8vo. [3], vii, [1], 136 pp., half-title, contemporary full marine calf, all edges gilt, marbled end papers, title gilt on raised decorated spine comprising of six compartments and laced gilt motif on endpapers, printed on vellum paper, small armoury book plate from the Library of the Marquis des Roys verso front cover, unusual and rare numbered edition of this book, probably published for private circulation in a small number, of which this copy is numbered by hand No. 65, copy clean and in very good condition, W. Jeffs, London, first edition, 1861.

Synopsis

Exceptional binding. The Comte de Paris Philipe d’Orleans was the grandson of Louis Philippe I, King of France and eldest son of Duc d’Orleans. He was Count of Paris, and a claimant to the French throne but when the revolution of 1848 broke out, his family was unable to make him proclaim the throne and consequently began a long period of exile.
This volume was printed for private circulation “destiné seulement a quelques personnes”. A highly important document depicting the impressions and observations of the French Count during the war that later in July of the same year led to the arrival of the French forces to Beirut. The work consists of two sections, one on the state of the Turkish government in Damascus, and the other an account of the Christians in Lebanon. The Comte de Paris travelled in Syria during the massacres of the Christians in 1860. An historian, journalist and outspoken democrat, Philippe volunteered to serve as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War along with his younger brother, Prince Robert, Duke of Chartres. He was appointed as an assistant adjutant general with the rank of captain on 24 September 1861 and served under the name of Philippe d’Orléans, the Count of Paris. He distinguished himself during the unsuccessful Peninsular Campaign. He resigned from the Union Army, along with his brother, on 15 July 1862. Philippe’s history of the Civil War is considered a standard reference work on the subject.
Bibliographic references: Abousawan 716; Blackmer 1226; Weber 584.