Description
This collection contains journals of United States Army topographical engineer J. W. Gunnison (1812-1853), kept on expeditions
between 1840-1853, including one
with descriptions of life among the Mormons in Utah;
correspondence during the American Civil War period from family in the South; and letters, sketchbooks, and journals of nephew
Charles Andrew Gunnison (1861-1897) in Europe and Japan in the 1880s.
Background
John Williams Gunnison (1812-1853), the son of Samuel and Elizabeth Williams Gunnison, was born
in Goshen, New Hampshire, in 1812. He attended Hopkinton Academy in New Hampshire, then
taught school before he entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1833. Gunnison
graduated from West Point in 1837, second in his class of 50. During the winter of
1837-1838, Lt. Gunnison served as an ordnance officer in the Seminole War in
Florida, and in the spring of 1838 he aided in the transfer of the Cherokees to
Indian Territory. He then returned to the Florida War, having been transferred to
the Corps of Topographical Engineers. From 1840 to 1849 Gunnison was engaged in
survey work in Georgia and in the Wisconsin-Michigan Lake region. While in Georgia,
he married Martha A. Delony in 1841.
Extent
83 pieces in 4 boxes + 2 volumes
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.