KENDALL, George W. - Narrative of an Expedition Across the Great South-Western Prairies

1845. KENDALL, George W. NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION ACROSS THE GREAT SOUTH-WESTERN PRAIRIES, FROM TEXAS TO SANTA FE; with an account of the disasters which befel the expedition from want of food and the attack of hostile indians; the final capture of the Texans and their sufferings on a march of two thousand miles as prisoners of war, and in the prisons and lazarettos of Mexico. In two volumes. London: David Bogue, Fleet Street, 1845. Second British edition. Two octavo volumes: xii,[13]-432; viii,[13]-436 pp. Frontispiece in each volume and a folding map in V. 1 of "Texas and part of Mexico & the United States. Showing the route of the first Santa Fe Expedition." Publisher's binding of green cloth with gilt-stamped spine title. Cloth is lightly sunned on spines and sides show slight rubbing. The upper board of the first volume is detached and the volume should be recased. Upper joint of the second volume is split and the board, which is barely attached by threads, needs to be rehinged, though the bookblock is sound. Ex-library; bookplate at front pastedown and a few, small blind-stamped seals within, but no external marks. The bindings have a good appearance as the cloth is relatively clean and complete, but need repair as described. The set is offered as is. (Jenkins 116.C, Howes K74, Sabin 37360, Wagner & Camp 110). George Wilkins Kendall (1809-1867) founded the New Orleans Picayune and became a leading proponent for Texas. In 1841, he joined an expedition from Texas which was planning to conquer Santa Fe. Travelling through an unfamiliar and hostile environment, and improperly equipped, the expedition nearly starved and survived only by eating hore-flesh. The members almost made it to Santa Fe and were tricked into surrendering without a fight. Despite his declaration that he was a non-combatant member of the press, Kendall was taken to Mexico, along with other prisoners, and imprisoned for nearly two years. Kendall wrote twenty-three letters from prison which were published in the Picayune between June 17, 1841 and April 30, 1842; and upon his release he began writing a book on the expedition which was published serially in the Picayune, in June through August 1842 and November 1842 through April 1843, They According to Jenkins, "not only is this the best account of the Santa Fe Expedition, it is one of the best campaign. .

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