The 1861 “Handy Book for the U.S. Soldier” was the Union Army's first attempt to replace the Hardee's manual of tactics.  They didn’t want to use a tactics book written by a Confederate general.  Originally printed in Philadelphia in 1861, this book is very informative and it covers the “school of the soldier” very well.  Ninety-four pages, 3 ½” x 5”.  There are some folks and small tears to the first few pages, but the body of the book is strong. Some separation of the spine.  Written on the top edge of the cover is “E. B. Sawyer” in period pen & ink.

A search of the “Civil War Database” reveals several “Sawyer”s with a first name that begins with “E” and with no middle initial listed.  Obviously, any of those soldiers could have simply not recorded a middle name on the muster rolls.  However, there is only a single entry for an “E. B. Sawyer”.

If he is our guy, he is Edward B. Sawyer from Hyde Park, Vermont.  He enlisted on October 21, 1861, into the 1st Vermont Cavalry. On November 1, he was commissioned as the Captain of Company "I". He was promoted to Major on April 25, 1862 and made Colonel of the regiment on September 16, 1862. He resigned his commission on April 28, 1864.  The 1^st Vermont Cavalry had one of the most active and honorable histories of all the Union cavalry regiments during the Civil War.   [jet]

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