The Southwestern Journals of Zebulon Pike, 1806-1807

by Mark L. Gardner (Introduction)

In 1806, U.S. Army General James Wilkinson assigned Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike to explore the headwaters of the Arkansas and Red rivers. From St. Louis, the lieutenant's modest party traveled across the Great Plains to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Throughout the journey, Pike maintained a journal, describing terrain, Indians, hardships, and the group's daily activities. In present-day southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, Pike and his men were captured by the Spanish and taken to Santa Fe, where many of his papers were confiscated by Spanish authorities, not to be uncovered until the early twentieth century. Pike was taken south by the Spanish to Chihuahua, Mexico. Along the route, he was a keen observer of Spanish settlements, military strength, commerce, natural resources, Indian tribes, and more. Finally, the Spanish governor had Pike and his party escorted through Texas, to Natchitoches, Louisiana, where they arrived on July 1, 1807. This valuable and long-out-of-print edition of Pike's Southwestern journals is being reissued on the bicentennial of the journey. Editors Hart and Hulbert provide extensive commentary to the journals, as well as significant essays on Pike's papers and the purpose of his famed expedition.

Genres: History

286 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Gregg Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was years latter that I learned (reading other books) just what was going on. First, Pikes trip to explore the SW was an assignment from President Thomas Jefferson. It was about the same time that the Lewis and Clark expedition was happening. This was a very great challenge I would compare it to going to the moon. The USA had just acquired the Louisiana Purchase that doubled the size of the USA and Jefferson sent out some expeditions and not all came back, only Lewis and Clark completed their expedition of the NW and made it back. Pike was captured by the Spanish who did recognize the purchase and claimed Pike was a spy and put him and his survivors in a jail cell. He was returned but it was not easy. Pike never got the notoriety that Lewis and Clark got but his expedition was a remarkable feat and accomplished a lot. I would go so far as to say it was the prelude to the Mexican War of 1847.


This was the first Adult book I every read and I wrote my first 'book report' on it. At 8 years old I did not really understand what Capt Zeb Pike was doing out there. It was a hard life when this was in every sense of the word "wilderness". The story is fascinating and I would recommend this to anyone who has an interested for history

[Chris Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this if you want to be fascinated by the Pike expedition.