Johnson, Overton, and William H. Winter

Route Across the Rocky Mountains, with a Description of Oregon and California: their Geographical Features, their Resources, Soil, Climate, Productions, &c., &c. Lafayette, Indiana: John B. Semans, Printer, 1846



In 4s (8 x 5 3/8 in.; 204 x 138 mm). Some foxing and staining throughout, title-page, leaf 6.1, and a few other leaves lightly creased, leaf 9.1v creased and so printed, leaf 10.4 with small paper flaw or gouge in fore-edge margin. Original brown-cloth–backed green boards; worn and stained, rear endpaper lost. Half green morocco folding-case gilt.

Cowan, p. 315; Graff 2221; Howes J142; Wagner-Camp 122; Sabin 36260; Streeter 5:3145

First edition, mixed issue. "One of the rarest of the narratives of early overland travel" (Cowan). Johnson and Winter left Independence in May 1843, arriving at Oregon City 13 November. In June 1844 Winter joined a party en route for California; he left California in May 1845 and crossed the Sierra Nevada by the Truckee route. At Soda Springs on the Bear River in southeastern Idaho he again met up with Johnson, who had left Oregon in April. Both men arrived at Westport, 29 August 1845.

The present copy is a mix of the two issues noted by Graff: the vertical slug still appears before the word "Fort" in line 13, page 36, but the letters "Ri" in "River" in line 3, page 26,  are correctly oriented and the signature "8" is placed between two words on page 57. Graff, following R. E. Banta, states that Johnson was chiefly responsible for writing the account of the traverse.