E. Latimer, Idyls of Gettysburg, 1st Ed.

Description

Miss E. Latimer write Idyls of Gettysburg to solicit financial support for the National Orphan Homestead at Gettysburg.

The project of creating an orphan’s home on Cemetery Hill grew from the national outpouring of sympathy for the children of Sergeant Amos Humiston of the 154th New York Infantry, whose unidentified body was discovered after the battle clutching a carte de visite of his three children. Humiston was identified after a national search and his widow, Philanda, and children were among the first residents of the home.

Idyls includes a brief history of the battle followed by four Idyls (poems) commemorating aspects of the battle, including “The Unknown,” “Blighted, Yet Beautiful,” “Early Flowers From Culps Hill,” and “National Orphan Homestead.”

Union General George Gordon Meade read the volume and stated “The description of the battle is vivid, and in all its general character, very accurate – while the parallel introduced, between Gettysburg and Marathon, is very ingenious and thrilling.” The review is most intriguing since General Meade died the next year. Of all the volumes written on the Battle of Gettysburg the Union commander saw almost none of them, but he admired this slim account from the pen of a female poet as an accurate picture.

Gettysburg will always provide excellent material for poets and artists, just as it does for historians.

Sunned; lightly toned; light edge wear; else very good. Inscribed and signed by the author. “Herman H. Dunham / With the kind regards / of his aunt / (signature) / Woodstock / 1874.”

Latimer, Miss E. Idyls of Gettysburg. Philadelphia: George MacLean, 1872. 1st edition, 126p., illustrations, all edge gilt.