Since the time of Columbus; explorers dreamed of a water passage across the North American continent. President Thomas Jefferson shared this dream. He conceived the Corps of Discovery to travel up the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains and westward along possible river routes to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led this expedition of 1804–6. Along the way they filled hundreds of notebook pages with observations of the geography; Indian tribes; and natural history of the trans-Mississippi West. This volume consists of journals; primarily by Clark; that cover the expedition's route up the Missouri River to Fort Mandan in present-day North Dakota and its frigid winter encampment there. It describes the party's encounters with and observations of area Indian tribes. Lewis and Clark collected critical information about traveling westward from Native Americans during this winter. This volume also includes miscellaneous material from the Corps of Discovery's first year.
#2085516 in Books Bison Books 2000-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.02 x .42 x 5.98l; .60 #File Name: 0803261756184 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Dull intrigue...By Todd E. NewmanCan there be a book that is dull yet have some intrigue? Booth's book on his Civil War life was rather disappointing to read. It contained very little personal thought in regards to camp life and fighting in battles he was engaged in. He sometimes skipped his narrative to stop the story and give a quick history lesson on what occurred. Such was true with the Sharpsburg Campaign which I would have rather read his thoughts; reactions or what he was doing at the time. Booth's 1st Maryland is later disbanded and refitted for Cavalry in which Booth is involved yet his personal story is second to a history tale of the Union and Confederate movements surrounding the Virginia and Maryland areas. At times Booth intrigued me with his story of how they attempted to free Confederate hostages in a church held by tough Union forces in which Booth is shot in the leg and the quick skirmish ends in many bloody fatalities. Stories such as these was what I was looking for. What I tired of reading was how Lee left Pennsylvania or how Pope was turned around at 2nd Manassas.Booth is less than descriptive on his movements at times which seemed blury and though he can talk about a battle historically; he certainly doesn't set the reader up for his involvement or easily explain his movements. I have found this true in other memoirs written by soldiers though this one can't be ranked like Sam Watkin's book or other well known Civil War biographies. This book is a quick read of 170+pages though if the battle histories were erased it and the book just focussed on Booth; the book probably would have been half of that. This book was rather dull and boring at times.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting readingBy DutchI was looking for books with first hand accounts of the Burning of Chambersburg and this one has it. Very interesting to read and a great step back in local history. Makes you appreciate what all these solders went through and great local history to learn. Nice book and fast service from vendor.8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. An articulate account by a Confederate with many experiencesBy Jacob HollowayThere are very few Civil War memoirs from Marylanders who fought with the Confederacy and "A Maryland Boy in Lee's Army" begins to correct that deficiency. As the introduction; written by a national park service historian; explains; George Wilson Booth was an extremely intelligent; sixteen year old Baltimorean who joined the Army of Northern Virginia in 1861. Booth begins by explaining that it was "at the request of somewhat partial friends" that he decided to record this period of his life in book form and he writes to show how bravely and valiantly men of the Old Line State fought in the Civil War.Booth records his thoughts on succession on the first page; writing; "the dissolution of the Union was looked upon as a threatened evil; to be averted by mutual concession and forbearance." A few lines later he mentions slavery for one of the only times writing "that never for one moment did the question of slavery or the perpetuation of that institution enter into the decision of my course." Getting into the action; he records how he saw the first violence of the war in Baltimore when the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment came through and a riot ensued. Booth somewhat humorously relays that he "quickly realized [his] danger and was convinced that [he] was entirely out of place [as he] had no weapon save a penknife." From there his account proceeds chronologically.Unfortunately; Booth's descriptions of major battles lack detail. He only records his own observations and assumes that the reader is familiar with all the major encounters. However; he did not intend to write a military history of the conflict; as is seen in his statement "I do not propose to say much as to Gettysburg." Instead; Booth provides an inside look and analysis of the Maryland units which fought in the Confederate Army and has frequent praise for them. He writes that "the 1st Maryland regiment was of so high an order and their record as soldiers [was] brilliant" and "there was more life and sprit in the average Maryland soldier than in a score of those from the interior of some of the Southern States." George Booth also gives detailed accounts of several small skirmishes and actions that he was involved with as when he describes the storming of a church in which Federal troops were barricaded and the time that a flaming; explosive-filled train was sent hurtling along the tracks in his direction.Booth's descriptions of Confederate generals are even more useful. The Maryland soldier explains that Gen. Stonewall Jackson was "naturally so combative and earnest in his work that whenever brought into contact with the enemy his first and only promptings were to strike the blow." He later describes news of Jackson's death as "the saddest intelligence that could come to moral ears." Booth records that Robert E. Lee was "a bold soldier; a master of strategy and a vigorous fighter" in whom the army "had implicit confidence." Booth's keen observations are turned on nearly all major Southern military leaders; including J. E. B. Stuart; who is called "the Rupert of the Confederacy." In that same passage; Booth goes on to call Stuart; "like our great captains-the noble Lee and the lamented Jackson- . . . a devoted Christian; who illustrated in his daily work the teachings of Christ."Booth lightens the tale of war with his wit and humor very effectively. At one point; he explains a situation in which his unit was nearly captured by the enemy by declaring "the jig came very near being up with us" and at another point some mosquitoes are called "the vilest; most ravenous and bloodthirsty of their kind." Booth also points out the irony of a Calvinist protecting his life by hiding behind a tree during one violent battle and records a Presbyterian officer as provoking the Calvinist by saying "if it is ordained you are to be killed; the tree will not save you." At many points his humor is much understated as when; after the war when asked if he were related to John Wilkes Booth; he "disclaimed any connection with the assassin of Mr. Lincoln; and remarked that it occurred to me to be a very unnecessary question; as it was scarcely probably I would acknowledge a relationship under existing circumstances even if it were true in fact."Throughout; Booth is never far from his central argument over the valor of the Marylanders in and the Army of Northern Virginia and Confederates in general. He writes that the 1st Maryland Cavalry "[did] honor to the state which it represented" and "the work of the Maryland Cavalry . . . won . . . most distinguished notice." Of that unit's commander; Col. Ridgely Brown; Booth writes; "he was as true as steel and as gallant a soldier as ever mounted horse or drew a blade." While the author respected Grant for his gentlemanly treatment of the defeated Lee; he credits the Northerner's victory mainly to "his immense superiority in numbers" and not to any greater bravery in Union troops (106). But Booth shows himself to be fair and praises both the Federal infantry and cavalry late in the war; calling the later "superb."Throughout the account; Booth is seen to be very intelligent and highly educated. As the introduction reveals; after the war he eventually became the comptroller of the BO Railroad. In his memoirs; he shows knowledge of such diverse subjects as geography; theology; and history and; as Eric Mink points out in the book's introduction; as Booth's intended audience were the men who had shared his experiences; the account can be taken as being without embellishment. His diverse experiences; which include administering a prison camp and meeting the Confederate Vice President; make this account more valuable than most. The Civil War divided the nation and Maryland was split deeper than most states. The account of George Wilson Booth; a Marylander who sided with the Confederacy; can help historians understand the deep divisions in the nation.
