Beschreibung:

Title: A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery under the Command of Capt. Lewis and Capt. Clarke of the Army of the United States from the Mouth of the River Missouri through the Interior Parts of North America to the Pacific Ocean During the Years 1804, 1805 & 1806. Author: Gass, Patrick Place: Pittsburgh Publisher: Printed by Zadock Cramer for David M'Keehan Date: 1807 Description: viii, [2], [11]-262 pp. 6¼x4, original leather-backed marbled boards. First Edition. The first detailed account of the Lewis and Clark expedition to be published, and because of the untimely death of Meriwether Lewis, the only one to be available to the public for seven years. Wagner-Camp notes that "Although he had not learned to read and write until an adult, Gass nonetheless complied with Lewis's orders that each sergeant keep a daily journal... Gass became one of the best-known members of the expedition for several reasons: his key role as sergeant brought his name up frequently in the journals of Lewis and Clark; his account was the first to be published; he was the first to have a biography written about him; and finally, he outlived the other members of the Corps of Discovery by decades, dying at the age of ninety-nine in 1870." A carpenter by trade, Gass helped build Forts Mandan and Clatsop, and provides valuable commentary on these activities. Graff 2526; Howes G77; Sabin 26741; Wagner-Camp 6:1. Early ownership signature in ink on the title page of John Caldwell. 19th century book plate of the Philomathean Society of the Ohio University and with ink presentation on front free endpaper reading: "Presented to the Philomathean Society, Oct. 26th, 1833." Lot Amendments Condition: Spine leather quite dry, gilt lettering no longer legible, boards well worn, joints and hinges cracking; some light foxing; else very good. Item number: 191092