144. HUGHES, John T. Doniphan’s
Expedition; Containing an Account of the Conquest of New
Mexico; General Kearney’s Overland Expedition ot
California; Doniphan’s Campaign against the Navajos;
His Unparalleled March upon Chihuahua and Durango; and the
Operations of General Price at Santa Fé: With a
Sketch of the Life of Col. Doniphan. Illustrated with Plans
of Battle-fields and Fine Engravings. Cincinnati: U. P.
James, n.d. [1848]. 144 pp., engraved frontispiece, text
illustrations, 3 maps within text: (1) Plan of Santa Fe
and Its Environs; (2) Plan of the Battle of
Brazito; (3) Plan of the Battle of Sacramento.
8vo, original pale green pictorial wrappers with the
spirited engraving Reid’s Charge at Sacramento,
sewn (expertly rebacked with matching archival paper).
Original price notice (Price Twenty Five Cents)
mostly removed at top of wrap, two small chips from blank
margins of first two leaves, occasional light foxing.
Despite the flaws, this is a very desirable copy, the
wrappers and bright and crisp, the text cleaner than
usually found. This was an immensely popular book that
people really read, and consequently, finding a copy in
collector’s condition is difficult. Preserved in a
grey cloth folding box with black leather label.
First
edition, "cheap edition" issue, early, mixed state
(without the "List of Embellishments" added to the
copyright page, without the footnote on p. 25, etc., etc.).
The first issue has the date 1847 on the title-page (only a
few copies of the first issue are extant). Bennett,
American Book Collecting, p. 97. Connor & Faulk,
North America Divided 434. Cowan, p. 295. Edwards,
p. 80. Fifty Texas Rarities 32 (citing the 1847
issue): "The expedition described by Hughes was led by
Alexander William Doniphan, a Kentuckian who turned
Missouri lawyer and finally became a soldier. ‘This
expedition, which ended by land at Matamoros, is still
considered one of the most brilliant long marches ever
made; the force, with no quartermaster, paymaster,
commissary, uniforms, tents, or even military discipline,
covered 3,600 miles by land and over 2,000 by water, all in
the course of twelve months.’ (S. M. Drumm)." Munk
(Alliott), p. 111. Bibliographers long doubted that this
book was issued in 1847, although it was copyrighted in
that year, until the present copy with the date 1847 on
the title-page came onto the market. Garrett, The
Mexican-American War, p. 149. Graff 2006. Hill,
p. 452. Haferkorn, p. 35. Hamilton, Early American Book
Illustrators 999a (Maclean) & p. 214 (Tisdale).
Howes H769: "Doniphan’s and Kearny’s conquest
gave the U.S. its claim to New Mexico and Arizona." Jones
1151. Larned 2002. Plains & Rockies IV:134:6:
"Recount[s] the adventures of the First Regiment of
Missouri Cavalry in New Mexico and Chihuahua.... Hughes
brightly-written account of the regiment proved popular; by
1851 the Jameses reported more than 14,000, and it remained
in print for many years thereafter. Despite the quantity,
and the many printings, it is now rare and avidly sought."
Rittenhouse 311: "A classic work." Saunders 2972. Tutorow
3589.
($200-400)