COTTON, Sydney John.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Nine Years on the North-West Frontier of India, from 1854 to 1863. First edition, in a prize issue binding, more elaborate than the publisher's standard binding of purple cloth. Cotton's memoirs "reflect the courage and defiance required during the Indian Mutiny, as represented in his forceful disarming of native infantry, securing passage of the Indus, and blowing several key traitorous sepoys from the guns" (Riddick).Cotton (1792-1874) was serving at the rank of brigadier in the Peshawar Valley at the time of the Rebellion. Presented with the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities at a higher level of command, he rose to the occasion, earning the approval of Lord Lawrence. In Nine Years, "he expressed his views on various Indian questions. These were of particular value, coming as they did from an officer of the British service with an exceptionally long experience of Indian conditions, and who, moreover, possessed to a remarkable degree the confidence of his soldiers" (ODNB).We have handled one other copy in a similar binding, which was also given as a school prize. That copy had the same engraved frontispiece, unconnected to the subject matter and not found in standard copies.

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