Report of the secretary of war communicating the several Pacific railroad explorations
Subtitle: In three volumes
Contributors: Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889
Series: 33d Cong.. 1st sess. House. Ex. doc -- 129: serial no. 736-739
Publisher: A.O.P Nicholson, printer
Published: 1855
Place of publication: Washington
Language: eng
Subjects: Pacific railroads; Explorations and surveys; Description and travel; Discovery and exploration
Notes: [Vol. 4] consists wholly of folded maps and folded profiles.

Added t.-p.: Executive documents printed by order of the House of representatives during the first session of the Thirty-third Congress. In nineteen volumes. Washington, A.O.P Nicholson, printer, 1854.

Jefferson Davis, secretary of war.

Authorities on U.S. documents have repeatedly stated that vol. 3 of this series of Pacific railroad explorations was not printed. The reports which were ordered printed to make up this volume are evidently rare, but they were all printed, in the same style as those of vols. 1 and 2. In the Library of Congress set, vol. 3 lacks only the general title-page and table of contents, although the last item is a photostat, made from an original printed copy which is in the Library of the U.S. Geological survey. It is "Report of the reconnaisance of a railroad route from Puget Sound via the South Pass to the Mississippi River. By Fred W. Lander, civil engineer." This exploration was made by F.W. Lander at his own expense. By a resolution of the Legislative assembly of Washington territory, March 7, 1854, the report was offered to the U.S. Congress for publication. By a resolution of the House, Aug. 3, 1854, its printing was authorized, together with "the reports of surveys for a railroad to the "Pacific." The report was included in the "Contents" of this series, as the last item of v. 3, but it was not mentioned in "List of documents accompanying the Report of the secretary of war," v. 1, p. 42-43. "By a resolution of February 14, 1855, it was ordered to be printed in connexion with the reports of the Pacific railroad explorations and surveys." A revision of the report was submitted, July 21, 1856, and was printed, together with the other reports of Doc. 129, and much additional material, in "Reports of explorations and surveys to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean ... Washington, 1855-61."  12 v. in quarto.

The Library of the Superintendent of documents has now the Parke and the Williamson reports, parts of v. 3.
Table of contents: title: v. 1. [Letter of transmittal, by Jefferson Davis, Feb. 27, 1855] [report] I. Examinations by Captain A.A. Humphreys, topographical engineers, of the reports of the explorations to determine the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. [report] II. Memoranda by Captain George B. McClellan, Corps of engineers, upon some practical points connected with the construction and working of railways. [report] III. Letter of Major Gen. Jessup, quartermaster general, U.S. A., upon the cost of transporting troops and supplies to California, Oregon, New Mexico, &c. [report] IV. Report of Governor I.I. Stevens upon the route near the 47th parallel.; title: v. 2. [report] V. Report of Lieutenant E.G. Beckwith, 3d regiment of artillery, upon the routes near the 41st and 38th parallels. [report] VI. Report of Lieutenant A.W. Whipple, topographical engineers, upon the route near the 35th parallel. [report] VII. Report of Captain John Pope, topographical engineers, upon that portion of the route near the 32d parallel from Preston to the Rio Grande.; title: v. 3. [report] VIII. Report of Lieutenant John G. Parke, topographical engineers, upon that portion of the route near the 32d parallel from the Rio Grande to the Gila. [report] IX. Extract from the report of Major W.H. Emory, topographical engineers, of a military reconnaisance made in 1846 and 1847. [report] X. Report of Lieutenant R.S. Williamson, topographical engineers, of explorations in California in connexion with the routes near the 35th and 32d parallels. Also, The report of F.W. Lander, civil engineer, of a survey of a railroad route from Puget's Sound, by Fort Hall and the Great Salt Lake, to the Mississippi River.; title: Maps and profiles (vol. 4): [no. 1] Preliminary sketch of the northern Pacific railroad [route] from St. Paul to Riviere des Lacs, made in 1853-4, by I.I. Stevens. [2] Preliminary sketch of the northern Pacific railroad exploration and survey from Riviere des Lacs to the Rocky Mountains, made in 1853, by I.I. Stevens. [3] Preliminary sketch of the northern Pacific railroad exploration and survey from the Rocky Mountains to Puget Sound, made in 1853-4, by I.I. Stevens. [4] Skeleton map exhibiting the route explored by Capt. J.W. Gunnison, U.S.A., (1853) and Lieut. E.G. Beckwith (1854) Drawn by E.W. Egloffstein. [5] Rocky Mountains. General profile from Westport, near the western border of ... Missouri, to the Sevier River. [6-7] map no. 1-[2] Reconnaisance and survey of railroad route from Mississippi River, near the 35th parallel, north lat., to the Pacific Ocean ... by Lieut, A.W. Whipple, assisted by Lieut. J.C. Ives and A.H. Campbell, 1853-4. [8] Route from San Pedro, on the Pacific coast, to Memphis, on the Mississippi River, via New Mexico. Lower profile, wagon route; upper profile, railway route. [9] Map of survey of a route for the Pacific railroad near the 32d parallel, between the Rio Grande & Red River, made ... by Capt. John Pope [and] Lieut. K. Garrand. Drawn by Theo. H. Oehlschlager. [10] Route of survey from Pimas villages on the Rio-Gila to Mesilla, on the Rio-Bravo [for] railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean through that region, made by Lieut. Jno. G. Parke, 1854. Drawn by H. Custer. [11] Profile of route from Pimas villages on the Rio-Gila to Mesilla, on the Rio-Bravo. 1854. [12] General map of a survey in California for railroad routes to the Pacific Ocean, made by ... Lieut R.S. Williamson, assisted by Lieut. J.G. Parke and Mr. Isaac Williams Smith. [13] Profile[s] of Walkers pass.; title: Hum-pah-ya-mup pass.; title: Tah-ee-chay-pah pass.; title: Summit of Tah-ee-chay-pah pass to the Tejon depot camp.; title: New pass.; title: San Fernando pass.