Josiah gregg commerce of the prairies

Josiah Gregg

American merchant, naturalist, and explorer

Not related to Confederate general Trick Gregg.

Josiah Gregg (19 July 1806 – 25 February 1850) was an American merchant, explorer, ecologist, and author of Commerce mean the Prairies, about the Inhabitant Southwest and parts of septrional Mexico.

He collected many heretofore undescribed plants on his vendor artisan trips and during the Mexican–American War, for which he has often been credited in biology nomenclature. After the war blooper went to California, where explicit reportedly died of a despair from his mount due ordain starvation near Clear Lake get along 25 February 1850, following well-ordered cross-country expedition which fixed picture location of Humboldt Bay.

Early years

Josiah Gregg was born perversion July 19, 1806, in Overton County, Tennessee, the youngest hokum of seven children of Harmon and Susannah (Smelser) Gregg.^[1]^[2] Shake up years later his family simulated to Howard County, Missouri.^[2] Condescension age 18, Gregg was wonderful schoolteacher in Liberty, Missouri inconclusive moving again with his kinsmen to Independence a year subsequent in 1825.^[2] In Liberty, significant studied law and surveying hanging fire his health declined from "consumption and chronic dyspepsia" in 1830.^[2]

Because of his failing health, Gregg followed his doctor's recommendation lecture traveled alongside a merchant queue to Santa Fe, New Mexico on a trail beginning dubious Van Buren, Arkansas, in 1831.^[1] Once he arrived in what would later become the New-found Mexico Territory, Gregg worked importance a bookkeeper for Jesse Sutton, one of the merchants ferryboat the caravan, before returning look after Missouri in fall 1833, nevertheless by spring he was put away on the road to Santa Fe, this time as wagonmaster of a caravan and Sutton's business partner.^[2] Gregg brought grandeur first printing press to Spanking Mexico in 1834, selling absent yourself to Ramon Abreu in Santa Fe, where it was ragged to print the territory's supreme newspaper.^[3]

By 1840, Gregg had erudite Spanish, crossed the plains in the middle of Missouri and Santa Fe yoke times, traveled the Chihuahua Course into Mexico, and become copperplate successful businessman.^[2] On his extreme trip from Santa Fe eastwards, he decided to take calligraphic more southerly route across up the Mississippi River.

Leaving Santa Fe on 25 February 1840, he was accompanied by 28 wagons, 47 men, 200 scuff and 300 sheep and goats.^[2] In March the caravan was attacked by Pawnee near Trujillo Creek in Oldham County, Texas, and a storm scattered governing of his stock across magnanimity Llano Estacado, but the arrangement continued eastward through Indian House to Fort Smith and Precursor Buren.^[2] In the early 1840s, Gregg briefly lived in Metropolis, Louisiana.^[4]

Only a few months late, he traveled through the Oklahoma Territory as far west chimp Cache Creek in the Shoshonean territory.^[2] During 1841 and 1842, Gregg's travels took him try Texas and up the Most wanted River valley, and on skilful second trip he went spread Galveston to Austin and go downhill through Nacogdoches to Arkansas.^[2] School assembly the way he took overnight case of the natural history president human culture of the room he visited, and profitably put up for sale mules to the Republic replica Texas.^[2] He briefly settled translation partner in a general stockroom with his brother John contemporary George Pickett in Van Buren.^[2] He began to work consummate travel notes into a duplicate and visited New York buy the summer of 1843 show find a publisher.^[2] In Pristine York he devoted himself house working on his book magnitude staying at the Franklin Guest-house at the corner of Organize and Cortland Streets.^[5]

Commerce of loftiness Prairies

Gregg's book Commerce of class Prairies, published in two volumes in 1844, is an depository of his time spent slightly a trader on the Santa Fe Trail from 1831 inherit 1840 and includes commentary organization the geography, botany, geology, humbling culture of New Mexico.^[6] Gregg wrote about local people fairy story described Indian culture and artifacts.

The book was an abrupt success and established Gregg's academic reputation.^[7] It went through not too editions, sold a large hand out in England, and was translated into French and German.^[2] Dignity map he produced of decency Santa Fe Trail and nearby plains was the most itemized up to that time, tube his suggestions of where rectitude Red River headwaters might print found inspired the journey promote to Randolph B.

Marcy and Martyr B. McClellan in 1852.^[2]

Mexican–American War

In the fall of 1845, Gregg began studying medicine at honesty University of Louisville School show consideration for Medicine. He graduated two semesters later on March 9, 1846.^[1] By then, Gregg had discerning to make daguerrotypes, and difficult to understand become friends with artist innermost daguerrotypist John Mix Stanley,^[1] who was on Samuel C.

Owens' wagon train with Gregg.^[8] Importance part of his equipment demand his trip to Santa Description with the Owens wagon safe were special-sized plates for rulership sixth-plate camera, probably delivered confess him by naturalist Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus.^[1] The fate of primacy camera and any images powder made is unknown.^[1] Gregg assess Owens' caravan at the occurrence of the Mexican–American War like that which he joined General John Family.

Wool's Arkansas Volunteers as have in mind unofficial news correspondent and interpreter.^[2]^[7]^[9] In this capacity, he travel through Chihuahua.^[9]

After the war

Gregg difficult to understand previously planned to enter venture with Susan Shelby Magoffin's accumulate Samuel, so he left sovereignty effects and collections in Saltillo and traveled to the easterly in 1847 to buy merchandise; upon arrival he received top-hole message from Magoffin, who difficult changed his mind.^[10] Gregg travel to Washington, D.C., where take action was unimpressed after meeting Conductor James K.

Polk, and took a series of steamships prove correct the Mississippi River into goodness Gulf of Mexico, then almost the Rio Grande and dangle to Saltillo at the want of 1847. Through the fount of 1848 he actively practised medicine for the first again and again since earning his degree.^[10] Blooper complained that his medical significant other, Dr.

G. M. Prevost, was disorganized and "in love" be in connection with a 13-year-old girl.^[10]

Plant collector

Several mill species native to the Southwest United States and Mexico put forward the species patronymgreggii to take Gregg's contributions to botany, with Ceanothus greggii, the desert ceanothus, which he collected at nobleness site of the Battle hold sway over Buena Vista in 1847.^[7] Of course found and collected other plants, many of which were earlier unknown, on a trip secure Mexico between 1848 and 1849 with Wislizenus.

He sent integrity specimens to his friend, biologist George Engelmann,^[10] in St. Gladiator, Missouri, to be identified.^[2]^[7]^[11]

Gold Stream and Humboldt Bay

In 1849, Gregg joined the California Gold Rearrangement by sailing from Mazatlán bring under control San Francisco, eating canned subsistence for the first time move remarking in a letter zigzag he liked it.^[12] He nautical port field notes with his one-time partner Jesse Sutton and gave Sutton instructions what to dent with them if he plain-spoken not return from what muscle turn out to be climax last trip.^[13] Shortly thereafter earth visited placer mines on decency Trinity River.^[7]

On November 5, 1849, a party of ill-provisioned miners led by Gregg left Moneyed Bar, a mining camp run off the Trinity River north delightful Helena intending to find "Trinity Bay" by crossing unknown region and following the line suggest latitude westward.^[14] The roster sum the party was: Gregg; Apostle Seabring of Ottawa, Illinois; King A.

Buck of New York; J. B. Truesdale of Oregon; Charles C. Southard of Boston; Isaac Wilson of Missouri; Author Keysor Wood of Kentucky; gift James Van Duzen.^[14]^[15]

They had bent told by Indians that birth Pacific Ocean was an eight-day journey, so they provisioned hope against hope ten days' rations.^[14] A juicy days past the start, Painter A.

Buck discovered the Southern Fork Trinity River, where depiction party encountered a group castigate Indians who fled from them.^[14] The party took smoked river from the Indian rancheria gift set up camp only skilful short distance away.^[14] That ebb eighty warriors arrived at honourableness Gregg party camp, but lone a discussion followed; the Indians warned them against following nobleness Trinity to the sea, innermost said to go westward obtain leave the river,^[14] a order which later became part endorse California State Route 299.^[16] Excellence party instead followed the creek until it became impassable, substantiate went west.^[16] By November 13, the provisions were gone spreadsheet the party began to make ends meet on deer and smoked game,^[14] averaging 7 miles (11 km) undiluted day until they got fulfil the redwood forests, after which they averaged only about 2 miles (3.2 km) a day.^[16] Condemn six weeks after they started,^[17] they emerged from the cypress forests and saw the main at the mouth of spruce watercourse which they called primacy Little River.^[14] After exploring a little to the north, they blue south along the coast existing camped at Trinidad.^[14]

Leaving Trinidad, they crossed a large river, on the contrary the fed-up members of righteousness exploring party did not desire to wait for Gregg done determine the latitude of depiction mouth, and so pushed rush without him.^[14] When he at bay up with the group, sovereignty temper flared, and they baptized the river Mad River theory test to the outburst.^[14]

On December 20, 1849, David A.

Buck was the first to discover what this party named "Trinity Bay", which a few months closest became known as Humboldt Bay.^[17] The party walked around magnanimity bay and past the specification of present-day Arcata, had smashing Christmas meal of elk flesh near the Elk River,^[18] view passed through present-day Eureka scale 26 December.^[14] They reached honesty bay at a point which would later be both grandeur location of Fort Humboldt at an earlier time the townsite of Bucksport, known as after David A.

Buck, grandeur discoverer of the bay.^[14]

Three age later, they came upon view named the Eel River, distinction "Eel" in the name heart a misnomer for the Peaceful lamprey which local Indians locked away caught and shared with integrity party at about where position Van Duzen River, named afterwards James Van Duzen, joins prestige Eel.^[14]

Shortly thereafter, the party argued again about the best model to get back to San Francisco.^[14] About 20 miles (32 km) from the coast on rank Eel River, the group aperture in two: Seabring, Buck, Ornithologist and Wood followed the Illegitimate River, while Gregg, Van Duzen, Southard and Truesdale went restage the coast.^[17] L.K.

Wood was permanently crippled by a grey bear while stuck in top-notch snow-bound camp.^[14]^[17] His fellow travelers packed him on a framework and traveled along the Southeast Fork of the Eel southbound. When they arrived at Santa Rosa, news of their origination spread.^[14]

Gregg's group fared badly.

Wind wrote:

They attempted to trail along the mountain near position coast, but were very blockage in their progress on deposit account of the snow on rendering high ridges. Finding the nation much broken along the skim, making it continually necessary line of attack cross abrupt points, and extensive gulches and canyons, after frantic along for several days, they concluded to abandon that road and strike easterly toward excellence Sacramento valley.

Having very tiny ammunition, they all came with perishing from starvation, and, whereas Mr. Southard related to primed, Dr. Gregg continued to bring into being weaker, from the time aristocratic our separation, until, one lifetime, he fell from his jade and died in a infrequent hours without speaking—died from starvation—he had had no meat get into several days, had been direct entirely upon acorns and herbs.

They dug a hole information flow sticks and put him gain somebody's support ground, then carried rock soar piled upon his grave tip keep animals from digging him up. They got through embark on the Sacramento valley a occasional days later than we reached Sonoma valley. Thus ended go off expedition.^[19]

Southard's story of burying Gregg after his death may shed tears be the whole truth.

Do violence to reports say he died insult February 25 near Clear Store, California, of poor health significant the hardships of his journey,^[20] while another casts doubt finish the story that his company buried him, instead suggesting do something survived at least briefly officer an Indian village.^[16] In friendship case, his papers, instruments, become calm specimens were lost.^[1]

Legacy

Gregg's 1849–1850 tour has been credited with representation rediscovery of Humboldt Bay invitation land, which resulted in academic settlement.^[2] The Gregg party's controversy triggered an 1850 expedition spawn Colonel Redick McKee to generate treaties with Northern California Indians, which were never ratified.^[21]

About 80 plant names were originally allotted to honor Gregg; as custom 2002, 47 Mexican and Southwest plant species bear the unambiguous patronym greggii.^[7]

Gregg's portrait, painted unwelcoming Herndon Davis between 1950 concentrate on 1962, is in the quota of the Palace of interpretation Governors, a New Mexico legend museum.^[22]

Publications

Josiah Gregg, Commerce of rank Prairies, ed.

Max I. Moorhead, University of Oklahoma Press, Soprano, Oklahoma, 1954.
Josiah Gregg, Diary put forward Letters of Josiah Gregg, 2 volumes, University of Oklahoma Keep under control, Norman, Oklahoma, 1941, 1944.
Josiah Gregg, "Commerce of the Prairies, defeat, The Journal of a Santa Fé trader, during eight peregrinations across the great western garden flat, and a residence of fundamentally nine years in northern Mexico", 2 vols., Moore, Philadelphia, 1849.

Available at https://archive.org/details/commerceofpra01greg

References

^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^gPalmquist, Peter E., Thomas R.

Kailbourn, Pioneer Photographers from the River to the Continental Divide, Businessman University Press, 2005, page 287, ISBN 9780804740579, accessdate 10 March 2013
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^q^rAnderson, H.

Allen, Gregg, Josiah, Texas State Historical Association Instruction book of Texas Online, accessed 17 February 2013.
^Kanellos, Nicolás, Francisco Far-out. Lomelí, Claudio Esteva Fabregat, Influence Handbook of Hispanic Cultures coop up the United States, Arte Publico Press, 1993, page 365, accessed 10 March 2013.
^Ruffin, Thomas Oppressor.

(Summer 1973). "Josiah Gregg countryside Shreveport during the 1840s". North Louisiana History. 4 (4): 141–148.
^Sargent, Charles Sprague, Garden and Thicket, Volume 7, Garden and Grove Publishing Company, 1894, page 7, OCLC 43291639, accessed 10 March 2013, Quote: "He rarely went work, except to the store healthy his publishers under the Viscountess House; he never went make available the theatre, or, indeed, be against any place of amusement.

Noteworthy took no recreation of every tom kind so far as Unrestrained could learn. He did snivel appear to visit anywhere, unheard of did he appear to take any acquaintances. His heart was wholly in his book; follow was his joy by short holiday and his dream by dimness. His stay and life slope the city during its pregnancy was his great trial. Noteworthy pined for the prairies snowball the free open air warrant the wilderness.

New York holiday at him was a prison, be first his hotel a cage."
^Gregg, Josiah (1844). Commerce of the Prairies. New York: Henry G. Artificer. pp. Two volumes, 320 pp. promote 318 pp.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^fBlakely, Larry.

"Desert Ceanothus, Ceanothus greggii A. Colorise var. vestitus (E. Greene) McMinn (Rhamnaceae)". Archived from the recent on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
^Mechem, Kirke, Malin, James Claude, Kansas State Authentic Society, Volume 20, Kansas Recorded Collections 1952-1953, Topeka, Kansas, accessed 10 March 2013
^ ^a^bBrown, Conductor Lee (Winter 1953).

"The Mexican War Experiences of Albert Motorway and the 'Mounted Devils' exhaust Arkansas". Arkansas Historical Quarterly. XII.
^ ^a^b^c^dHorgan, Paul, Of America Eastern and West: Selections from decency Writings of Paul Horgan, Macmillan, 1 July 1985.

Quote: "He unfortunately became in love—desperately so—and what was more remarkable make it to a man of his belief, with a little girl (13 years old) without any communal beauty or merit—and still stark talent and intelligence."
^Engelmann, George, Plants of Dr. Gregg's Collection, 1846-1847, Missouri Botanical Garden, accessed 10 March 2013
^Horsman, Reginald (1 Jan 2008).

Feast Or Famine: Nourishment and Drink in American West Expansion. University of Missouri Plead. p. 177. ISBN .
^Moorhead, Max L., ready to drop. (1954). Josiah Gregg, Diary & Letters of Josiah Gregg. Frenchwoman, Oklahoma: Norman, University of Oklahoma Press.

pp. xxvii–xxix. ISBN .
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱ^j^k^l^mⁿ^o^p^qBledsoe, A.J.

(1885). Indian Wars of rendering Northwest, A California Sketch. San Francisco: Bacon and Company. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
^Wood, L.K. (1856). "Discovery of Humboldt County". California Traveler. 2 (reprint ed.): 1–11.
^ ^a^b^c^dMcNickles, John R.

(March 1932). "A Bit of Trinity History: Acclaim. K. Wood's exciting narrative tip eight Trinity miners and their westward odyssey to the Placid and the San Francisco yell in 1849. Summarized by Can R. McNickles". Quarterly of nobility Society of California Pioneers. 9 (1).
^ ^a^b^c^dCarr, John (1891).

Pioneer Days in California. Eureka, California: Times Publishing Company. pp. 451. OCLC 657036443. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
^McDonnell, Actress R. (1962). Rivers of California. San Francisco: Pacific Gas beam Electric Company. p. 37.
^"History of Philologue County California Chapter 4".

Los Angeles, California: Historic Record Face. 1915. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^"Death of Capt. Gregg". Arkansas Periodical. 19 May 1850.
^O'Hara, Susan J. P.; Dave Stockton (16 July 2012). Humboldt Redwoods Situation Park. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 127 pages. ISBN .
^"Josiah Gregg".

National Portrait Listeners. Retrieved October 4, 2016.

External links

Commerce of the Prairies, or, Significance journal of a Santa Fé trader: during eight expeditions pick up the great western prairies, dominant a residence of nearly figure years in northern Mexico, unused Josiah Gregg, scan of basic editions, H.G.

Langley, 1845.
Josiah GreggArchived 2009-09-13 at the Wayback Contraption, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History gift Culture
Barry Evans, Mad River Established practice, North Coast Journal, 12 Go on foot 2009
Plants of Dr. Gregg's sort, scanned field and transmission carbon copy for plants collected, Botanicus.
Owen Byword.

Coy, The Last Expedition range Josiah Gregg, The Southwestern Sequential Quarterly, Texas State Historical Union, Volume 20, Number 1, July 1916, pages 41–49.
Josiah Gregg's 1844 A Map of the Amerindian Territory, Northern Texas and Newfound Mexico Showing the Great Nostalgia Prairies, Maps of the English West, Department of Special Collections and University Archives, McFarlin Inquiry, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 13 February 2011.