In the same year Joseph Scott published ‘The United States Gazetteer’ similarly with a full set of maps of the country. Because Carey’s work was in folio, and Scott’s smaller in format, and because it doesn’t meet the strict definition of an atlas (a collection of maps largely without text), it has not achieved the status it deserves. The following year, both Carey and Scott issued pocket atlases of America. Carey’s ‘American Pocket Atlas’ is extremely rare, with only four examples recorded on the Rare Book Hub in the last 50 years. Whilst Carey’s work went on to four further editions, Scott’s ‘Atlas of the United States’ has disappeared from memory. With a similar compliment of maps the atlas does not appear in the Rare Book Hub at all, no auction record could be found. Indeed, only three examples of the atlas could be traced in institutions. These are located at the Library of Congress (Phillips 4521a), Yale Beinecke Library (2004 1382), and Amsterdam Universiteitsbibliotheek (OK 74-130).

Each of the original states is displayed. Georgia at the time extending westwards to the Mississippi River. Two years later in 1798, the Mississippi Territory would be carved out of it. There are also fine maps of the South West Territory which comprised modern day Tennessee which in the year 1796 would be made the 16th state. It illustrates the ‘Military Reservation’ which had been reserved by North Carolina to pay its war veterans with. It encompassed modern day Nashville. Kentucky, made a state in 1792, is illustrated as is the ‘N. W. Territory’. In the Preface of the Gazetteer Scott stated that ‘I think it necessary to observe, that I have travelled through many of the states myself, and have been in several of the towns throughout the Union … The maps I have drawn and engraved myself, and I trust they will be found, on examination, as accurate as circumstances would admit, and probably more so than any collection of maps that has hitherto been published in the United States’.

It was the printers of Scott’s ‘Gazetteer’ who published the atlas. These were Francis and Robert Bailey whose premises were at Yorick’s Head, 116 High Street, Philadelphia. Francis Bailey (1735-1815). Bailey began publishing in 1771 and in 1776 he published an edition of Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’. In 1781 he became the official printer to the Continental Congress and the state of Pennsylvania. Robert Bailey was his son.

This example has a distinguished provenance. It bears ownership inscriptions of Daniel Bissell (1769-1833), army officer. The American National Biography records that his father Ozias Bissell served in the American Revolution and answered the Lexington Alarm on 18 April 1775. Daniel himself also served when as a 12-year-old he joined the Connecticut militia as a drummer boy. He enlisted in 1788 and served throughout the western frontier ‘distinguishing himself during several harrowing assignments as messenger’ (ANB). He was present at the Battle of the Wabash as a sergeant. The battle remains one of the worst defeats in US military history with horrendous losses. He served during the Whiskey Rebellion receiving a personal commendation from President George Washington. He continued to serve on the frontier and in 1809 was named by President Thomas Jefferson as commander of the Eighth Military district which was a vast area of Louisiana and Missouri territories. He served in the War of 1812 and achieved the rank of brigadier general. In 1821 he retired to his farm outside St. Louis. ‘His lifelong devotion to the western frontier facilitated its settlement, particularly in Missouri, and established him as a major contributor to that process’ (ANB). Bissell’s correspondence resides at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and has been digitised.

Provenance: Daniel Bissell (1769-1833) inscribed on the title page, slipcase, and the leather wrapper; private American collection. American National Biography (ANB); Dictionary of Missouri Biography; ESTC W4642; Howes S237; Phillips (1909-) 4521a; Ristow (1985) p. 154; Sabin 78331; Shipton & Mooney (Short title Evans) no. 47908; Wheat & Brun (1985) p. 201, no. 650 & no. 125 etc; Zell, Carl J. (1971) ‘General Daniel Bissell’.