Reports of the Secretary of War, with Reconnaissances of Routes from San Antonio to El Paso; also, the Report of Capt. R.B. Marcy's Route from Fort Smith to Santa Fe; and the Report of J.H. Simpson of an Expedition into the Navajo Country; and the Report of Lieutenant W.H.C. Whiting's Reconnaissances of the Western Frontier of Texas
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1850. 8vo. Very Good. Item #13178
A beautiful and quite scarce 1850 1st Edition on early Texas stage coach and military routes, handsomely rebound in modern half leather and tan cloth, with black spine label ruled in gilt.
An important work regarding settlement of West Texas and New Mexico with possibly the first map to depict the location of Fort Worth. The expeditions of the 1840s were paramount in opening West Texas and New Mexico to white settlement.
Senate Ex. Doc. No. 64 (31st Congress, 1st Session). Octavo. 250pp, 2 large folded maps and 72 lithographic full-color and black & white plates ( 3 folded), numbered 1-75. Complete as issued without numbered plates 2, 21, and 39. According to Storm and Howes, the issue is complete at 72 plates. More than two dozen hand-colored.
The first large map: "Reconnaissances of Routes" is detached from the binding and laid in, separated along several folds with aged tape repairs along some of the separations. Both maps in extremely delicate condition and in need of restoration. Because of their fragile state, we have not opened the maps, but have included pictures in their folded state.
The second fold-out map, as well as the lithographic foldouts, also have some separations, but are in much better condition and still attached to the binding.
Plates depict natural scenes, landscapes and Native American costume and dress and early pictograms, and those in color remain quite bright and attractive.
"There is much interesting matter in the reports relating to Indian tribes, then first visited, and the plates are principally illustrated of Indian life or aboriginal antiquities" - Sabin
Sabin 36377, Howes J170, Storm 2228. Bradford 2724, Munk 119, Wagner-Camp 184, Wheat 667.
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