Introduction to John B. Wyeth's Book
Preface
John B. Wyeth went West in 1832 with the expedition to Oregon led by his cousin, Nathaniel J. Wyeth. After many misadventures, they made it to the Rendezvous in Pierre's Hole that summer. There, about half of the party quit the expedition and returned to Boston. John B. Wyeth was one of that number, and shortly after returning, he published this book relating his perspective of the expedition, his grievances with his cousin, and his opinion of the crazy notion of trying to settle Oregon in the first place. Besides this editorializing, Wyeth provides some interesting factual observations related to traveling across the praries with Sublette's brigade, of the doin's at rendezvous, and of a battle with the Blackfeet. The book was written for Wyeth by Benjamin Waterhouse.
Bibliographical Information
John Wyeth's book is in the Public Domain.
It was originally published as:
Oregon, or A Short History of a Long Journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Region of the Pacific by Land, drawn up from the Notes and Oral Information of John B. Wyeth, One of the Party who left Mr Nathaniel J Wyeth, July 28th, 1832, Four Days March Beyond the Ridge of the Rocky Mountains and the Only One Who Has Returned to New England. Cambridge, MA, 1833
It was more recently reprinted in:
Early Western Travels, Volume XXI: ed. Reuben Gold Thwaites, A. H. Clark, 1904-07.
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