[HISTORIES]. STEVENS, Isaac I. Campaigns of the Rio Grande and of Mexico. With Notices of the Recent Work of Major Ripley. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 200 Broadway, 1851. [1-7] 8-108, [4, ads] pp. 12mo (22.3 x 14 cm), original brown printed wrappers, sewn. Lower wrapper loose, spine neatly restored with old sympathetic paper (very slight losses). Internally fine except for moderate waterstain at lower blank margin. Preserved in grey cloth slipcase.

First edition. Connor & Faulk 242. Garrett & Goodwin, p. 143. Haferkorn, p. 19. Howes S962. Palau 322428. Tutorow 3445: “Stevens served as adjutant of engineers in the siege of Vera Cruz, the battle of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, and in the reconnaissance and battle of Churubusco. He was made brevet captain on August 20, 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco. He served in the battle of Molino del Rey...and in the battle of Chapultepec. He was promoted to brevet major on September 13, 1847...and was in the assault and capture of the city of Mexico where he was wounded.... Stevens’ notices on Ripley’s book amount to a defense of Taylor and Scott as competent generals whose superior judgment led to victory.” Raines, p. 195: “With the [Texas] battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de Palma, and bombardment of Fort Texas, later called Fort Brown” (Tutorow).

He wrote this book in part to refute Roswell Ripley’s 1849 The War with Mexico.