BURTON, Richard F., Capt. (1821?1890). Letters from the Battle?Fields of Paraguay. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1870. 8vo. Engraved title, wood?engraved frontispiece, folding map at end (some marginal foxing to frontis and engraved title). Early half brown morocco gilt, raised bands, gilt?lettering and tooling in compartments, top edge gilt, stamp?signed by Root & Son. FIRST EDITION, of Burton?s first?hand account of his visits to the battlefields of the Paraguayan War while serving in the diplomatic corps in Brazil. The war has been considered one of the bloodiest in modern times with approximately 400,000 killed and Paraguay?s losses totaling 60 to 70 percent of its population. Penzer, pp. 84?85 (?This is a rare book?).