Rare 1850s Literary Commonplace Book Repurposed
Updated September 10, 2026
| Lot number | 375 |
| Auction | ESTATE OF JUDITH HARRISON ADDIS |
| Date | September 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM EDT |
| Auction house | Headley's Auctions |
| Location | Winchester, Virginia |
as 1864 Civil War Union Military & Medical Ledger - Hand Written Manuscript The 1855 Classical Commonplace Book The volume begins as a meticulously kept "Common Place Book" started in 1855 by George C. M'Call (inscribed as Geo. C. M'Call and initialed G. C. M'C. on the opening title leaves). Across several pages dating from 1855 to 1858, M'Call utilized the journal to log his personal literary studies, capturing lengthy, elegant longhand transcriptions of moral philosophy, historical passages regarding the Roman Empire and Mecca, and a dedicated section titled "Quotations from Latin Authors." The 1864 Civil War Military & Medical RosterIn the late summer of 1864, the remaining pages of this sturdy bound volume were repurposed for official United States Army administrative logging. An extensive hand-inked index page documents logistics from August and September 1864, cross-referencing military and medical personnel to specific record pages later in the volume:
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