King, T. Butler:

$150 · Offered by William Reese Company

T. BUTLER KING'S REPORT ON CALIFORNIA. MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT...TRANSMITTING THE REPORT OF T. BUTLER KING, ESQ., HERETOFORE APPOINTED BEARER OF DESPATCHES AND SPECIAL AGENT TO CALIFORNIA [caption ... First official government report on the discovery of gold in California. Thomas Butler King (1800-1864) was a Georgia politician who served in the U.S. Congress. He expected but failed to receive an appointment as Secretary of the Navy under Zachary Taylor's administration, and was instead appointed Taylor's special agent to California. This report gives details of his journey across the Isthmus of Panama to California, and, more importantly, the situation of the gold fields.

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