Jun 25, 2026 10:00 EST
The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
21
A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[CONFEDERATE IMPRINT]
Regulations for the Recruiting Service Confederate States Army. Montgomery, Alabama: Barrett, Wimbish & Co., Steam Printers, 1861. First edition. First manual for recruiting in the Confederacy. Original printed yellow wrappers. 7 x 4 1/2 inches (18 x 11.5 cm); 16 pp. Some dust soiling to wrappers, old creasing from folding, small stains and chips at edges, spotting throughout the text with small folds at corners, a few later pencil markings. Contemporary ownership inscription on the upper margin of the cover "Capt. R.G. Cole" and at the lower margin "Rec[eived] 25th Ap[ri]l. 1861."
A significant and scarce Confederate imprint issued the month before the Confederate capital moved from Montgomery to Richmond. The present recruiting manual was important in the formation of the Confederate army, organizing the War Department's Recruiting Service—which regulated how the Southern states recruited—before the Bureau of Conscription was formed and the Confederacy turned to a controversial national draft.
The owner of this manual, Robert Granderson Cole, was born in Manchester, Virginia (now part of the city of Richmond), on September 29th, 1830. He attended West Point and graduated in 1850. Cole joined a Confederate infantry regiment in March 1861 and served on the staff of Robert S. Garnett. The Confederacy promoted Cole first to Major, then Lieutenant Colonel later in the year. When Robert E. Lee took over command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862, Cole became chief commissary of Lee’s new force. Cole faced the daunting task of keeping 65,000 men and horses fed despite the Confederacy’s strained infrastructure, a naval blockade, and Union armies encroaching from all sides. Cole, nevertheless, served as chief commissary until Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. After the War, Cole became a planter in Florida and a businessman in Savannah, Georgia. Cole died in 1887 and is buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. Crandall 1407, Parrish and Willingham 2459.
Sold for $4,480
Estimated at $600 - $800
Includes Buyer's Premium
Collection of a Florida Bibliophile
[CONFEDERATE IMPRINT]
Regulations for the Recruiting Service Confederate States Army. Montgomery, Alabama: Barrett, Wimbish & Co., Steam Printers, 1861. First edition. First manual for recruiting in the Confederacy. Original printed yellow wrappers. 7 x 4 1/2 inches (18 x 11.5 cm); 16 pp. Some dust soiling to wrappers, old creasing from folding, small stains and chips at edges, spotting throughout the text with small folds at corners, a few later pencil markings. Contemporary ownership inscription on the upper margin of the cover "Capt. R.G. Cole" and at the lower margin "Rec[eived] 25th Ap[ri]l. 1861."
A significant and scarce Confederate imprint issued the month before the Confederate capital moved from Montgomery to Richmond. The present recruiting manual was important in the formation of the Confederate army, organizing the War Department's Recruiting Service—which regulated how the Southern states recruited—before the Bureau of Conscription was formed and the Confederacy turned to a controversial national draft.
The owner of this manual, Robert Granderson Cole, was born in Manchester, Virginia (now part of the city of Richmond), on September 29th, 1830. He attended West Point and graduated in 1850. Cole joined a Confederate infantry regiment in March 1861 and served on the staff of Robert S. Garnett. The Confederacy promoted Cole first to Major, then Lieutenant Colonel later in the year. When Robert E. Lee took over command of the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862, Cole became chief commissary of Lee’s new force. Cole faced the daunting task of keeping 65,000 men and horses fed despite the Confederacy’s strained infrastructure, a naval blockade, and Union armies encroaching from all sides. Cole, nevertheless, served as chief commissary until Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. After the War, Cole became a planter in Florida and a businessman in Savannah, Georgia. Cole died in 1887 and is buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. Crandall 1407, Parrish and Willingham 2459.
Auction: The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile, Jun 25, 2026
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Successful Auction of The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile on June 25, 2026 Tops $550k with 97% Sell-Through Rate
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Featuring a Wide Range of Americana and Military History Spanning the 18th through 20th Centuries
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We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's highly-anticipated auction of The Collection of a Florida Bibliophile on June 25, 2026 delivered outstanding results, with trans-Atlantic bidding driving the sale total beyond expectations and an impressive 97% sell-through rate. Comprising more than 200 lots, this extensive and fascinating collection featured books, manuscripts, and original illustration art spanning centuries of antiquarian interest.
Signed Volume from Abraham Lincoln's Personal Library - Sold for $64,000
Books from Abraham Lincoln's personal library are among the great rarities of the American book trade. Leading the sale was an 1849 first edition of William W. Campbell's The Life and Writings of De Witt Clinton inscribed by Lincoln that achieved $64,000, more than doubling its $20,000-30,000 estimate. Lincoln signed the book on November 19, 1860, less than two weeks after his election to the presidency. In February 1861, he would depart Springfield by train for Washington, never returning to his hometown until his burial following his assassination.
A United States Senator, Mayor of New York City, and Governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton is best remembered for championing the Erie Canal, one of the great infrastructure projects of the 19th century. Lincoln admired Clinton's vision and leadership, looking to him as a model of a strong executive capable of undertaking and completing ambitious public works.
British Military & Naval Color Plate Books - Sold for $16,640
The wide selection of color plate books featured magnificent first editions of James Jenkins' celebrated The Martial Achievements of Great Britain from the Year 1799 to 1815 and The Naval Achievements of Great Britain from the Year 1793 to 1817. Amid trans-Atlantic bidding, this elegant two-volume set sailed its $7,000-10,000 estimate to realize $16,640. Among the finest military color plate books of the early 19th century, these large-paper editions, featuring over 100 hand-colored aquatint plates, were presented in their most desirable state, with coloring of exceptional quality and delicately tinted plate surrounds not found in the regular issue. Completing the lot was an original watercolor by William Heath, the leading British military watercolorist of the period, prepared for one of the plates in The Martial Achievements.
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