Home > Back to Search Results >
Terrific letter on getting to California... A balloon flight to California?
Terrific letter on getting to California... A balloon flight to California?
Item # 686931
February 15, 1849
DAILY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., Feb. 15, 1849 Page 3 has a wonderful and more than full column report headed: "Internal Route to California" which begins with a letter written by 3 men datelined at Independence, Mo., concerning the best route to California.
The majority of the article is taken up with a very lengthy & detailed: "Answer of Col. Gilpin" datelined from Jackson County, Missouri, which begins: "You are correct...in anticipating an immense conflux of emigration from our own country & from Europe to the delicious new territories of our western seaboard, which peace & legislation have, for the first time, now opened to the enterprising citizens of all countries...".
This was the celebrated Col. William Gilpin, U.S. explorer, politician, land speculator, and futurist writer about the American West. He served as a military officer in the U.S. Army during several wars, accompanied John C. Frémont on his second expedition through the West, and was instrumental in the formation of the government of the Oregon Territory.
The back page has: "From California--Official" being a nice letter signed by Thos. C. Jones, commander-in-chief of U.S. Naval forces in the Pacific Ocean.
Also of interest is a curious article beginning: "The first balloon from New York for California and a market--has not sailed yet, but will shortly have dispatch--accommodations for passengers all taken up...'I had a dream which was not all a dream', nor is the above announcement all a joke...There is a company here seriously at work constructing a balloon to carry passengers to California...".
Four pages, nice condition.
Category: Pre-Civil War
Add to Cart
