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Sale 83: Gems of Philately

Table of Contents

Western Covers

Lot 53    

(Doniphan Expedition - Sante Fe) "Sand Creek Camp, August 22, 1846", datelined folded letter by James H. Finley, carried by military courier back up the Sante Fe trail, entered mails with "Weston Mo. Sep 21" cd and manuscript "5" cent rating to Liberty Mo., letter reads in part: "…As the mail leaves our camp for Santa fee I embrace the present opportunity of writing to you. We arrived at Sana fee on the 18th inst. after a tedious march of 51 days…since leaving walnut creek we traveled about 300 miles up the arkansas to bentsfort. It is situated in a bout the same latitude of fort leavenworth distant about 900 miles. t is built pretty much in the form of the arsenal near Liberty of unburnt brick - the wall being much lower, there is also an additional wall covering about half an acre for the purpose of keeping their stock during the night or from being stolen by Indians…" and after describing Bents Fort on the Arkansas River (the last white settlement prior to crossing over the Mexican border), he also reports on a major loss of horses there: "…On the 28 of July we camped about 10 miles below the fort at the mouth of the picket wire [Purgatoire River] a considerable stream which rises in the spanish mountains about 100 miles from where it empties into the arkansas. It was here that a great many had the misfortune to loose their horses and among that number was myself. We arrived there early in the day and the horses about 1500 in number were turned loose in a bend in the river and a guard placed around them to keep them from rambling but owing to their carelessness a few that were permitted to get outside of the guard frightened the others and about 400 brokes, helter skelter and scattered in almost every direction, some across the askansaw, some across the picket wire and some to the plains. Almost every man in the camp was seen running to and from, in a state bordering on distraction for to loose a horse that distance from home, with but little chance of getting another, compelled to keep up with the army or left to the tender mercies of the savages, was enough to distract almost any man…", and the actual capture of the town seemed almost an anticlimax: "…Another days travel brought us to the Bagas [Las Vegas?] a small town situated between high mountains containing about 200 inhabitants. We were here informed that the spaniards had collected a force of 1500 men to oppose us but they dispersed before we reached the place. After passing several little towns all of which sworeallegiance to our government we came to the pas in the mexican cadilleras where Armiteho the gov of santafee had collected a force of 4 or 5000 men but upon hearing of our near approach they dispersed also. The next day we took peaceable possession of santafee…" and ends with "…We are now about 2000 strong and have taken the cannon which Armejo hid in a little town about two miles from where we are grazing together with the ammunition. It is not yet known whether we will return this winter or not but the supposition is that we will remain here until peace is made with mexico, or in the surrounding country."; some wear and toning, ex-library handstamp on title, Fine.
Estimate    $3,000 - 4,000.

AN EXCEPTIONAL LETTER WRITTEN LESS THAN ONE WEEK AFTER THE TAKING OF SANTE FE, CARRIED BY MILITARY COURIER BACK UP THE SANTE FE TRAIL IN THE FIRST MAIL OUT OF THE OCCUPIED CAPITAL OF NEW MEXICO.

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Realized: $3,750

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