Report Of A Reconnaissance Of The Black Hills Of Dakota, Made In The Summer Of 1874, By William Ludlow, Captain Of Engineers, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. Army, Chief Engineer Department Of Dakota.

WILLIAM LUDLOW

Publication: Government Printing Office, 1875, Washington

First edition. Tall quarto. Cloth, 121 pp., plus plates, three large folding maps, illustrated, plates, index. Ludlow graduated from West Point in 1864, he became chief engineer, Department of Dakota. He surveyed the later Yellowstone National Park in 1873 and again in 1875. This expedition was led by George Armstrong Custer, and has never received proper attention, as most historians have been more concerned with the Little Big Horn battle. This expedition, according to Dr. Herbert Schell in his History of South Dakota "was one of the largest, most complete, and best equipped expeditions ever launched on the frontier in time of peace." Jennewein 35 says, "In addition to the summary of the trip by Ludlow, who was Chief Engineer, the volume includes the scientific reports on geology, botany, zoology, and paleontology, and a table of elevations with latitude and longitude of each camp." The expedition was organized ".... for the purpose of reconnoitering the route from that post [Fort Abraham Lincoln] to Bear Butte, in the Black Hills, and exploring the country south, southeast, and southwest of that point." Affixed to the front and rear pastedown sheets are early prints of important photographs of this expedition, including one of the most famous photographs Custer ever posed for, "Our First Grizzly, killed by General Custer," taken by photographer George Illingworth, and including a photograph of the wagon train used for the expedition. Both photographs were printed from the original Illingworth negatives in 1918 The rear pastedown sheet has a larger early photographic print showing the expedition's camp near Harney's Peak, South Dakota. Photographer William H. Illingworth accompanied the expedition and took the widely-circulated photograph of Custer posing with a dead grizzly on August 7, 1874. Throughout the expedition Custer had sworn that he would kill a grizzly bear sometime along the way. On that eventful day, Custer put the first shot into a massive grizzly which was said to have been finished off by additional shots by William Ludlow and Custer's scout, Bloody Knife. The inked caption below the photograph reads 'Gen. George A. Custer and Lt. Col.Wickham Ludlow in the Black Hills 1874 'Bloody Knife' chief of scouts on the left. A week or so later Custer wrote to his wife and said 'I have reached the Hunter's highest round of fame. I have killed my Grizzly' (quoted in Merington). The second photograph on the front pastedown sheet is titled Custer's Wagon Train on the Prairie and shows the entire wagon train associated with the expedition. The inked caption says 'The Wagon Train consisting of 105 wagons.' The photographic print on the rear pastedown is captioned "The Custer - Ludlow Exploring Expedition camp about 7 miles south of Harney's Peak." Very good, tight copy of a difficult title and a choice item.

Inventory Number: 51993