Camp-Fire and Cotton-Field: Southern adventure in time of War: Life with the Union Armies, And Residence on a Louisiana Plantation by Knox, Thomas Wallace, 1835-1896 - 1865

New York: Blelock, 1865. First Edition. Octavo. Engraved frontispiece, 524 pages. One of the best first hand accounts by a journalist for the New York Herald Tribute who traveled with General Sherman and was one who accused him of insanity. His reports were of such use to the initial defense of the Confederacy that Sherman wanted him to be charged as a spy. He also gave many firsthand accounts of battles along the Mississippi River and the coasts. The images in his book include the Arkansas ramming through the fleet at Vicksburg (where he reports the Confederates had used African American sharpshooters), the Steamer Van Ruhl ramming the batteries and others not in other volume on these issues. His account of what happened as blacks gained freedom and were able to lease cotton fields for one year, show amazing profits with 10 of the top black growers each netting 2-3,000 each. Few copies survived in good condition. This copy has been expertly rebound for the serious reader in 1/4 leather over brown cloth, raised bands, red leather spine labels lettered and ruled in blue.