Histoire

Notes of a Military Reconnaissance from Fort Leavenworth in Missouri to San Diego in California – including parts of the Arkansas Del Norte and Gila Rivers

1848 · E0530 — <p> 614 pages illustrated with 64 lithographed or engraved plates 3 battle-plans plus some figure drawings within the text. Octavo 8¾x5¼" bound in original publisher's black cloth and paper spine label. Thirtieth Congress - First Session. Ex. Doc. NO. 41. Cowan page 195; Graff 1249; Howes E145; Wagner-Camp 148:5; Zamorano Eighty 33 First edition House of Representatives issues of the report containing the reports of Lieutenant Abert Colonel Cooke and Captain Johnson as well as that of Emory; the Senate issue only contained the Emory report.</p><p><br />In 1844 Emory served in an expedition that produced a new map of Texan claims westward to the Rio Grande. He came to public attention as the author of the <i>Notes of a Military Reconnaissance from Fort Leavenworth in Missouri to San Diego California</i> published by the Thirtieth United States Congress in 1848. This report described terrain and rivers cities and forts and made observations about Indians Mexicans primarily in New Mexico Territory Arizona Territory and Southern California. It was and is considered one of the important chronicles and descriptions of the historic Southwest particularly noted for its maps. Emory was a reliable and conscientious cartographer. There is a story of testament as to Emory's dedication to accuracy that says John Bartlett his supervisor in the Corps of Topographical Engineers made him sign off on a misplaced boundary marker creating a sweet revenge for Emory who replaced him as Head of the International Boundary Commission in 1855. So accurate were his maps that when topographical engineers were surveying possible routes for the transcontinental railroad the most Southern route did not need to be surveyed thanks to the outstanding work by William H. Emory. But William H. Emory did more than just map the terrain; he also made notes about the plant life as well as the people who inhabited the sparsely populated southwest. Notating the social relations of some of the Native American people he wrote: "Women when captured are taken as wives by those who capture them but they are treated by the Indian wives of the capturers as slaves and made to carry wood and water; if they chance to be pretty or receive too much attention from their lords and masters they are in the absence of the latter unmercifully beaten and otherwise maltreated. The most unfortunate thing which can befall a captive woman is to be claimed by two persons. In this case she is either shot or delivered up for indiscriminate violence.<br /><br /><b>Condition:</b><br /><br />Binding worn at edges and spine ends cloth splitting along front joint; occasional light foxing lacking the two maps as noted very good.</p> Wendell & Van Benthuysen, Printers hardcover books