Watercolors and Pencil Drawings Related to the Utah Expedition
Content Description
Watercolors and pencil drawings created by Henry Sommer related to the United States Army Utah Expedition, including sites, persons, and other activities chiefly in the Kansas Territory and Utah Territory, 1858-1860. An identified site in the Kansas Territory consists of a view of a camp, probably near Fort Leavenworth. Identified sites in the Utah Territory include military camps at Camp Crosman, Camp Floyd (later known as Fort Crittenden), and Fort Bridger. Activities include views of American bison hunting and hare hunting as well as views of soldiers in camps. Includes an interior view of the quarters of Lewis Henry Little as well as an interior view of a Mormon family at their home.
Dates
- circa 1858-1859
Creator
Language of Materials
Inscriptions in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Henry Sommer, Watercolors and Pencil Drawings Related to the Utah Expedition, is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Perry Adam Antiques on the MacKinnon Family Fund, 2017-2019.
Arrangement
Organized into two series: I. Watercolors, 1858-1860. II. Pencil Drawings, 1858-1859.
Extent
1.5 Linear Feet (1 box)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
Watercolors and pencil drawings created by Henry Sommer related to the United States Army Utah Expedition, including sites, persons, and other activities chiefly in the Kansas Territory and Utah Territory, 1858-1860. An identified site in the Kansas Territory consists of a view of a camp, probably near Fort Leavenworth. Identified sites in the Utah Territory include military camps at Camp Crosman, Camp Floyd (later known as Fort Crittenden), and Fort Bridger. Activities include views of American bison hunting and hare hunting as well as views of soldiers in camps. Includes an interior view of the quarters of Lewis Henry Little as well as an interior view of a Mormon family at their home.
Henry Sommer (approximately 1829-1894)
Henry Sommer was a German-American artist and soldier in the United States Army. He was born Henry V. A. Von Beckh or H. V. A. Baron de Sommerau-Beckh in Kassel, Kurfürstentum Hessen. Sommer attended polytechnic school and trained as an architect at Kassel and immigrated to the United States in 1857.
In December 1857, Sommer enlisted for a five-year term in the United States Army at New York City and trained at Governors Island, New York. In March 1858, he transferred with a rank of private to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, and into Company E of the 7th Infantry. His company then traveled through Fort Bridger, Nebraska Territory, in August-September 1858 while en route to the Utah Territory as part of the Utah Expedition. During the winter of 1858-1859, Sommer and his company stationed at Camp Floyd, Utah Territory. In May-August 1859, he joined a surveying expedition led by Captain James Hervey Simpson (1813-1883) to establish a transportation route from Salt Lake City to Carson City, Nevada. Sommer returned to Camp Floyd and served as a clerk for Lieutenant Colonel Pitcairn Valleau Morrison (1795-1887) before acquiring a discharge from the United States Army in March 1860.
Sommer reenlisted into the United States Army in July 1860 and served during the American Civil War in Company E the 2nd Infantry of the United States Army. He rose in rank from private to first lieutenant during the conflict and received a brevet rank of captain. During the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Sommer suffered a debilitating wound to his left arm. He resigned from military service in May 1868.
In November 1894, Sommer died in at Kings, New York. He was interred at Cypress Hills National Cemetery, New York City.
Custodial History
Formerly owned by Lewis Henry Little.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
Description of the watercolors and drawings in this guide derives from item-level descriptions provided by the dealer and augmented by the processing archivst.
- American bison hunting -- Pictorial works
- Brooks, Edward J.
- Camp Crosman -- Pictorial works
- Drawings (visual works)
- Fort Bridger (Wyo.) -- Pictorial works
- Fort Crittenden (Utah) -- Pictorial works
- Hancock, David F.
- Hare hunting -- Pictorial works
- Kansas Territory -- Pictorial works
- Little, Lewis Henry, 1817-1862 -- Homes and haunts -- Pictorial works
- Mormons -- Utah Territory -- Pictorial works
- Munroe, John, -1861
- Pencil drawings
- Ryan, George E
- United States. Army -- Utah Territory -- Pictorial works
- Utah Expedition (1857-1858) -- Pictorial works
- Utah Territory -- Pictorial works
- Watercolors (paintings)
- Wyoming -- Pictorial works
Source
- Perry Adams Antiques (Bookseller)
- Title
- Guide to Watercolors and Pencil Drawings Related to the Utah Expedition
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Matthew Daniel Mason
- Date
- September 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
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