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Bullet-damaged book and bullet fragment from the Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864. The hardcover book, 5˝ x 7.25˝, entitled ‘The New Pastoral. By Thomas Buchanan Read,’ bears a damaged spine that was struck by a stray bullet. The inner pastedown features a period handwritten statement: “The bullet passed through the wall of the house and stuck in the back of this book; in the battle of P. Hill.” The actual bullet fragment, 1˝ x .75˝ x .25˝, is also included. Accompanied by a copy of the softcover 2006 book In the Line of Fire by Steve Mullinax and Jack Melton, which pictures this book on page 42.
The Battle of Pleasant Hill in Louisiana formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union forces were attempting to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport. The battle was essentially a continuation of the Battle of Mansfield, a Confederate victory, which had caused the Union commander, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, to send his wagons, with most of his artillery, downriver in retreat. However, both sides had been reinforced through the night, and when the Confederate commander, Major General Richard Taylor, launched an assault against the Union line, it was repulsed, though at a high cost in casualties; the Union army retreated the next day. The majority of historians consider the battle to be a Union tactical victory, although some consider it to be a draw.
