The Mormons, or, Latter-Day Saints, in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake: A History of Their Rise and Progress, Peculiar Doctrines, Present Condition, and Prospects, Derived From Personal Observation, During A Residence Among Them
Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., 1853. Early edition. Hardcover. 168pp. Duodecimo [18 cm] Brown cloth with decorative blind stamping to boards and gilt stamped title on the spine. Very good. The edges of the covers are faded. There are very small losses from the cloth at the ends of the spine. There is a very small split in the cloth along the rear joint. The corners of the covers are gently bumped. The endsheets are heavily foxed, and the pages are lightly foxed. Previous owner's bookplate on the front paste down. A few stains in the text on pp. 84/85. The book is sturdy. Item #20085
Flake 3748, Howes G463. John Gunnison was assigned as second-in-command of the Stansbury Expedition. The winter of 1849 was particularly harsh and the expedition was put on hold until the spring. Gunnison made use of the time to befriend and study the culture of the Mormon inhabitants of the Salt Lake Valley. A remarkably fair and unbiased account (for the time). Gunnison's account of life in early Salt Lake Valley, along with Stansbury and Fremont, form a trilogy of early and seminal accounts of what life was like in Utah, prior to the coming of the Mormons (Fremont) and early firsthand accounts of life in the valley during the first few years of Mormon inhabitation (Stansbury & Gunnison). Gunnison was later killed on the 26th of October 1853, near Delta, Utah, purportedly by Indians in what is known as the Gunnison Massacre. Flake/Draper 3750. Howes G463. Wagner/Camp 213:7.
Price: $400.00