Daniel Morgan: Revolutionary Rifleman
Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1961. 1st Edition. 8vo. Very Good / Fair. Item #19378
A scarce 1961 1st edition of this classic biography of the best field commander in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
It was Morgan's brilliant victory at the Battle of Cowpens in January, 1781 which set the wheels in motion toward the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown later in the year. Morgan was also instrumental in the American victory at Saratoga in 1777 bringing France into the war on the American side.
"Over the vast distances and rough terrain of the Revolutionary War, the tactics that Daniel Morgan had learned in Indian fighting — the thin skirmish line, the stress upon individual marksmanship, the hit-and-run mobility — were an important element of his success as a commander. He combined this success on the battlefield with a deep devotion to the soldiers serving under him. In a conflict that abounded in vital personalities, Morgan’s was one of the most colorful. Illiterate, uncultivated, and contentious, he nevertheless combined the resourcefulness of a frontiersman with a native gift as a tactician and leader. His rise from humble origins gives forceful testimony to the democratic spirit of the new America."
Brown cloth. Square tight binding. Clean interior, save for previous owner signature to front endpaper in ink, a portion of which has offset to the upper front jacket flap. Mild foxing to outer pages. Title page with a circular personal stamp embossed in blind to lower fore edge corner. Dust jacket missing most of the rear panel. Mild rubbing and edge wear. Presents handsomely in archival mylar.
Price: $125.00