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The Polyanthos edition was published by historian and publisher Winston DeVille in 1971 using the purchased plates of the early 1900s edition published by Mrs. John Ferris Alden (Mary Emma Bogue Alden), a great great granddaughter of Capt. David Perry. Although the inside text is printed exactly from those plates, DeVille altered the title (the words "Captain David Perry," are removed and placed as author with the words "Written by himself" removed entirely).
The full title of the 1822 first edition is:
"Recollections of an Old Soldier: The Life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars, Containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, nowhere else recorded. Written by himself."
The complete title of the Polyanthos edition with author is:
"Recollections of an Old Soldier: The life of a soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars, Containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, nowhere else recorded. by Captain David Perry."
The cover reads:
"Recollections of an Old Soldier by Captain David Perry"
And there is cover art used for the first time, which is credited on the back cover in these words: "The cover design is from an original painting by A. Chappel, engraved by John C. McRae." On the front cover, the Polyanthos Press imprint is also given.
Note: Any edition that gives the number of pages as 73 is a form of the Alden edition, either an actual book, a microform, or a reprint of hers in 1971 by Winston DeVille using her plates but with changes to the title (as indicated above) and published under as his new imprint Polyathos Press, Cottonport, La. (later New Orleans, La.), or a microform of that one.
Anytime the pages given are 55, the book is either an actual first edition, published in 1822, or a microform of it. (Microforms include microfiche and microfilm.) The only other case is where the first edition book, or a later edition, has been scanned, but the number of pages still holds true as an identifying marker between the first edition (55 pages) or the Alden/Polyanthos editions (73 pages).
Other differences between the Alden and Polyanthos editions include the number of plates showing photographs. Due to the discovery and rise of photography in the 100 years since Captain Davd Perry died. Alden was able to take a photo of "the house at Ira, Vt. where David Perry died" (sometime before the house burned down in the early 1900s) and to include this photo with this caption, on the page opposite the title page.
This photograph was reproduced when DeVille printed Alden's book plates in 1971. However there was also a photograph of David Perry's gravestone [n Ira, Vermont], that Alden had taken and included as a plate just after the concluding text of her edition. This plate was left out of the DeVille's publiation somehow. Thus her edition had two plates, and the Polyanthos only had the first one.
Since Mrs. Alden didn't republish the Advertisement/Preface by the printer Simeon Ide included in his publication of the 1822 first edition, this valuable piece of writing was not preserved beyong the very rare actual first editions, for some years. William Abbatt's The Magazine of History edition in 1928 included it, but that book was rare, too, and printed for a certain clientele: university libraries, historical societies, and a certain esoteric pool of subscribers. Since the Alden edition didn't republish the Advertisement, the Polyanthos Press edition doesn't contain it either
Ide's Advertisement remained almost unknown until the first edition was made more wide spred through microfilm and microfiche, and finally through the internet, beginning with The Captain David Perry Web Site, c1999-. (See this site for more information and images of these plates of photographs as well as the Advertisement and a discussion of its significance.)
Wintson Deville's production of Captain David Perry's memoir was his first publication under his new imprint Polyanthos Press, and he printed 1,000 copies according to memory. His aim not profit, and he took a loss. He chose the book for its intrinsic worth and wanted to preserve it. With a smile (reading between the lines), he related how he also shared the same birthday with Captain Perry, a deciding factor. (Source: Jones - DeVille correspondence.)
In both cases, Alden's and DeVille's, there was no thought of profit but only of the preservation of a priceless record, much like the intent of the original printer Simeon Ide, and of Captain David Perry himself.
(Source: The Captain David Perry Web Site c1999-, and correspondence between that site's creator Denise G. Jones and Winston DeVille.)
NOTE: For more information on Captain David Perry's book, click on “Recollections of an old soldier” AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE to go to the main Recollections page. Included are a description of Perry's life and times, excerpts, links, etc.
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Subjects
Biography, History, Autobiography, Personal narratives, Soldiers, Massachusetts provincial soldiers, British colonial history, Siege of Lousibourg, Siege of Ticonderoga, Siege of Quebec, General Montcalm, General James Wolfe, British North America, Canadian colonial history, Rangers, United States French and Indian War, 1755-1763, United States Revolutionay War, 1775-1783, Siege of Boston, United States War of 1812, 1812-1814, Thomas Macdonough, Battle of Plattsburgh, Battle of Lake ChamplainPeople
Capt. David Perry (1741-1826), Sir William Pepperell, General Montcalm, General Wolfe, Moses Hazen, Israel Putnam, George Washington, Thomas MacdonoughShowing 7 featured editions. View all 7 editions?
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Recollections of an old soldier: the life of a soldier of the French and Revolutionary wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, nowhere else recorded
1971, Polyanthos Press, Inc.
in English
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Recollections of an old soldier
1822, Printed at the Republican & yeoman Print. Office [Simeon Ide, printer]
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Recollections of an old soldier: the life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars ...
