William Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics,
Isaac Howard's copy

First revised edition (1861) of the most widely 
used infantry manual of the Civil War

First revised edition, Memphis issue.  The 1861 edition was issued in Memphis, Philadelphia and New York; no priority has been established. Complete with 58 lithographed plates.  $3500

Commissioned by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, William Hardee's Light Infantry Tactics modernized American infantry drill, allowing for nimbler, faster-paced battle movements.  Though Hardee was a Confederate general, both Confederate and Union armies used Hardee's manual during the Civil War. 

This copy bear the ownership inscription of Isaac Howard, a Confederate soldier whose extensive correspondence with his father is an important primary source for military historians of the Civil War.  The "Howard Papers" are part of the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  This copy foxed and soiled throughout; some wear and soiling to upper cover.  An uncommonly well preserved example of this important battle manual.