Apr 15, 2021 - Sale 2564

Sale 2564 - Lot 171

Price Realized: $ 1,500
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,200 - $ 1,800
WITH MANUSCRIPT REVISIONS BY THE AUTHOR (CIVIL WAR.) [Jonathan D. Hale.] Sketches of Scenes in the Career of Champ Furguson and his Lieutenant; with Champ's Confession. 53, [1] (of 2?) pages. 8vo, stitched, a tiny bit of blue wrapper remaining; moderate dampstaining, worn with corner loss to first and final leaves but minimal loss of text; extensive revision marks and notes by the author in ink and blue pencil, one of them signed. Np, circa 1869 or 1870
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A history of the Confederate guerrilla Champ Ferguson (1821-1865) who terrorized Tennessee, allegedly killing more than 100 Unionists including civilians. The author gives several detailed examples, and celebrates Ferguson's eventual execution as a war criminal. The last 14 pages are devoted to Ferguson's old compatriots who became active in the local Ku Klux Klan after the war, with detailed documentation of their atrocities.

The author Jonathan D, Hale was a local enemy of Ferguson who published at least three similar but distinct pamphlets on the subject: "Champ Furguson: A Sketch of the War in East Tennessee" in 1862 (20 pages); "Champ Furguson: The Border Rebel, and Thief, Robber & Murderer" in 1864 (24 pages); and the present undated work which includes references through 1869. This latest version was credited only to "One Who Has Seen and Felt," but is credited to Hale by OCLC (5 copies traced). The present copy was Hale's own, and bears extensive notes for a planned 4th Ferguson pamphlet, including points of substance and style. A note on page 6 reads "notes, 4th edition" and several passages are noted as "already set up" (in type). On page 37, the pamphlet describes an old enslaved man who had been killed by Ferguson after he grew too old to work. Here, a note in blue pencil reads "He often came to our mills previous to the war. J.D. Hale." OCLC calls for 2 unnumbered pages at the end, so a final leaf may be lacking here. 5 of this edition in OCLC and none traced at auction.