EMORY, William H. (1811–1887). Notes of a Military Reconnaissance, from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, in California, Including Part of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila Rivers. Washington: Wendell and Van Benthuysen, 1848.
8vo. (Spotting and browning throughout). 64 lithograph or engraved plates, 3 battle–plans, 3 folding maps including one large folding map from the Senate issue, numerous in text vignettes (several plates browned, most with spotting, several contemporary penciled drawings on versos). Original brown cloth, original printed paper spine label (label chipped, ends worn, front hinge cracked with separation, title–page sprung). Provenance: early gift inscription from Honorable D. Gott to J.H. Hasting dated 1852.
FIRST EDITION, House of Representatives issue [30th Congress, first session, Ex. Doc. No. 41]. FIRST ISSUE with Emory’s rank given as “Lieut. Colonel” rather than “Brevet Major” but with the rare Senate issue map laid in. The Zamorano Eighty gives priority to the House issue which Howes states is “indicated by the fact that many copies were seemingly issued before the large map was available”. Emory’s report “is a source material for the Southwest and the Mexican border. A library of Western Americana is incomplete without it” (Zamorano).
Contains the RARE LARGE FOLDING MAP that was the “most important milestone in the cartographic development and accurate delineation of the Southwest. In its period only the similarly scientifically based reconnaissance maps of Fremont were its equals” (Wheat). Cowan, p. 195; Graff 1249; Howes E145; Rittenhouse 188 (“the House edition is usually preferred”); Sabin 22536; Wagner–Camp 148:5; Wheat, Mapping the Transmississippi West III:505, 544; Zamorano Eighty 33A.