Special Notices, Events & Meetings
Genealogical Society of Stanislaus County 2012 Seminar
Date: November 10, 2012
Time: 9:00 AM — 3:00 PM
Seminar Session Topics
Genealogical Proof Standard
Estates: A Goldmine!
Leaping to Erroneous Con-clusions
Solving the Problem Onsite in 25
Hours or Less
Modesto Centre Plaza
1000L Street
Modesto, CA 95354
We are please to have re-nowned genealogical re-searcher and author Mrs. Christine Rose CG, CGL, FASG as our speaker this year.
Registration cost is:
$35.00 Before October 20, 2012
$45.00 After October 20, 2012
The Prairie Traveler
On April 9, 1812, Randolph Barnes Marcy was born in Greenwich, Massachusetts. Twenty years later, he graduated from the Military Academy and began a long and distinguished career in the U. S. Army.
Much of this career was
spent on the frontier. In 1846, he was promoted to Captain of
Infantry and fought in the Mexican War at
the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.
He was then assigned to duty in the West escorting emigrants, locating
military posts, exploring the wilderness and accompanying Albert S.
Johnston on the expedition against Mormons in Utah. It was during this
period that Capt. Marcy led his men safely from Utah to New Mexico on a
forced march through the Rocky Mountains in the dead of winter, an
extraordinary accomplishment made even more amazing by their shortage
of provisions in the harsh weather.
Shortly after his promotion to acting Inspector General of the Department of Utah, Capt. Marcy was recalled to Washington to prepare a guidebook on Western travel for the many emigrants heading west -- people poorly informed and ill-prepared for such a journey. His well-written military reports had attracted attention in Washington, and, at the direction of the Department of State, Capt. Marcy produced "The Prairie Traveler: A Hand-book for Overland Expeditions" in 1859.
A bestseller in its day, the book was essential to the westward traveler, and no doubt saved many lives with its practical and experienced advice. "The Prairie Traveler" also provides a unique insight into the character and personality of the author. Capt. Marcy was extremely well-read and observant, and he was more than willing to adopt any idea that would work: "The Prairie Traveler" describes portable Indian lodges, advice from French and British medical journals, Norwegian saddling techniques, Mexican pack practices, African methods for carrying rifles while riding, and so on. He also wrote concisely and plainly, but in painstaking detail on matters most important to survival out West. His dry sense of humor, his commitment to the military and the men who served under him, and his independence and clarity in assessing people and situations all indicate the kind of military officer, and gentleman, he was. Capt. Marcy also wrote two other books describing his Western experiences, on his own initiative, but both are unfortunately long out of print."
The entire text is
available on line at the URL that follows: http://www.kancoll.org/books/marcy/index.html
Updated 10-5-2012