General W.T. Sherman Signed and Inscribed Book

[HENRY, Joseph (1797-1878)]. A Memorial of Joseph Henry. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1880.

8vo (117 x 264 mm). Engraved frontispiece portrait. (Engraving spotted, light even toning). Publisher's cloth with stamped black memorial borders (some spotting, rubbing, spine heavily worn).

FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN TO CHARLES POMEROY STONE: "To General C. P. Stone / Brevoort House / New York City / Compliments of / W. T. Sherman / General." Additional inscription on the title page in a secretarial hand: "Gen'l Stone / a present from / General Sherman / April 1883." In addition, General Stone has signed the title page followed by "... a present from / General Sherman / April 1883." in a different hand.

An important association copy of the memorial remembrance of Joseph Henry, the prominent scientist who served as the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1846-1878), and the second President of the National Academy of Sciences from 1868 until his death in 1878. General Sherman (1820-1891) gave an address at Henry's Memorial Exercises held on January 16, 1879 at the Capitol. The book was gifted by Sherman to General Charles Pomeroy Stone (1824-1887). The men had served together in the Mexican and Civil Wars, and their friendship and professional relationship continued with Sherman’s recommendation of Stone to be Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army, a post he held with distinction from 1870 through 1883. In 1883, again with Sherman’s support, Stone was chosen Chief Engineer on the Statue of Liberty project, where he planned and supervised the construction of the Statue’s pedestal, concrete foundation and the reassembly of the Statue, symbolically driving the first and last rivets himself. He then served as Grand Marshal of the dedication parade on October 28, 1886. General Sherman was pallbearer at Stone's 1887 funeral and burial at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he is remembered today with the annual ‘Brigadier General Charles P. Stone Memorial Award for Excellence in Arabic Studies’ recognizing his contributions to U.S.-Egyptian relations during the 19th century.