Details
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. Autograph letter signed ("John J Audubon") to his son, Victor in New York; Fort Leavenworth, [Kansas Territory], "431 miles above St. Louis," 3 May 1843. One page, folio, integral address leaf with panel in Audubon's hand and circular St. Louis postmark; Autograph closing and signature from a letter to Lucy Audubon(?), n.d., 2 pages, an oblong, tipped to another sheet, mentioning that "shooting is no longer a pleasure."
Audubon writes, from a rather remote frontier outpost, during his last great expedition, in search of specimens for The Viviparous Quadrupeds: "We reached this Garrison a few minutes ago, and I write to you again although I did so from Independence [Missouri] yesterday....We had intended to walk across the [illegible] here...but the Bottoms have been overflown and the two Creeks in our way have lost their Bridges....We saw a great many Turkeys this evening, and Bill shot some Parakeets....I haven't yet seen the Officers of the Garrison and indeed doubt if it is worth my while. My beard is grown pretty long, but I am as well as I ever was in my life.....I will write again and again at all possible opportunities, as I have great doubt of the regularity of the Mails in these Wild parts....."
Provenance:
A later envelope carries the pencilled note: "Received by gift from Miss Maria R. Audubon, at her home, Salem, N.Y....W.T. Harnaday..."
Dr. Evan Morton Evans (1870-1955)
Daniel Webster Evans (1907-1966) (2)
Audubon writes, from a rather remote frontier outpost, during his last great expedition, in search of specimens for The Viviparous Quadrupeds: "We reached this Garrison a few minutes ago, and I write to you again although I did so from Independence [Missouri] yesterday....We had intended to walk across the [illegible] here...but the Bottoms have been overflown and the two Creeks in our way have lost their Bridges....We saw a great many Turkeys this evening, and Bill shot some Parakeets....I haven't yet seen the Officers of the Garrison and indeed doubt if it is worth my while. My beard is grown pretty long, but I am as well as I ever was in my life.....I will write again and again at all possible opportunities, as I have great doubt of the regularity of the Mails in these Wild parts....."
Provenance:
A later envelope carries the pencilled note: "Received by gift from Miss Maria R. Audubon, at her home, Salem, N.Y....W.T. Harnaday..."
Dr. Evan Morton Evans (1870-1955)
Daniel Webster Evans (1907-1966) (2)