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1841 US ARMY REGULATIONS – ORIGINAL PRINTING AND
BINDING – SIGNED BY WILLIAM C. BROWNE, 1ST
LT., 8TH US INFANTRY, TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA
DURING THE SEMINOLE WARS – VERY NICE EARLY AND HISTORIC
VOLUME: This edition of the GENERAL
REGULATIONS FOR THE ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES 1841
was printed in Washington, by J. and G. S. Gideon in
1841. Retaining its original cloth bound covers with
the title imprinted on the spine in gold leaf, this
edition has survived in very good condition considering
its age and history. As evidenced by the ink
inscription on the inside of the front cover, and again
on the first page, this was the personal copy of 1st
Lieutenant William C. Browne, 8th US Infantry
who was in Tampa Bay, Florida when he received this
volume on May 9th, 1841.
According to the Historical Register and Dictionary
of the U.S. Army, Volume 1, by Heitman (page 255),
Lt. Browne was born in Maryland and entered the service
from Pennsylvania. He was appointed as a second
lieutenant in the 8th Infantry on July 7,
1838, was promoted to first lieutenant on October 1,
1840 and resigned his commission on December 31, 1845.
His assignment to Florida with the 8th
Infantry was during the period known as the Seminole
Wars and he was likely posted at Ft. Brooke which is at
the head of Tampa Bay. Various elements of the 8th
US Infantry fought in a number of engagements with the
Seminoles in Florida during 1841 and 1842.
Lt. Browne was apparently a very conscientious officer
as he maintained his copy of the regulations with
updates he received and pasted into the appropriate
pages. Attached to page 28 is a hand written original
General Order No. 43, issued by the Adjutant General’s
office in July of 1841 amending the conditions of
requesting a leave of absence. The two page order is
signed for Maj. Gen. Scott, Chief of Staff of the Army,
by then Captain Lorenzo Thomas, Assistant Adjutant
General. Thomas would eventually retire with the brevet
rank of major general. On page 191, Lt. Browne pasted a
printed, published amendment to the regulations dated
1842 dealing with travel allowances.
This volume is in remarkable condition considering the
age and the fact that it was in the possession of an
officer serving in what was then a frontier post, as
opposed to the more civilized environment of an
established urban setting. The covers show some light
wear and the binding and spine are generally strong with
some minor loosening, but no loss of content or
integrity. All of the pages are intact, in very good
condition and legible. The book measures 7 ¾” by 5” and
consists of 419 pages.
The content covers all aspects of
military life in the most minute detail to include a
full section on uniform specifications for all ranks and
a full description of authorized horse equipment.
Overall this manual makes for some interesting reading
and is an excellent view into the daily life of the
army, particularly on the frontier of the period, and
has the added value of being identified as the personal
property of an officer serving in one of the earliest
Indian Wars campaigns. (C 122)
$350
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