The Soldier’s Story [Salesman’s Dummy or Canvassing Book].

Early post-Civil War and Pre-Chicago Fire canvassing book for a memoir of captivity in the Confederate prison at Andersonville

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Early post-Civil War and pre-Chicago Fire canvassing book for a memoir of captivity in the Confederate prisons at Andersonville and elsewhere.

Six manuscript pages in the subscription register section record eight (possibly nine) copies sold by the male canvasser as well as an accounting of his sales and expenses. The sample text section includes a presentation leaf and four, full-page illustrations by Thomas Nast.

The author, who served in the Second Massachusetts Regiment of Heavy Artillery, chronicles his own experiences in prison and describes conditions at other Confederate prisons such as Belle Island (Isle) and Libby Prisons in Virginia.

The canvassing book includes extracts from the text, a selection from the appendix containing all the names of Union soldiers who died at Andersonville (arranged by state), the complete proposed table of contents, the introduction, and several newspaper testimonials about the book.

Also found are samples of the book’s plans, maps, and illustrations. In addition to the Nast illustration plates, there are several illustrations made from contemporary photographs.

The salesman’s dummy contains four sample book spines displaying different versions of the bookbinding styles that were available for the published book: green and ruby “English Cloth”; “Fine Leather” (sheep—“Library Edition”); and “Best French Morocco.” The latter sample folds out to reveal a full-size example of the heavily gilt decorated upper cover.

A section of subscription leaves to record the salesman’s orders conclude the volume; he records eight sales in Ontario and Yates Counties, New York. A ninth copy appears to record a subscription by President U.S. Grant, perhaps a gift of the canvasser or, possibly, a subtle sales pitch to Union veterans. Five manuscript pages record the canvassers sales and expense accounts from January to October 1871 including his spending $2.10 on January 16 for an “Agent’s Outfit,” likely including this very salesman’s sample or “dummy” book.

Interesting, early post-Civil War salesman’s sample book with handwritten additions for a popular history of Confederate prisons presenting representations of four styles of trade bookbindings.

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