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, PA: Lippincott, Grambo & Company, 1852. First edition. 168pp. Duodecimo [19 cm] Blue cloth with decorative blind stamping to boards. Very good. Gilt title on spine is faded. Sporadic foxing throughout. Library ink stamp on the front free endsheet (small), and the verso of the title page (large). Item #43740
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 here, 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 3746. Howes G460. Wagner/Camp 213:1. Scallawagiana 44.
Price: $750.00