Life | Explorations and Public Services of John Charles Fremont

Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1856. First Edition, 2nd Printing. Very Good. 12 mo [7.25x5in]; vii, 9-356 pp., [2], 1-12 pp. advertising, frontispiece portrait of Fremont with tissue guard, 13 plates of wood-engraved illustrations, with 12 pages of advertisements; Dark blue cloth covers with gilt lettering on spine, blind stamped designs and borders on front and back covers, pale yellow end papers, all edges trimmed; Some shelf wear to covers edges and corners, soiling and rubbing to covers, top and bottom of spine slightly worn, corners worn through at tips, top edge darken and dusty, occasional minor foxing and heavier foxing of frontispiece with slight offset to title page, prior owner ink written date on front end paper. Overall a very nice copy of a a major figure in California and national explorations and politics. [Wagner-Camp 282:1 (variant), Cowan64 p. 652]. John Charles Fremont (1813-1890) was an American explorer, politician and soldier known for his trail blazing expeditions of the West. During the 1840's he led five expeditions in the West. During the Mexican-American war (1846-48), he was exploring California and Oregon, and, after receiving orders from President Polk, supported the Bear Flag Revolt of American settlers against the Mexican government and declaration of an independent California Republic. In 1848, he began his 4th expedition to open trails along the 38th parallel and to return to his property in the Sierra Foothills. The expedition failed with the loss of many men and changed to a southern route to California. After his retirement from the Army, he returned to California in the spring of 1849 to the news of gold findings and began mining on his Mariposa land. This made him a multimillionaire and he became involved with politics on the 1850 admission of California to the United States and became one of the first two U.S. Senators. This book by Upham could be considered one of the first "Presidential" introduction book supporting his nomination for President in the 1856 election.

In Wagner-Camp, the entry 282:1 calls for 356 pages, only a total of 13 plates, including the frontispiece (does not list an additional plate 'Headwaters of the Sacramento' [river]), and 4 pages of advertisements. This book appears to be a variant in dark blue binding with the addition of 12 pages of advertising dated "June, 1856". Later editions added an appendix of 10 pages for a total of 366 pages. The appendix included reports from from the New York Republican convention on Fremont's nomination for President.