first edition
1831 · Boston
by [Snelling, William J.]
Boston: Stephen Foster, 1831. First edition of the author's first book of poetry, 16mo, pp. vi, [7]-52; without the errata slip (not present in all copies); a nice copy in original muslin-backed drab boards, the cloth a little nicked and brooken along the spine. Snelling (1804-1848) was the son of Josiah Snelling, commandant of the fort that bears his name at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in St. Paul. William lived at Fort Snelling for seven years (1820-27) where he became familiar with the Indians, their language and habits. After returning east, he wrote many newspaper and magazine articles, and several books which drew on his (truncated)