Carson, Christopher ("Kit")

Document signed ("C. Carson | Indian Agent"), written in a clerical hand, 1 page (6 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 169 x 198 mm) on a half sheet of blue-ruled paper, Utah Territory, Taos, New Mexico, 31 March 1859, being a "Statement of Persons employed within the Utah Agency, Taos, N, Mex: during the 1st Quarter of 1859," docketed on verso; a few marginal stains, neat repair to fold separation.

Frank T. Siebert (Sotheby's, 28 October 1999, lot 908)

cf. Harvey Carter, Dear Old Kit: The Historical Christopher Carson (University of Oklahoma Press, 1968)

Document signed ("C. Carson | Indian Agent"), written in a clerical hand, 1 page (6 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 169 x 198 mm) on a half sheet of blue-ruled paper, Utah Territory, Taos, New Mexico, 31 March 1859, being a "Statement of Persons employed within the Utah Agency, Taos, N, Mex: during the 1st Quarter of 1859," docketed on verso; a few marginal stains, neat repair to fold separation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A rare document signed by the legendary Western guide and Indian agent. Carson learned to write his name only after he joined the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1854. Charles Hamilton's contention, in Collecting Autographs and Manuscripts, that "Carson seldom put anything on paper" is supported by the auction records: this is the only document signed by Carson to appear in the rooms for thirty years.

The present document certifies that John Mostin, employed as an interpreter at an annual salary of $500, "is, in all respects, capable of performing the duties for which he is employed." Mostin, in fact, principally served as Carson's secretary, even taking down the dictation for Carson's memoirs. By 1854, when Carson's sympathetic attitude toward the Southwestern tribes made him an ideal candidate to serve as Indian agent at Taos, he had become an American folk hero through his guiding the overland expeditions led by John C. Frémont, Edward Beale, and George Brewerton. Carson fought for the Union during the Civil War, after which he was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Colorado Territory.