Official Manual and Constitution Book of the War Department Beneficial Association, Containing Constitution, By Laws, History of Association, Benefits Derived Therefrom, Portraits and Biographical Sketches of the Heads of Various Departments, Bureaux of Offices and Other Interesting Matter Relating to the War Department, Army. etc.

Washington: War Department, 1900. First edition. Hardcover. Good +. Square octavo, terra-cotta pebbled cloth, gilt with eagle and shield on the front board. Top edge gilt. 152pp. with index of advertisers. Illustrated. Various portraits of the officers of the Association and other related government officials of the time: Elihu Root, George D. Meikeljohn, Nelson A. Miles, Maj. Gen. Henry Clarke Corbin, Brigadier Breckenridge, Col. John F. Weston, and many more. These are accompanied by short biographies as well, with material on the dates of principal battles of the Civil War, who commanded in each, and the number killed on both sides; Veterans National Cemeteries and numbers buried; with interesting material, salaries, employment, levels of occupation information on many of the government departments at the time: War Department; Hospital Corps, Adjutant General, Inspector General, Judge Advocate General, Quartermaster General, Commissary General of Subsistence, Surgeon, Paymaster, Generals, Chief of Engineers, Ordnance, Chief Signal Officer, At least half of the book is given over to advertisers including a useful index of same at rear. The ads are very targeted, products that would be of interest to the War Department. Colt (Colt Automatic Gun, Browning's Patent and the Colt Automatic Pistol) Remington, Parker. Harrington and Richardson guns , Wires and Cables by Brixey; Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company Dredging; Underwood Typewriters; Paint by Detroit Graphite Manufacturing Company; Haas uniforms; Lorillard Refrigerators; Julius Beam Lithography; National Casket Company; Schaffer and Budenberg Steam Engines; Chicago Rawhide; H.K. Porter Locomotives; Brown Segmental Tube Wire Gun; Rarig Engineering Mortar Carriages; more (some advertisements are illustrated). Some edge wear and wear to the tips, spine ends fraying. a few minor closed edge tears within. An OCLC search reveals five copies institutionally. Overall very good condition. Quite scarce.