Gunnery Instructions, Simplified for the Volunteer Officers of the U. S. Navy; With Hints to Executive and Other Officers.
Barrett, Lieut. Edward.
( 1863), New York
19 cm. (9)-93, (14 publisher's ads) pp. b/w line ills.
Price: $250
Barretts work differs from regular ordnance manuals by incorporating his experiences, also because it accounts for the disposition of the crew of a man-of-war in every contingency of battle. Smith III 147. Third edition of a work first published in 1862, to meet the Civil War’s need for training manuals. As well as author Barrett’s experiences, the book’s owner, one Arthur B. Homer, has added his own notes in pencil, covering three pages of front blanks, and several pages of text, particularly pp 21-23, the section titled “Duties of an Executive Officer,” with material on side guns and rifled Parrott guns. Also, tipped onto the rear pastedown is a full-page listing of stations of 25 men operating a pivot gun. Hamersly’s “General Navy Register” records Arthur B. Homer signing on as a mate in February, 1863. He made acting Ensign almost exactly one year later. A partially obscured inscription on the front endpaper suggests that Homer served aboard “USS Savannah” which, in 1863, was a Navy training ship at the US Naval Academy. The book is complete, but in fair condition only, having been well used by Homer. Backstrip lacking, covers rubbed.
