Ancestry, Early Life and War Record of James Oliver, M.D.: Practicing Physician Fifty Years
By James Oliver, M.D.
Athol, Massachusetts: The Athol Transcript Company, 1916.
Original 1916 autobiographical memoir of Massachusetts physician and Civil War surgeon James Oliver (1836–1918).
Oliver served during the Civil War as an assistant surgeon with the 21st Massachusetts Infantry and later served with the 61st Massachusetts Infantry. His wartime medical service included the Antietam campaign, making this an interesting primary-source memoir for collectors and researchers of the Civil War, Massachusetts regiments, battlefield medicine, and 19th-century medical history.
The volume covers Oliver’s ancestry and early life as well as his medical career and Civil War service.
Provenance & Association
This particular copy contains several interesting ownership and institutional markings:
* Withdrawn ex-library copy from the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
* The front pastedown retains the New England Historic Genealogical Society bookplate recording the volume as “Given by Mrs. Minna Oliver Kendrick, Athol, Mass., 9 June 1930.”
* The possible relationship between Minna Oliver Kendrick and James Oliver has not been independently verified by the seller. The shared Oliver name and Athol, Massachusetts association may warrant further genealogical research, but no familial relationship is represented as established.
* The title page bears the blind ownership stamp of historian Michael B. Chesson, a historian of the Civil War and American South and longtime professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Chesson also edited The Journal of a Civil War Surgeon.
* A handwritten bookseller/owner notation on the front free endpaper describes the book as a “Scarce medical memoir by member of 21 MASS & later surgeon 61 MASS” and includes a “$165” notation.
* The seller has not independently verified the date or authorship of this handwritten notation, its characterization of the book as scarce, or the significance/date of the $165 valuation. It is described here as an existing historical notation within the book.
These markings and associations are retained as found and are shown in the photographs.
Condition
Antique withdrawn ex-library copy with age and use wear. Please read condition details carefully.
Original tan cloth-covered hardcover boards with black leather spine label and gilt lettering. Exterior shows age-related discoloration, scattered spotting/soiling, rubbing and general shelf/storage wear. An old library classification label remains toward the bottom of the spine.
New England Historic Genealogical Society donation bookplate and withdrawn marking are present on the front pastedown. Additional library markings and blind stamps are present, including the Michael B. Chesson ownership blind stamp on the title page.
Handwritten and penciled notations are present on the endpapers, including the earlier “scarce medical memoir” and $165 notation described above.
IMPORTANT: The portrait plate of James Oliver is completely detached from the binding and is present loose with the book. The detached portrait is shown in the photographs.
Interior pages show expected age toning and handling wear. Other signs of institutional ownership and use are present as photographed.
Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.
Sold as an antiquarian historical volume with its existing library, ownership and provenance markings intact. Detached portrait plate is included loose.