Masonry

1872 · ref. 9402 — N.p.: Privately Printed 1872. First edition. 8vo 20x14cm 3 98pp with 50pp consisting of 13 separately printed Pike poems and "In Memoriam Albert Pike" from 1898 bound in at rear. Lengthy presentation inscription from Pike to Capt. Fayette Hewitt and dated in 1872 Washington on separate leaf in front; and opposite a lengthy presentation inscription from Hewitt to a J.H. Johnson in 1896 Frankfort KY memorializing his friendship with Pike and gifting the book. Additionally Pike has briefly inscribed 2 of the poems bound in at rear to Hewitt one dated in 1870. Bound for Hewitt in full gilt-ruled black morocco binding spine and turn-ins tooled in gilt gilt lettering on spine marbled endpapers g.e. Spine ends joints and corners rubbed. Few of the poems at rear with light transmittal folds. Tremendous presentation copy of this privately printed collection of mythological poems from the Confederate General and architect of the Southern Scottish Rite Albert Pike 1809-1891. This copy presented to his close friend and subordinate Captain Fayette Hewitt 1831-1909 who served under Pike during the Civil War including the period of Pike's treaty negotiations in Indian Territory. Contemporary accounts from Pike on Hewitt illustrate the foundations of their relationship: "He daily deserved praise and won the love and admiration of all who knew him. He became as dear to me as my own sons. Brave courteous amiable unassuming obliging and kind to every one firm in the performance of duty—a nobler gentleman or better soldier never lived." This association is further deepened by the volume itself which Pike inscribed to “Capt. Fayette Hewitt” and which Hewitt preserved for over two decades before presenting it onward in 1896. Expanded with a substantial group of privately circulated poems including one inscribed in 1870 the volume documents a longstanding association between the two men later reinforced by Hewitt’s memorial presentation. L. Boyden in his Bibliography of the Writings of Albert Pike 1921 records many of these bound-in poems as separately issued printings spanning from 1859 through the early 1870s with titles including "Cruiskeen Lan" "The Light of Days Long Past" "After the Midnight Cometh Morn" "The Fine Arkansas Gentleman" and others. In all this volume represents a singular object at the intersection of the Civil War Southern fraternal culture and the personal legacy of Albert Pike preserved through his wartime friend and subordinate Fayette Hewitt. . Privately Printed unknown