Gass, Patrick | The earliest account of the Lewis and Clark expedition

Gass, Patrick

A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery, under the Command of Capt. Lewis and Capt. Clarke … from the Mouth of the River Missouri through the Interior Parts of North America to the Pacific Ocean, during the Years 1804, 1805 & 1806. Pittsburgh: Printed by Zadok Cramer for David M'Keehan, Publisher and Proprietor, 1807

12mo (165 x 104 mm). Browned and stained throughout. Publisher's sheep-backed boards; free endpapers lost, very worn. Blue cloth folding-case, red calf label.

First edition of the first full account, by a participant, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, preceding by seven years the official report. Pennsylvania-born Patrick 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" (Wagner-Camp). "One of the essential books for an Americana collection" (Streeter). Withal, a very good copy

REFERENCES:

American Imprints 12646; Graff 1516; Howes G77; Literature of the Lewis & Clark Expedition 3.1; Sabin 26741; Streeter sale 5:3120; Wagner-Camp-Becker 6:1