416 pp. Illustrated with 40 lithographed plates, 3 battle-plans; large folding map in rear pocket. 9x5½, original black cloth, paper spine label. First Edition, Senate Issue 2.
With ink inscription on front free endpaper, "Presented by the Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, Rep. in Congress of U.S., 1848"; this inscription copied out in pencil beneath the ink inscription, with recipient's name C.W. Farnum given, with his pencil ownership signature, Rumford Cor., Maine, on pastedown. Hannibal Hamlin, who was to become Lincoln's first vice president, was a congressman from Maine at this time, and would soon begin serving in the U.S. Senate. This is the second Senate issue of the book, with Emory's rank given as Brevet Major, and with slight changes in the spelling of the captions. However, it does contain the large folding map, with Wagner-Camp does not call for in this issue. A superb study by topographical engineer and scientist Emory of the lands newly wrested from the Mexican government. As Wagner-Camp notes, "his report was a major contribution to the geographical knowledge of North America. His map, in which he limited himself to recording only the data which he and his assistants had actually observed, was the first accurate depiction of that vast area, and is still regarded as one of the landmarks of American cartography. The report includes sections on the plants and animals, as well as on the geology and the prehistoric town sites and other archeological remains. Emory's descriptions of the various Indian tribes that he encountered were steps toward the newly-forming discipline -Anthropology- concerned with primitive man." The large map is called by Wheat "a document of towering significant in the cartographic history of the West," and "epoch-making." Although Howes gives precedence to the larger House issue, Wagner-Camp lists this issue as the first; the latter does, however, admit that the various issues and editions have "caused much distress among bibliographers and scholars for many years." Senate Executive No. 7, 30th Congress, 1st Session. Cowan p.195; Graff 1249; Howes E145; Wagner-Camp 148:2; Zamorano Eighty 33.
Condition:
Some rubbing and extremity wear to the map, spine label perished; occasional light foxing to the contents, six-inch tear to the map with some minor darkening and other wear to it, a few nicks at the folds, still better than generally found; overall in very good or better condition.