Marcy the Blockade-Runner — Castlemon War Series

📖 Marcy the Blockade-Runner by Harry Castlemon (1891, Porter & Coates) — the third and final volume of Castlemon’s War Series, following young Marcy Gray as he navigates blockade running, divided loyalties, and Civil War intrigue along the North Carolina coast. This Winston “Library Edition” reprint features decorative stamped cloth with illustrated endpapers.

QUICK FACTS

• Author: Harry Castlemon (pen name of Charles Austin Fosdick, 1842–1915)
• Publisher: The John C. Winston Co., Chicago / Philadelphia
• Year: Copyright 1891 by Porter & Coates (Winston Library Edition reprint)
• Format: Hardcover in decorative stamped cloth
• Pages: ~420 | ISBN: None (pre-ISBN era)
• Condition: Very Good — full report below

THE STORY

Marcy the Blockade-Runner is set during the American Civil War and follows Marcy Gray, a young Union sympathizer living near Nashville, North Carolina. When his family is suspected of harboring Union loyalties — and a hidden fortune in gold — Marcy is drawn into the dangerous world of blockade running along the Carolina coast. Forced to serve as pilot aboard the privateer Osprey under the duplicitous Captain Beardsley, Marcy must navigate treacherous waters, divided neighbors, and the moral complexities of war while trying to protect his mother and prove his true allegiance.

Harry Castlemon was one of the most prolific and popular boys’ adventure authors of the late 19th century. Born Charles Austin Fosdick in Randolph, New York, he wrote over 60 novels across multiple series — including the Gunboat Series, Rocky Mountain Series, and Sportsman’s Club Series — that collectively sold millions of copies. The War Series, of which this is the final volume, was among his most enduring works.

THIS EDITION

The John C. Winston Co. “Library Edition” is a handsome later reprint of the original 1891 Porter & Coates first edition. Winston was a major Philadelphia and Chicago publisher known for producing durable, attractively bound editions of popular juvenile series books for libraries and schools. This edition retains the original copyright notice and features Winston’s distinctive decorative cloth binding with color-stamped cover art and illustrated endpapers. The spine bears “LIBRARY EDITION” and “WINSTON” — hallmarks of this sought-after reprint series.

COVER ART & ILLUSTRATIONS

The front cover features a decorative circular vignette depicting two Civil War-era figures — one in a red coat and one in blue uniform — standing with rifles beside a body of water, with an encampment and mountains beyond. The warm tan cloth is embellished with red, blue, and black stamped details. The spine carries a second illustration of a sailor figure in period dress, framed by red-brown decorative borders, with “LIBRARY EDITION” and “WINSTON” at the foot. Four interior illustrations by Geo. G. White accompany the text, including a frontispiece of Marcy and the overseer on horseback. Illustrated endpapers feature colorful golfing scenes — a standard Winston design element unrelated to the Civil War content.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Third and concluding volume of Castlemon’s War Series — follows True to His Colors and Rodney the Partisan
• One of the earliest juvenile novels to address the moral complexity of divided loyalties during the Civil War from a Southern Unionist perspective
• Castlemon’s works were among the best-selling boys’ books of the 1890s, rivaling Horatio Alger in popularity among young readers
• A complete copy with all four Geo. G. White illustrations and the original 1891 copyright notice

FREQUENTLY ASKED

What edition is this? Winston “Library Edition” — a later reprint of the original 1891 Porter & Coates first edition, published by The John C. Winston Co. of Chicago and Philadelphia.

What condition is it in? Very Good — full report below.

Is this the first edition? No — this is the Winston Library Edition reprint. The first edition was published by Porter & Coates, Philadelphia, in 1891.

FOR COLLECTORS

Winston Library Edition copies are less common than the original Porter & Coates printings, and this example survives with its decorative stamping, illustrated endpapers, and interior illustrations all intact. The 1910 gift inscription — reading “Philip C. M. Smith / January 20, 1910 / From Uncle Lou, Uncle Meita, Aunt Sarah” — adds provenance without significantly detracting from the copy’s collectible value.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Very Good

Cover & Spine: Front board lower corner bumped, others are crisp. Spine head and tail bumped, with light shelf-wear to spine ends. Cover art stamping remains clear with distinct red, blue, and black details. Board color uniform all around.

Text Block & Pages: Lightly age-toned text block. Clean interior with an ink gift inscription on the front blank page dated January 20, 1910. Block edges are tanned, upper most so.

Binding: Square and tight; hinges are intact and firm.

See accompanying images for full condition details. Will ship promptly, carefully packaged.

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