Post-Revolutionary War to Civil War
1854 First Edition "Central Route to the Pacific, from the Valley of the Mississippi to California: Journal Expedition of E. F. Beale... from Missouri to California, in 1853"
1854-Dated, First Edition Hardcover Book titled "Central Route to the Pacific, from the Valley of the Mississippi to California: Journal of the Expedition of E.F. Beale, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in California, and Gwinn Harris Heap, from Missouri to California, in 1853", Publisher: Lippincott, Grambo & Co.; London Trubner & Co, Philadelphia, Very Fine.
This copy includes a quality facsimile of the large extensive Map measuring 7.25" x 34.5" titled, "Map of the Central Route from the Valley of the Mississippi to California. Compiled & drawn by G.H. Heap". Beneath the title is printed: "Note. The Route from the mouth of Huerfano R. to Las Vegas de Santa Clara is from notes kept by G.H Heap during the Expedition... The remainder is from surveys of J.C. Frmont and others." The large facsimile Map, Wheat notes it, "extends from Van Buren (Fort Smith) and Independence on the east, and the Pacific Ocean, and from an unnamed lake (Sevier) near 'Massacre of Capt. Gunnison & party,' on the Servers, or Nicollet River, and Pike's Peak, on the north, to San Bernardino Mt. and Santa Fe on the south... There are details in the Rocky Mountain Area." Bookplates of James W. Todd and Volkmann on front pastedown previous owner's signature on front free endpaper. Cloth covers lightly rubbed at corners and spine ends, interior is very nice and clean, some scattered light foxing on folding Map interior page. This Book measures about 5.5" x 9" with 136 pages plus 32 pages of added advertisements at back. Includes 13 Lithograph Plates, a few being in Color, plus the facsimile of Folding Map tipped to rear pastedown (as the folding map was issued in only a few copies), original blindstamped embossed cloth hardcovers" spine lettered, "Central Route to the Pacific" in gilt. A well-illustrated firsthand relation of Western American travel. "Heap's letters were printed in the "National Intelligencer" (Washington, D.C.) November 26, 29, December 1, 3, 6, 8 and 13, 1853, and they comprise the entire text of this book... They were probably submitted by Senator Benton..." - W.C. Graff notes that, "Some of the areas explored are here described for the first time." See: Howes H-378; Graff 1837; Cowan, p. 273; Sabin 31175; Wagner-Camp-Becker 235, Wheat Transmississippi 808.
KEYWORDS:
Fremont Expedition