Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a very nice named & identified example of “The Soldier’s Friend”, a convenient pocket manual issued by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for soldiers in the army and navy. This book contains a soldier's calendar, pay table, principles and plans of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, chapters about the dead, as well as religious hymns and psalms. This was very useful information to the common American soldier. 

This example shows heavy wear to the cover, and was printed by Perkinpine and Higgins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1865. It measures 2 ⅞ x 4 ¼”. It is 123 pages and is inscribed on the interior cover:

Henry M. Crilley
Co. C 14th NJV
1st Brig. 3rd Div.
6th Corps
Washington
DC

Henry Martin Crilley was born in New Jersey on July 6th, 1846. He enlisted at the age of 16 on August 10th, 1862, and mustered in as a private in Company C, 14th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to Corporal on March 1st, 1865, and was mustered out on June 8th in Washington, D.C. He likely received the booklet around this time. After the war, he moved to Indiana and married in 1873. He died on January 6th, 1917 in Fairmount, Indiana.

The 14th New Jersey fought in the Bristoe Campaign, Mine Run Campaign, Battle of the Wilderness, Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Battle of Cold Harbor, Battle of Monocacy, Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Third Battle of Winchester, Battle of Cedar Creek, and the Siege of Petersburg.

Ready for display!