PERSONAL REMINISCENCES, ANECDOTES, AND LETTERS OF GEN. ROBERT E. LEE. (Spine title: "Personal Reminiscences of Gen. R.E. Lee.")

Needs to be re-backed at a minimum - sold as is. First edition (not stated but per matching 1874 dates upon title and copyright pages). Collates as i-xvi, 1-509, [blank recto], [publisher advertising leaf]. Six steel plate b/w engravings on unpaged leaves all present including frontispiece although plate #6 is bound-in opposite page 456 (contents calls for opposite page 446); all six plates retain their tissue guard sheets. Thirteen wood engravings all present at correct spots with twelve being on unpaged leaves. Hardcover: H 23.75cm x L 15.5cm. Green cloth boards rubbed with some mottling and worn edges particularly at corners; spine's surface cloth detached but present with shallow losses at ends (easily re-backed by a binder); gilt stamping to spine and front board remains fairly bright. Rear board rather tenuously attached at joint/hinge; front board a bit pliable at hinge but holding. Toning/foxing to text block edges with some fore-edge stains affecting margins. Front free endpaper removed; past owner's old pencil inscription on front flyleaf; bottom half of rear free endpaper removed with pencil writing at top of rfep recto. Chip at lower fore-edge margin of pages 351-352; top corner of pages 467-468 creased from past fold-down; some foxing and soiling to interior leaves with some stains and scattered pencil marks. Text block remains firm. Book made a bit more presentable by newly applied clear mylar dj to secure boards and detached spine cloth. This 1874 first edition is considerably scarcer than the 1875 second.…