Rare Confederate Soldier's Bible, The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Translated out of the Original Greek (King James Version), published 1861 by the Tennessee Bible Society, Nashville. Agate 32 mo. Pencil inscription inside the front flyleaf reads: John Stranman (or Strauman) / I captured this Bible on the 20th of January 62 down in Kentucky close by the Cumberland River and I will keep it to remember that day. – J. S." Note taped to front inside cover (possibly part of original cover) reads " This little Testament was given to me, Julia B. Alderson on July 26, 1953, by Helen F. Laskey. The testament was given to her mother by John Stranman (Strauman) who worked for her father after the Civil War. The Testament evidently belonged to a Southern soldier and was found by Mr. Stranman (Strauman) on or near a battleground. The inscription on opposed page is now faded and reads as follows." Cloth decorated boards with gilt lettered title "Testament' on spine. 5" x 3" . Note: Before the Civil War, books (including Bibles) had largely been imported to the South. Southern publishers rose to meet the demand, and the Tennessee Bible Society in Nashville began publishing pocket sized New Testaments "at low cost, for general circulation among the soldiers of the South" (The Richmond Daily Dispatch, Nov. 4, 1861). Northern-made Bibles were allowed into the South only in the later years of war, when raw materials such as paper, ink and leather became nearly impossible to obtain. The date and location where this Bible was said to have been found suggests it may have been carried in the Battle of Mill Springs, which took place Jan. 19, 1862 in Pulaski and Wayne Counties, Kentucky, with much of the action taking place along the Cumberland River. The battle represented the first significant victory for the Union in the West and paved the way for Union Troops to move from Kentucky into Tennessee. Condition: Overall good condition. Edge wear but binding tight, text complete, boards only slightly warped, some foxing near spine to flyleaves, light toning to interior pages. Interior front cover is written upon and taped.