A GAZETTEER OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK: EMBRACING AN AMPLE SURVEY AND DESCRIPTION OF ITS COUNTIES, TOWNS, CITIES, VILLAGES, CANALS, MOUNTAINS, LAKES ...WITH AN APPENDIX ...

Albany: Published by B.D. Packard ..., 1824.. 620pp. Large octavo. Later full faux-leather, spine lettered in gilt (oxidized). Large folding map. Scattered foxing, map has clean splits at a couple of its folds, otherwise a sound copy. Enlarged second edition of the first Gazetteer of the state of New York. Spafford published the first edition in 1813 and this edition is virtually twice the size of its predecessor. Tipped to the first original blank is a small slip, inscribed "Sir Gilbert Ward, Edinburgh, from his friend, the Author." Of potentially greater interest is the fact that this copy bears the signature in the upper margins of the title-page and the first leaf of the main text of Peter Gansevoort (1788-1876), son of the decorated Colonel in the Continental Army, and Herman Melville's maternal Uncle. Peter Gansevoort was educated at the College of New Jersey, Princeton and Litchfield Law School. He was admitted to the bar c.1811. Besides a law career, Gansevoort was also the private secretary to Governor DeWitt Clinton, judge advocate general (1819-1821) on Clinton's military staff, member of the Assembly (1830- 1831), Senator (1833-1836) and 1st judge of the County Court of Albany County (1843-1847). HOWES S802.