Culbertson, Thaddeus A. Journal of an Expedition to the Mauvaises Terres and the Upper Missouri in 1850. Washington: Printed by B. Boyd Hamilton, 1851. First Edition. [12485]
Sometime bound in brown library buckram, gilt titles to spine, binding very good, 9 x 6 inches. 325 clean pp. to the Smithsonian Report, there are also several unrelated reports about 60 pages in total. Very good. Hardcover.
Special Session. March, 1851. Senate Report, Miscellaneous No. 1.
Fifth Annual Report of the Board of Regents of The Smithsonian Institution, to the Senate and House Representatives, showing the Operations, Expenditures, and Condition of the Institution, during the year 1850.
The Annual Report reviews the expenses and accomplishments for the year 1850. It includes a report on new library holdings, one on museum acquisitions, and an appendix of some 150 pages describing books acquired.
The most interesting item is by Thaddeus A. Culbertson, Journal of an Expedition to the Mauvaises Terres and the Upper Missouri in 1850.
It is Howes C941. "Explored the Bad Lands and ascended the Missouri to a point several hundred miles north of Ft. Pierre. First account of those regions since Prince Maximilian of Wied. [1832-4]."
Wagner-Camp 198. "Started from Ft. Pierre, May 7, 1850. Gives a very interesting account of the forts, Indians, and natural history of the upper Missouri River."
This is pp. 84-150, and includes a table of the Sioux Nation on the Upper Missouri, showing you the tribes, sub tribes, principal bands, area of occupation, and the leading men of each band, with both their English and Indian names. There are some brief facts related about each tribe.
For instance, "The Blackfoot Nation. This is also a very large and warlike nation, living north of the Missouri, and partly in the British dominions. Its minor divisions are not well ascertained, because only a part trade with the Americans, and they generally come to the Fort in very large numbers. The division into North and South Blackfeet is probably a division made by the traders for their own convenience. The first three divisions speak the same language, but the Gros Ventre du Prairie, although fully incorporated with the Blackfoot nation, speak a different tongue, said to be the same as that of the Arapahoes on the Arkansas." The report is full such interesting observations. This report was also reprinted in 1952 with maps; this original edition of 1851 was not issued with maps.
Thaddeus Ainsworth Culbertson (1823-1850), b. & d. at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; attended Princeton University. His older half-brother Alexander Culbertson was a fur trader and his guide during this journey north of the Missouri, a journey he took partly as a health cure. He died from illness shortly after returning east from his expedition.
His last entry in this journal is that of July 6: "My trip has at last ended, so far as the Indian country is concerned. The El Paso landed about two o'clock, all in good health and spirits and glad to get home. I desire to feel very grateful to Divine Providence for my safe return and restored health - may the knowledge gained be all employed in promoting God's glory."
