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1873 Dept. of the Missouri General and Court Martial Orders & Circulars book. Actual departmental orders books from the Indian Wars period are exceptionally scarce, especially one from the early 1870's

A few of the orders are signed, as these were all issued individually during the year, and then bound together to form an excellent record and reference book for the officer who compiled them.
This book belonged to D. G. Swaim of the Judge Advocates Office d the Department of the Missouri. It is also signed by Swaim on a back end page.

In very fine condition, contains many interesting orders, especially the court martial orders.

$475.00 plus shipping

BRIGADIER-GENERAL DAVID G. SWAIM (Judge-Advocate-General) was born in Salem, Columbiana County, Ohio. His family has been represented in the active operations of every war in which the United States has been engaged, and conspicuously during the War of 1812 in the person of Commodore (Captain) Lawrence, of the navy. His father was the friend of Joshua R. Giddings, Salmon P. Chase, and other advanced political thinkers of that day, and was one of the few who organized the Free-Soil party in Ohio. General Swaim received an academic education in his native State, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. He has always been a Republican in politics, and, although young in years, took an active part in the Presidential campaign of 1860. In 1861 he entered the army as first lieutenant of the Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteers (Sherman's brigade), and soon after taking the field was promoted adjutant of the regiment, and acting adjutantgeneral of the brigade to which his regiment was attached in the Army of the Ohio (afterwards the Army of the Cumberland), commanded successively by Generals Buell, Rosecrans, and Thomas. He participated in the campaigns and battles of those armies, among others the battles of Shiloh (where he was slightly wounded), Perryville, Kentucky; Chickamauga (where he was injured by the killing of the horse on which he was mounted), and Missionary Ridge. For his services at the battle of Shiloh he was promoted captain and assistant adjutant-general of volunteers; and after the battle of Stone River he was assigned to the staff of the general commanding the Army of the Cumberland. He served through the entire period of the war of the Rebellion, and was several times promoted, and was retained on staff duty more than a year after the actual close of the war, and was mustered out in October, 1866, as assistant ad jutant-general, with the rank of major and brevet colonel of volunteers. In February, 1867, he was commissioned in the permanent military establishment, and on account of his legal abilities and successful services on military courts, he was assigned to duty as judge-advocate of the Fourth Military District at Vicksburg, Mississippi, where, as counsel for the government, he successfully argued against eminent counsel the celebrated habeas corpus case of er parte McCardle, involving the constitutionality of the Reconstruction Acts of Congress, before the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Mississippi; and was of counsel in arguing the case on appeal in the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1869 he was appointed major and judge-advocate in the U. S. Army, and was assigned to duty at headquarters of the Military Department of the Missouri, which position he filled for more than ten years, and on many occasions during that period he was, by special detail of the Secretary of War, designated to officiate as judge-advocate of courts-martial in the trial of important cases in different parts of the country. He also appeared as counsel for the government before the ordinary courts of law in matters affecting military jurisdiction and administration. In December, 1879, President Hayes appointed him judge-advocate-general of the army, with the rank of brigadier-general, which he now holds. Upon his assignment to duty as judge-advocate-general, thus severing his connection with the Department of the Missouri as its judge-advocate, the commanding general of the department issued the following in a general order: “Official notice having been received of the appointment of Major D. G. Swaim, judge-advocate, to be judge-advocate-general of the army, the immediate connection of that officer with this department is terminated. This appointment is so public and splendid a recognition by the highest officials of the government of the ability and efficiency with which he has, during a period of more than ten years, discharged the duties of judge-advocate of this department, that it would be superfluous, and perhaps unbecoming, in the department commander to add the commendation which he so deeply feels. “The appointment, however, involves the disruption of personal and official ties which have been cemented by so many years of intimate intercourse, and the department commander cannot fail to regret this, while he congratulates General Swaim on his deserved promotion.” It will be remembered that General Swaim was the devoted friend of the late President Garfield; and was his trusted friend and companion all through the fatal hours that attended the close of that noble life.