AN ELEMENTARY TREATISE ON ALGEBRA; Prepared for the Use of the Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute and Adapted to the Present State of Mathematical Instruction in the Schools, Academies, and Colleges, of the United States

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Cowperthwait, Desilver, & Butler, 1855. xvi, 338 pages. A rare book written by the first Superintendent of Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. This copy is from the library of Leonard A. Slater, a native of New Kent, Virginia and surgeon in the Confederate Army, and bears Slater's signature on both the front cover and the front free endpaper. Slater graduated from Lynchburg College in 1856, and the date October 24th 1855 as well as a Lynchburg, Va. inscription that accompany his signature suggest that he used this textbook as an undergraduate. A class schedule in ink on the rear free endpaper appears to be in Slater's handwriting. The solution to a problem written on 19th century lined blue paper tipped onto page 109 may or may not be in Slater's hand. At some point the book was professionally sympathetically rebacked with the original leather title patch retained. The book is clean and tight, with some edgewear and bumped and rubbed corners; the rear pastedown endpaper margins of some pages have mathematical notations in light pencil; occasional foxing on pages. An attractive and acceptable volume for the collector.. Revised Edition. Hardcover. Collectible-Very Good-. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Book.