George Folsom (1802-1869). New York: Charles J. Folsom, 1842. 16mo., 6 x 3 4/8 inches). Fine folding lithographed map “Mexico and Texas in 1842” with original hand-colour in part and in outline (some very slight spotting to some text leaves). Original black cloth, covers decorated in blind, spine lettered in gilt (head and foot of the spine chipped with minor loss, spine very slightly faded to brown, but ATTRACTIVE); preserved in a brown cloth clamshell box.

Provenance: with the red leather book label of John Talbot Gernon on the front paste-down.

First edition. “In the section of this book on Mexico which ends at page 151, there is a reprinting from Niles Register of December 4, 1841, apparently the first in book form, of a letter giving an account of a journey from St. Louis to Santa Fe. The text from page 153 on relates to Texas for the period from about 1832 to 1842. It is most useful for its printing at pages 215-230 of the correspondence of Bernard E. Bee and James Hamilton with Santa-Anna that passed between December, 1841, and March, 1842, also given in ‘Mexique et Texas,’ Paris, 1842 (entry No. 1424), and for its reprinting, at pages 234-243, from Niles Register of March 5, 1842, of the Franklin Combs narrative of the Texan Santa Fe expedition. Combs (Coombs, according to Falconer and F.W. Hodge), the 17-year-old son of General Leslie Combs of Kentucky, was one of the small group that included Kendall and Falconer who had gone on the expedition as guests. His narrative relates mainly to the surrender of the expedition and its sufferings in the journey to Mexico as captives. It gives no details of the route of the expedition. [Combs] was apparently the first of the prisoners to be released at Mexico City. Winkler, Manuscript Letters and Documents, Austin, 1937, reproduces (entry No. 144 at p. 271) a letter from Folsom to Ashbel Smith, dated October 24, 1843, indicating Folsom’s authorship of Mexico in 1842, and this is made certain by a presentation copy in the collection of Everett D. Graff, with the inscription signed ‘George Folsom, Esq. the Author’” (Streeter). Graff 1372; Howes F226; Palau 93035; Sabin 24968; Streeter 1413.