An Interesting Account of the Voyages and Travels of Captains Lewis and Clarke by William Fisher, 1813

Fisher, William. An Interesting Account of the Voyages and Travels of Captains Lewis and Clarke, in the Years 1804-5, & 6... Baltimore: P. Mauro, 1813. 12mo.  Illustrated. Rebound in ¼ brown leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, and a new matching archival slipcase. 

This is An Interesting Account of the Voyages and Travels of Captains Lewis and Clarke, in the Years 1804-5, & 6 by William Fisher, published in 1813 by P. Mauro in Baltimore. It is presented here rebound in ¼ brown leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to the spine and an archival matching cloth slipcase. 

Fisher’s Interesting Account is a significant, if controversial, piece of Americana. Originally published in 1809 under a different title by Lester in Philadelphia, this 1813 edition is a reprint of the 1812 Philadelphia edition but is considered the first edition from this Baltimore publisher. Other editions appeared across the U.S. and in London, including German-language versions published in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

This work emerged in response to widespread public curiosity about the Lewis and Clark expedition, especially as the official government report faced delays. William Fisher recognized a gap in the market and produced a volume styled as an authoritative account. In reality, it is an assemblage of plagiarized and sometimes inaccurate content. Fisher drew heavily from Jefferson’s 1806 Message to Congress, Patrick Gass’ 1807 Journal, and borrowed liberally from Jonathan Carver and Alexander Mackenzie. As a result, it was not well received by scholars or bibliographers. Howes labeled it “spurious,” Sabin noted it included “material not published in any other edition,” and Coues dismissed it as a “wretched meretricious compilation.”

Despite its flaws, the book had a notable influence on public perception of the Lewis and Clark expedition and of the American West more broadly. Today, it stands as a fascinating artifact of early 19th-century publishing and the public’s appetite for exploration narratives. Its historical value is further enhanced by its illustrations, making it, according to Elliot Coues, “notable as the first of this series of apocrypha which was illustrated.” This printing includes two frontispiece portraits of Lewis and Clark and three additional plates: “The Bear Pursuing His Assailant,” “A View of the Washita,” and “An Indian Destined to Death.” The reference book The Plains & the Rockies, A Critical Bibliography by Henry Wagner and Charles Camp confirms this collation, although U.S.iana: A Selective Bibliography by Wright Howes notes some copies include a fourth plate.

CONDITION:

Good condition overall. 12mo. Rebound in ¼ brown leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, new marbled endpapers. All edges trimmed.  Ownership inscription in pencil on front free endpaper of Mann S. Valentine, dated 1882. Text leaves moderately toned, with offsetting, scattered spotting.  Ink stamp of The Valentine Museum on rear paste-down. Illustrated with two frontispiece portraits of Lewis and Clark, as well as three plates. Presented with an archival matching cloth slipcase. 

Book Dimensions: 7 1/16"H x 4 1/2"W x 7/16"D.

Slipcase Dimensions: 7 3/16"H x 4 9/16"W x 1 3/16"D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.