"The School of the Guides" (CS version)

[markj]

Greetings,

I would be grateful if anyone could tell me if the following work has been reprinted:

The school of the guides :
for the use of the Army of the Confederate States, with questions. (1st edition)

Eugene LeGal

1861
English Book 71 p. : ill. ; 15 cm.
Griffin, Ga. : Brawner and Putnam

Original copies are at:

EMORY UNIV EMU
NEW YORK HIST SOC ARCH
VIRGINIA HIST SOC LIBR
VIRGINIA MIL INST
WISCONSIN HIST SOC

There are reportedly three editions of this work. The other version I found on "WorldCat" was:

School of the guides,
or the Practical Soldier;

Eugene LeGal

1861
English Book 60 p. : ill. ; 14 cm.
New Orleans : Bloomfield & Steel

Copies of this edition are at:

LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
BOSTON ATHENAEUM
UNIV OF S CAROLINA
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIV, CENT LIBR
VIRGINIA HIST SOC LIBR
WASHINGTON & LEE UNIV (Virginia)

The Petersburg VA "Daily Express" for 6 November 1861 reported this:

THE SCHOOL OF THE GUIDES.—We have received from the publishers, Messrs. BRAWNER & PUTNAM, of Griffin, Ga., a beautifully printed little volume of 71 pages, entitled "The School of the Guides," designed for the use of the Confederate army. It is embellished with 28 illustrations, and is a work of undoubted service to all novices in military science. Especially it will be of great use to Sergeants in acquainting themselves with their duties as guides in battalion movements—saving not only the labor of searching through, but the expense of buying many voluminous works wherein the details are combined with the other parts of military tactics. The value of the work is also greatly enhanced by a series of questions, prepared by a gentleman of high military attainments. In addition to the general rules given for the Battalion Movements, there is a chapter containing Instructions for Skirmishers.

Copies of these works are exceedingly rare. I noticed one on an antiquarian book dealer's site for $1250. Anyway, I'd be interested to know if anyone has seen this work or, better yet, had it reprinted.

Thanks,

Mark Jaeger

[Greg Renault]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

Mark,

About eight years when I did some work on company and battalion guides, I corresponded with Dom Dal Bello on the subject. At the time he said he had a copy of LeGal. I believe it is one of the references cited in PIE.

Never did see one myself. I located many of the copies you mention, but live too far away to access them. I would love to see a reprint.

[markj]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

Thanks for the comments, Greg. Looks like the closest "institutional" copy for me would be the Wisconsin Historical Society. Alas, given that copies of "...Guides" in decent shape are clearly scarcer than hen's teeth--and easily worth over $1,000 each--reproducing them would be a long row to hoe at best and totally dependent upon the kindness of the librarians in charge of them.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Rick Keating]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

I have a photocopy of
SCHOOL OF THE GUIDES
DESIGNED
FOR THE USE OF
The Militia of the United States
by
COL. EUGENE LE GAL
55th REGIMENT, N.Y.S.M.
NEW YORK;
D. VAN NOSTRAND, 192 BROADWAY.
1860

This copy is 60 pages and includes the illustrations. I've never seen a CS version but I got this copy from Jack King, King's Brigade from Texas some years back.

I'm not aware of any reprints of this book.

Rick Keating

[john duffer]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

I went to abebooks.com and found a CS version for only $2,520 (I snatched it up for you and await your check :) ) The description said there were only five known copies so I stopped searching for bargains. They did have a reprint-on-demand thing for the US version for $46 which I ordered. I got an Ellsworth's manual from the same folks last year.

[Silas]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

This isn't a CS version, but the price is right. Click on this link to read one of the most important books that every senior nco and line officer ought to read, but probably never will.

[Enfield]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

Hi Mark et al.,

I don't think it has been reprinted, which is what you asked about, but here is what I wrote up on it several years ago when I was researching CS tactics manuals for an article in MC&H (Summer 2000 issue). I found four CS editions, all basically copies of LeGal's original NY edition, but not all containing everything that was in the original. I know I looked at the copies at Emory for this, but I don't remember where else ... probably VA Hist. Soc.

Geoff Walden

------------------------

LeGal, Eugene

The School of the Guides. For the Use of the Army of the Confederate States, with Questions. Brawner and Putnam, Griffin, Georgia, 1861 (simultaneously published by John M. Cooper & Co., Savannah). Also published by West & Johnston in Richmond in 1862. 71 pages, blue paper covers, with First National flags on the cover, 15cm size. A publisher's note claimed this was the only edition to contain a series of questions and answers (pages 62-64). Has an appendix giving the Uniform and Dress of the Army, General Order No. 9, Richmond, 6 June 1861. Basically a reprint of LeGal’s 1859 New York work (LeGal served as Colonel of the 55th New York National Guard regiment during the war).

The School of the Guides, or, The Practical Soldier. Designed for the Use of the Militia of the Confederate States. Bloomfield & Steel, New Orleans, 1861. 61 pages, with plates. Same text as the above (without the question and answer section, or the appendix).

[Greg Renault]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

Silas,
Thanks for the link. I've been wanting to read LeGal for years. I note with interest that it was copyrighted in 1859, and LeGal conservatively assumes troops will use Scott's manual.

Greg

[Andrew Keehan]

Re: "The School of the Guides" (CS version)

Google Books is great! They have several copies of the McClellan bayonet manual and the military dictionary &c. I also found it interesting that this particular copy of SoG was a gift to the Harvard Library form "Charles Sumner of Boston."