Ten Years of My Life.
London: Richard Bebtley & Son, 1876. 2 volume set, 8 inches tall. A scarce first edition in a handsome Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, delicate gilt tooling to the panels and twin labels. Portrait. Slight rubbing and a little foxing to the preliminaries, overall a fine set. The extraordinary story of Agnes Joy who, following her marriage to Prince Felix zu Salm-Salm, a Prussian mercenary, became famous for her devoted attention to the plight of wounded troops in the American Civil War. She was elevated to the rank of Captain by Abraham Lincoln. In the Mexican Civil War she attempted to save the life of her captured husband and of Maximilian I of Mexico after their capture by Juarez. She saved her husband with whom she then traveled with the Prussian Army in the Franco-Prussian War where he was killed in battle. A nice set.