The United States Secret Service in the Late War by General La Fayette C. Baker is an 1889 illustrated hardcover issued by Waverly Publishing Co. of Chicago, with copyright credited to John E. Potter & Co.
This 398-page Civil War history follows Baker's experiences connected with the United States Secret Service Bureau, including wartime investigations, arrests, political conflict, and operations in the North and South.
It is a heavily used surviving copy with an elaborate patriotic pictorial cloth binding and full-page illustrations inside.
Details
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Item: vintage illustrated history book
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Title: The United States Secret Service in the Late War
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Author: General La Fayette C. Baker
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Illustrator: F. B. Schell, E. B. Bensell, J. M. Butler and others are credited on the title page
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Publisher: Waverly Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois
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Publication Year: 1889 copyright
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Format and Binding: illustrated cloth hardcover
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Dust Jacket: none present
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Pages: 398
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Genre: Civil War history and United States Secret Service history
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Language: English
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ISBN: no ISBN
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Dimensions: approximately 9 1/2 x 7 x 2 inches, as provided
Condition Grade: Fair
Positives
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Graded Fair: The book remains readable and usable but shows significant wear from age and handling.
- The elaborate illustrated front cover and spine decoration remain visible, including American flags, eagle imagery, and gilt, silver, red, and black design elements.
- The photographed text pages remain legible, and illustrated plates are still present.
- The book retains its 398-page text block and substantial late nineteenth century appearance.
Issues / Wear
- The cloth boards show heavy rubbing, fading, surface soil, staining, discoloration, fraying, and worn corners and edges.
- The rear board has noticeable staining, marks, and surface wear.
- The spine cloth is rubbed and worn, with fraying at the ends and loss to portions of the decorative finish.
- The page edges are strongly browned and darkened from age.
- Pages and endpapers show widespread spotting, foxing, staining, and age toning.
- The pastedowns and endpapers show particularly heavy discoloration and spotting.
- A pencil Christmas inscription from a mother to George dated December 25, 1990 is present according to the owner's notes.
- A card with the National Anthem was found tucked between the pages according to the owner's notes.
Condition Grade Key
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Near Fine: Almost perfect. Very minor signs of age only.
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Very Good: Shows light use. Sound and attractive with minor flaws.
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Good: Complete and intact. Noticeable wear consistent with age and use.
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Fair: Shows significant wear. Readable or usable but clearly used.
Collector's Notes
The copyright page is dated 1889, placing this copy firmly in the nineteenth century. Its subject is the Civil War era United States Secret Service and the experiences of General La Fayette C. Baker.
The 398-page book should appeal most to readers and collectors interested in Civil War intelligence, espionage, detective history, and early American Secret Service material.
The pictorial cloth binding is worth noticing even in its worn state. The surviving flags, eagle, soldier imagery, and metallic decoration give this copy strong shelf presence while still showing its long history of use.
This is not a clean decorative copy. It is a worn historical book with visible age, spotting, handwriting, and use, and those details should be part of the decision to bring it home.
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece, please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
Care and Handling:
Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40 to 50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
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