Journals of John D. Lee, 1846-47 and 1859 by Lee, John Doyle & Charles Kelly - 1938

Salt Lake City: Western Printing Company, 1938. First Edition. 244pp. Quarto [27.5 cm] Green cloth with the title gilt on the backstrip and front board. Very good. Gentle sunning to extremities of boards with a contemporary ownership inscription on the front free endsheet. "During his imprisonment Lee wrote the story of his life, confessing his participation in the Massacre. After having been sentenced to die, he intrusted the document to William W. Bishop, his attorney, together with all papers, letters and journals then remaining in his possession. All his journals were returned to the Lee family except No. 6 [this journal] which Bishop retained. Because of his possession of Lee's confession, Bishop's life was in danger, but secretly leaving the Territory he safely delivered the manuscript to a publisher in St. Louis, thus fulfilling a promise made to its author." - p.13

This work was edited by the noted historian, Charles Kelly, and privately printed for Rolla Bishop Watt, in a numbered edition of 250 copies, which this is number 218. Records events connected with the 1847 Mormon migration and the Mountain Meadows massacre, as well as other events. Howes L208. Auerbach 704. Scallawagiana 91. Not in Six-Guns.