An Illinois man has returned a missing library book to Washington and Lee University -- nearly 145 years after it was stolen by a Union soldier during the Civil War.
The 1842 book is part of a four-volume set called "History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France From the Year
1807 to the Year 1814."
It was returned to the Virginia school by Mike Dau of Lake Forest. The suburban Chicago man was a friend of one of the soldier's descendants.
The book was taken by soldier C.S. Gates, who wrote a note in the book saying it was taken "in June 1864 when General Hunter was
on his Lynchburg raid."
Dau inherited the book more than 20 years ago from the estate of Myron and Isabel Gates.
Dau says he'd been meaning to return it for years, and he's glad he wasn't responsible for any late fines.
