Scott, H.L. (Henry Lee) — Military Dictionary: Comprising Technical Definitions; Information on Raising and Keeping Troops; Actual Service, Including Makeshifts and Improved Materiel; and Law, Government, Regulation, and Administration Relating to Land Forces

New York / London, D. Van Nostrand Company / Trubner and Co. 1861. First edition. Cloth. 674 pp. Illus. with 236 b/w drawings + tables and charts. 8vo. A gift to the Commandery from D. Van Nostrand. Henry Lee Scott (1814-1886) "saw a gap in the literature of the military, and sought to fill it with this dictionary of truly varied information relating to all aspects of the military. Not limited to legal information, the volume is comprised of definitions relating to 'law, government, regulation, and administration.' Including such general information as a recipe for shoe-black and long-winded recommendations for selecting a good horse, the work is much more than strictly a law dictionary. However, Scott devoted a good portion of the work to definitions and critical examples of oaths, mutinies, courts-martial, courts of inquiry, etc. The definitions are clearly written for practical purposes, in simple language. In his brief, otherwise quite ordinary preface, Scott added an interesting aside referring obliquely to the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, the year of this book's publication: 'It is only deemed necessary to add, that the work was not prepared in view of existing disturbances, but was begun some years ago'," (Tarlton Law Lib, Univ. Texas). Joints and spine scuffed else a very good copy, with the bookplate of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of Illinois on front pastedown, shelf sticker on foot of backstrip, their stamp on title and occasional leaf, several leaves chipped at tip of corner from prior folding otherwise binding tight, leaves quite sharp.