Dall, correspondence

This material is held atScott Polar Research Institute Archives, University of Cambridge

  • Reference
    • GB 15 William Dall/Correspondence
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1864-1866
  • Name of Creator
  • Physical Description
    • 29 letters

Scope and Content

  • MS 902/3/4/1-28;D Letters (28) to Spencer Fullerton Baird, 1864-1866 [Regarding the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, 1865-1868] circa 100 leaves, holograph (Xerox)
  • MS 902/3/5;D Letter to Robert Kennicott, 5 June 1866 [Regarding collection of natural history specimens during the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, 1865-1868] 8 leaves, holograph (Xerox)

Administrative / Biographical History

The Western Union Telegraph Expedition, 1865-1867 Alaska division (leader Robert Kennicott) aimed survey a route for, and to construct, a telegraph line between the United States and Europe by way of British and Russian America, Bering Strait, and Siberia. The expedition was organized on a quasi-military basis under the general command of Charles Bulkley (who served as engineer-in-chief), and divided into four divisions. In 1867, news that North Atlantic Telegraph Company had successfully laid a cable from Newfoundland to Ireland the previous year caused the Western Union Telegraph Company to abandon its enterprise. Nevertheless, the scientific and geographical results of the expedition, especially in Alaska, were of great value.

Arrangement

Alphabetical

Related Material

The Institute holds several archival collections containing material relating to the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, 1865-1867 and its personnel, See SPRI collections GB 15 Robert Kennicott, GB 15 Charles Bulkley, GB 15 William Dall, GB 15 Henry Elliott, GB 15 Joseph Rothrock.

Location of Originals

Original letters are held by the Natural History Library, Smithsonian Institution, Washington (1982)

Subjects

Telegraph