(Manuscript Edition)

A LIMITED, NUMBERED EDITION OF 150 COPIES!    Just a few copies left!

.W. W. Heartsill's 1491 Days in the Confederate Army is one of the most unusual narratives of its kind ever printed. Using an Octavo Novelty Press, Heartsill printed the book himself after the war during his spare time while working at his grocery store. Setting and printing one page at a time, it took seven months to complete the 265-page book. The result was a first edition of only 100 copies and a promise from the author-printer never to attempt the feat again. True to his word, Heartsill's book is one of the rarest of Civil War books. Only 13 of the now priceless originals still exist. For students of military campaigns, this book will be a disappointment. Heartsill's unit, the W.P. Lane Rangers of Texas, only participated in one engagement and that resulted in the capture of the entire command. Heartsill did, however, fight in the Battle of Chickamauga and his account of that bloody battle is probably the most stirring section of the book. The true value of 1491 Days is Heartsill's treatment of everyday life in the Confederacy, particularly west of the Mississippi River. Lane's Rangers spent the first year of the war patrolling the Texas frontier against Indian raids. Encountering only one sickly Apache woman during their entire stay on the frontier, the Texans yearned for duty against Yankees. Their transfer to Arkansas Point only resulted in more frustration. Shortly after arriving, they were captured with the rest of the garrison when the post fell to the Union Army. Following this disaster, Heartsill and his companions were shipped to Camp Butler as prisoners of war. Exchanged in 1863, the Rangers were assigned to various units in Bragg's Army of Tennessee. It was during this service that Heartsill participated in the Battle of Chickamauga. Resenting the "consolidation" of his unit and thoroughly detesting Bragg, Heartsill, along with many of his fellow Rangers, deserted. While making his way back to Texas, he gives an interesting account of everyday life in battle-scarred Tennessee and Mississippi. Reuniting with Lane's Rangers in Texas, Heartstill spent the remainder of the war guarding Union prisoners at Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas. He thus had the unique experience of being both a prisoner and a prison guard during the war. One unusal feature of 1491 Days are the photographs Heartsill accumulated for his book. Asking his fellow Rangers to submit photographs of themselves, Heartsill reproduced 100 copies of the 60 he received. Lacking a better method, he pasted them down, four to a page, with the name of each man printed below his photograph. Also included in 1491 Days are the service records of each member of Lane's Rangers and several photocopies of two camp newspapers printed by the Rangers during their service on the Texas frontier. Thousands of books have been written about the Civil War. Among them are a few that need to be reprinted once every 20 to 30 years for a new generation of readers. This narrative is one of those books.

^__Paul V. Chiles, Civil War News.

 Laid into each volume is a sheet from the original manuscript, both sides written entirely in Heartsill's hand.  Bound by hand using select goatskin imported from England and fine Italian bookcloth.  Binding designed and crafted by Michael A. Hogle.  Cover stamped in gold.  Extra illustrated with an oversized tipped-in photograph of Captain Sam Richardson in his leapard-skin britches, plus three Civil War maps by Heartsill never before published.  All original photographs reproduced.  Printed on Mohawk Superfine 70 lb. white-smooth, acid-free paper.  Type entirely reset and enlarged.  Complete new index.

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PAYMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE

$750  or $95 per month for 8 months
ISBN  0-916107-60-4

Regular hard cover edition $30
ISBN 0-916107-17-5