"A DAILY JOURNAL OF OCCURRENCES, THROUGH NEARLY THE WHOLE OF THE LATE AMERICAN WAR"

HEATH, William. Memoirs of Major-General Heath. Containing Anecdotes, Details of Skirmishes, Battles, and Other Military Events, During the American War. Boston: I. Thomas and E.T. Andrews, 1798. Octavo, contemporary full mottled sheep rebacked preserving original leather spine label. $1750.

First edition of this scarce Revolutionary War memoir, printed by Isaiah Thomas.

General Heath (1737-1814) "performed valuable services in the pursuit of the British troops from Concord on 19 April, 1775, organized and trained the undisciplined forces at Cambridge before the battle of Bunker Hill, was made a major-general of provincial troops on 20 June, 1775, and upon the organization of the Continental army was, on 22 June, commissioned as a brigadier-general, and stationed with his command at Roxbury. On 9 Aug., 1776, he was made a major-general in the Continental army. In March, 1776, he was ordered to New York, and opposed the evacuation of the city. After the battle of White Plains he took command of the posts in the Highlands. In 1777 he was assigned to the command of the eastern department, embracing Boston and its vicinity, and had charge of the prisoners of Burgoyne's army at Cambridge. In June, 1779, he was ordered to the command of the posts on the Hudson, with four regiments, and remained in that vicinity till the close of the war;" after the Revolutionary War ended, Heath went into politics and served as a member of the Massachusetts Convention that ratified the Constitution (Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography). His day-to-day account, written from his perspective as the last surviving major-general of the Revolutionary Army, is "a work of equal interest and authority; now scarce'' (Sabin). Evans 33865. Howes H381. Sabin 31192. Early inked owner names and annotations to front endpapers and title page.

Minor toning to contents, front free endpaper with repair to upper portion, inner hinges reinforced. A very good copy in contemporary boards.