1822 (microfilmed: 1980), Printed at the Republican & Yeoman Printing Office [Simeone Ide, printer], (microfilmed: Lost Cause Press, 198-.)
Microform
in English
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Recollections of an old soldier: the life of a soldier of the French and Revolutionary wars....
1822 [date of original publication], ca1912 [republished edition], 1970 [Microfiche], Republican & Yeoman Printing Office [Republished by his great great granddaughter, Mrs. John Ferriss Alden (M.E.B. Alden), Imprint: Vredenburg & Co., Inc.], Library Resources, 1970
Microform
in English
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Recollections of an old soldier: the life of Captan David Perry, a soldier of the French and Revolutionary wars....
1822 [date of original publication], ca1912 [republished edition], 1970 [Microfiche], Republican & Yeoman Printing Office [Republished by his great great granddaughter, Mrs. John Ferriss Alden (M.E.B. Alden), Imprint: Vredenburg & Co., Inc.], Library Resources, 1970
Microform
in English
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Book Details
Edition Notes
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Work Description
As they were in those days, the full title of Capt David Perry's book is its own description:
Recollections of an old soldier. The life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and revolutionary wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, no-where else recorded. Written by himself.
Perry's Recollections was first printed through the generosity of a young printer and newspaper publisher, Simeon Ide (who does not mention his name), at his Republican & Yeoman Printing Office in Windsor, Vermont, 1822. Later editions include one in the early 1900s, one in 1928, and one in 1971.
Capt. David Perry (1741-1826) was born in Rehoboth, Massachusetts; raised a family in Killingly, Connecticut, and then in Plainfield, New Hampshire, where he accepted a captain's commission after the war; wrote his Recollections in Chelsea, Vermont; and lived out his old age in Ira, Vermont, where he died and is buried.
(See "The Captain David Perry Web Site" for more detailed information. Be aware that the entire site including photos is under copyright protection. Notification is posted at the top or bottom of each web page, and also under "How to Cite this Site.")
During the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), Captain David Perry served in the Massachusetts provincial forces under the British against the French and their Indian allies. He fought or served at Ticonderoga, 1758; the Siege of Quebec, 1759; Nova Scotia, 1760 and 1762; and the recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland, later in 1762.
During the American Revolution, he served as a second lieutenant at the Siege of Boston, 1775; and at as a first lieutenant at Providence, Rhode Island, during the winter of 1776-77.
The last war through which Perry lived, but in which he could not serve due to age, was the War of 1812. He devoted the end of his Recollections to that war, and to the situation in the New England States then and shortly after. His entire book was written to his posterity and future generations, but none more so than his final words.
Capt David Perry's conclusion to his book, is stirringly patriotic, written by one to whom America's new-found liberties meant so much, and who'd lived through the wars that made them so.
(Source: The Captain David Perry Web Site: Summary, http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dagjones/captdavidperry/summary.html Copyright c 1999-2013, Denise G. Jones, accessed 11 Feb 2013.)
Excerpts
DAVID PERRY
Chelsea, Vt. 1819
This is Capt David Perry's conclusion to his book, and is stirringly patriotic, written by one to whom America's new-found liberties meant so much, and who'd lived through the wars that made them so.
This incident occurred in 1760 when then-private David Perry was 18 years old and still apprenticed to a master to learn tanning and shoe-making, when not on military campaign. He was at the time of this incident serving in a detachment of provincial soldiers in the Minas Basin area of Nova Scotia as a guard against Indians, who would have probably killed them the year before when hostilities were high and the French had not yet been defeated. These Indians, likely a hunting party, all males, were members of the Micmac or Mi'qmak tribe with their chief. David reveals several things about himself: 1) his interest in hunting; 2) his willingness to engage others unlike himself in an open exchange, even their leader, and 3) his sense of humor. This is a window into David Perry's personality.
Links outside Open Library
- The Captain David Perry Web Site (c1999-)
- Recollections of an old soldier. The life of Captain David Perry, a soldier of the French and revolutionary wars (1822) on Archive.org
- Recollections of an Old Soldier: The Life of Captain David Perry, A soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars, containing many extraordinary occurrences relating to his own private history, and an account of some interesting events in the history of the times in which he lived, no-where else recorded. Written by Himself. (1819). (Compiled and edited by Denise G. Jones, c1998-2013. This is a derivative edition, see copyright information. Chapter breaks added by editor and are also under copyright.)
- Recollections of an old soldier (1st edition, scanned and online)
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- Created April 1, 2008
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October 28, 2020 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
October 8, 2017 | Edited by MARC Bot | merge duplicate works of 'Recollections of an old soldier' |
February 15, 2013 | Edited by Denise Jones | Spelling correction. |
February 15, 2013 | Edited by Denise Jones | added note |
April 1, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from Scriblio MARC record |