This pocket Bible was printed in England in 1860. It has tooled leather covers that have separated from the spine and a broken brass clasp on the edge. Spine is chipped but still retains the gold embossed “HOLY BIBLE, PSALMS.” The inside of the front cover has a period ink inscription of “JOHN MONTGOMERY.” The inscription is done twice but is slightly faded and worn. The very first page has an inscription in period pencil that reads “JOHN MONTGOMERY, MAY ANGELS GUIDE YOU ON YOUR WAY, AS DOWN LIFES PATH YOU GO, MAY JESUS TAKE YOU HOME TO STAY, WHEN YOU ARE DONE BELOW.” Below this in period ink is “JOHN E. MONTGOMERY.” The next page is inscribed in pencil “REMEMBER ME WHEN YOU ARE FAR AWAY JOHN E. MONTGOMERY.” This inscription looks to be written by someone either older or just learning to write as it appears that it is more like scrawl than script.

Tucked inside the bible is a handwritten letter dated April 8, 1961 and reads:

THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS THAT OF MY GRANDFATHER NATHAN SWARTOUT WHO DURING THE CIVIL WAR WAS AN ARTILLERYMAN WITH THE FIRST NEW YORK.

AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS HE MAINTAINED THAT THE BIBLE WAS REMOVED FROM THE CORPSE OF A REBEL SOLDIER WHO WAS KILLED IN AN ATTACK ON HIS GUN. MY GRANDFATHER USED THE BIBLE FOR HIS REMAINING YEARS EACH SUNDAY UNTIL HIS DEATH. THE PHOTOGRAPH AND BIBLE WERE ON LOAN TO THE WATERTOWN HISTORICAL LIBRARY FOR MANY YEARS AND RETURNED TO ME WHEN IT WAS FINALLY DISBANDED.

The letter is than signed by a Swartout family member. The letter has been folded numerous times so it does have fold lines but otherwise it is in good condition. Also in the Bible is an early handwritten tag that reads “BIBLE PICKED UP ON THE BATTLE FIELD OF THE WILDERNESS BY NELSON SWARTOUT BAT. D. FIRST N.Y. ART.”

Aside from the loose covers the Bible is holding together well. Some pages have more wear than others and some are dog eared but it is still solid.

Confederate records are too incomplete to nail down who John E. Montgomery was and what regiment he served with.

Nelson Swartout (spelled Swartwout in the battery roster) enlisted as a Private in Osborne’s battery D, 1^st New York Light Artillery on January 6, 1864. At the time of his enlistment Swartout was 31 years old, stood 5 ft 11 inches tall with a light complexion, blue eyes and auburn hair. He was mustered out at Washington, D. C. on June 3, 1865.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!