Richard Keith Call is deeply involved in the early history of Florida following Spain’s sale of this territory to the United States in 1821. He was deeply involved in the ruthless suppression of the Seminole Indians and in the events that ultimately lead to their near extinction.

In the ÆD, a search by printer – C. Sherman & Co. brings up 47 records and 116 when I dropped the C. in front of Sherman. This firm produced a steady flow of material about the Civil War.

Dickison, Mary Elizabeth. Dickison and His Men. Reminiscences of the War in Florida. Louisville, Ky.: Courier Journal Job Printing Co., 1890. 266 pp., plates. First edition. Original cloth. “A very good to near fine copy of the campaigns in Florida, by the wife of the Commander of the Second Florida Cavalry; a poorly organized but splendid picture of the almost unknown Florida campaigns.” Dornbush II, 189. Howes D-335. Nicholson p. 240. $750.

While it can be difficult to remember what one had for breakfast, “distant memoirs” or those written well after the events are sometimes the only records we can obtain to try to understand interesting events. There are 3 copies of the first edition on ABE and two copies of a reprint as well.

Another Florida related item is The Life of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Containing His Letters from Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas Island, Where he was Imprisoned Four Years for Alleged Complicity in the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln with statements... New York and Washington: Neale Pub. Co., 1906. ...Dr. Mudd was the physician who treated the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth. Krick 333: “Dr. Mudd’s sad story, and that of the legal affairs connected with it, is told by the doctor’s daughter and, more importantly, in his own words. A large number of original letters written by Mudd while at Fort Jefferson [in Florida] are the highlight of this book.” $650

Buy this book and you’ll have the perfect excuse to visit the Florida Keys where, for about $25, you can take a boat trip out to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park to see where Dr. Mudd was imprisoned.

The McGowan Book Company is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They maintain a web site at www.mcgowanbooks.com and can be reached by email at mcgowanbooks@mindspring.com. Their telephone number is (919) 968-1644.


The William Reese Co.
Catalogue No. 222: Historical Manuscripts

Recently a large envelope arrived containing something about the size and weight of a Texas steak. It was the recently issued Historical Documents Catalogue, No. 222 from the William Reese Company. It is an ambitious and demanding catalogue containing 190 items that in total command almost one million dollars. Lest you haven’t yet taken your beta-blocker today let me quickly inform you that there are many items in this presentation that are interesting and inexpensive, right down to $150. This is a catalogue of manuscripts, so the word unique can safely be attached to virtually every lot.