaper, dated December, 1874. Complete with frontispiece portrait and 18 full page engravings. (Nevins II, 68) (Eicher 263) An exceptionally scarce first edition of this work and never observed in this condition.
This work by Rev. William J. Jones is a partisan attempt to document the “absolute perfection” of Gen. Robert E. Lee. The author, Rev. Jones, was the chaplain of the Army of Northern Virginia and secretary of the Southern Historical Society. He personally observed Lee after the surrender at Appomattox wrote this book and another, “Life and Letters of Robert Edward Lee, Solider and Man” in 1906.
