Sarmento, Francisco Joseph. Instrucçam militar para o serviço da Cavallaria, & Dragôes [...].

Lisbon, Ferreira, 1723.

4to. (24), 157, (1) pp. With a folding woodcut plate. Later half calf over marbled boards with gilt spine and spine-title. Marbled endpapers. All edges red.

 1,500.00

Only edition of this extremely rare manual for cavalry and dragoon soldiers by the Major General Sarmento, governor of the province of Tras-os-Montes in northeastern Portugal. Includes instructions for various ranks, explanations of weaponry, marches and drill, as well as on how to approach the enemy in battle formation. The plate shows the proper layout of a military camp with the positions of flags and tents for captains and soldiers, as well as those for the surgeon and priest.

No other copy in auction records, only three copies in libraries worldwide (1 in Spain, 2 in the United States).

Insignificant worming to margin of the first few pages; the plate with a tiny tear (not touching image). A finely preserved copy from the collection of Thomas Fremantle, 3rd Baron Cottesloe (1862-1956), commander of the Territorial Army and president of the Society for Army History Research.

References

Nijhoff, A Collection of Mostly Old Books on the History of Battles, 135: "très peu d'exx". OCLC 23620032.

Stock Code: BN#51152 Tag: