Letterbook, 1819-1906

The Edwin James letterbook consists of letters to his brother John from 1819 to 1825. The letters chronicle Edwin James's appointment as doctor, geologist, and botanist with Stephen Long's 1820 expedition to the Rocky Mountains. The letters describe his trip from New York to Missouri via the Ohio River Valley, with comments on the geology, flora and fauna, as well as the people and towns of Missouri and Ohio. Although there are no letters from June to October 1819, James's letters resume after the expedition returns from the Plains. They describe the trip, comment on his companions, and criticize lack of the results

From May 1821 on James talks of settling in the West, of going on another Western expedition, about geology and geological publications. In November 1821 he first mentions working on the history of Long's expedition and his letters through June 1822 chronicle its production. Letters from 1822 and 1823 discuss his attempts to get government support for his own exploration of the Rockies, his failure to join Long's second expedition in 1823, and his life as army physician at Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

The letterbook is accompanied by a few other papers of Edwin James and several documents related to his brother-in-law, Silas Reed, including a portrait photograph of Reed