"THE BEST CITIZEN GENERAL ON THE UNION SIDE"

LOGAN, John A. The Great Conspiracy: Its Origin and History. New York: A.R. Hart, 1886. Thick octavo, original gilt-stamped blue-green cloth, decorative endpapers. $800.

First edition of Logan's magnum opus on the Civil War, illustrated with numerous plates, three maps (one folding) and frontispiece portrait, a splendid copy in original gilt-stamped cloth.

Logan was a senator from Illinois and close political ally of Stephen A. Douglas. He fought with distinction for the Union during the Civil War, eventually rising to the rank of general. After the war, he established the powerful veteran's group, "Grand Army of the Republic" (GAR). In 1884, Logan ran for Vice-President with James Blaine, ultimately losing to Grover Cleveland. In his final years, he wrote The Great Conspiracy, in which he "blames the Civil War on sinister southern plotting to strengthen slaveholders' power and to defeat beneficent tariffs" (ANB). As head of the GAR, he conceived the idea of the first Memorial Day, and inaugurated it on May 30, 1868. Early owner inscription. Small bookseller notation.

Only faintest trace of rubbing to bright gilt-stamped cloth. A fine copy.