Beschreibung:

ALDRICH, LORENZO D. 1818/19-1851. A Journal of the Overland Route to California! and the Gold Mines. Lansingburgh, NY: Alexr. Kirkpatrick, printer, 1851. 8vo (211 x 130 mm). 48 pp. Original drab brown wrappers, stitched, upper cover printed with the text of the title page, margins of upper wrapper chipped with loss, not affecting text, small dark spot at middle left, backstrip worn and mostly gone, a few chips with loss to lower wrapper, upper wrapper slightly fused to the title at upper left corner, light browning to title, and some spotting to final few leaves. Provenance: R.P. Phillips, Trenton (signed in ink at lower front wrapper); Mary... (indistinct pencil signature at upper margin of front cover); Rick Abrams (early 20th century pencil signature on upper margin of lower cover). FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS OF ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST INTERESTING OF THE OVERLAND GOLD RUSH JOURNALS, being the first printed account of a 49'ers journey, from Albany, through Arizona to San Diego (and the first of any such civilian's account excepting that of James Pattie). This diary was published posthumously by friends in Lansingburgh, just outside Albany, New York, based on his diary and notes that he took on his trip across North America and back by ship. Aldrich's overland route was via Fort Smith, Sante Fé, Tucson, and the Gila River. He and his party reached San Diego in December of 1849. After a year in California, he left San Diego on November 29th 1850, for the return ship journey via Panama. In Panama, he contracted a tropical disease, and was incapacitated, and died soon after his arrival home. Undoubtedly printed in very few numbers, auction records list just 4 copies of this work at auction in the last 38 years, one of which had facsimile wrappers. The provenance of this copy suggests that most were sold locally to friends in New York State and New Jersey. Cowan II p 6, Graff 29; Howes A109 ("dd"); Wagner-Camp 194;: Streeter V.2657.