Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.. Made under the direction of the Secretary of War, in 1853 & 1854. 12 volumes in 13. 33rd Congress 2nd Session, Senate and House Executive Doc., Washington, 1855-1860.
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Large quarto: vol. 1, pp. 652, (all maps noted are found in volume 11). Vol. 2, pp. 128, 23 plates (some colored) & pp. 45 & pp. 186, 10 plates & pp. 50, 2 folded hand colored maps & pp. 28 & pp. 22. (other maps located in volume 11). Vol. 3, pp. 36, x, 1 colored plate, & pp. 136, 10 colored plates, & pp. 78, 2 colored plates, 8 charts & pp. 127, 8 colored plates, & pp. viii, 176, 2 hand colored folded maps, 3 plates (1 colored). Volume 4, pp. vii, 26, 193, folded hand colored map, 49 plates & pp. 288. Vol. 5, pp. 44, 12 plates & pp. xvi, 370, five colored maps, 14 sections, 36 plates& pp. xiii, 15, 18 plates, & pp. 14. Vol. 6, pp. 134, 13 plates, & pp. 85, 5 plates, & pp. 102, 16 plates (some colored), & pp. 114, 16 plates (2 colored), & pp. iv, 64. ( some maps found in volume 11). Vol. 7, pp. 42, 8 plates (colored), & pp. 204, 24 plates. 2 folded hand colored maps, & pp. 28, 8 plates, & pp. 116, 11 plates, & pp. 37. (some maps in volume 11). Vol. 8, pp. xlviii, 756, 43 plates. Vol. 9, pp. lvi, 1008. Vol. 10, pp. 16, 13 plates, & pp. 400, 21 plates, & pp. 30, 20 plates (some colored), & pp. 64, 34 plates (some colored) & pp. 24, 4 plates (colored), & pp. 100, 26 plates, & pp. 14, 4 plates. Vol. 11, pp. 116, 4 plates, 5 folded maps, pp. 4, 13 plates, (5 folded), 33 folded maps and profiles. (these are the maps which are discussed and referred to in previous volumes). Vol. 12 (part 1) pp. 334,2 folded maps, 1 sheet of profiles, 70 plates (some colored). Vol. 12 (parts 2 & 3), pp. 76, 6 plates, & pp. 399, 47 plates.
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Set is in later matching green cloth with gold titles. Volume 11 slightly taller with other volumes having been trimmed for binding. Inscription on first leaf of volume 1, , light toning to some signatures in volumes 2, 4, and 10, light foxing to some plates in volumes 4, 5, 10, and 12. short tear to Warren map but map is very clean. Overall a very good complete set.

The U. S. War Department's "Pacific Railroad Survey" was undertaken under the direction of Jefferson Davis, then the U. S. Secretary of War. It was the largest effort by the American government to map the largely unknown western frontier. The results of the survey were to be astounding and became a milestone in our understanding of the geology, mineral resource, geography, ethnology, botany, zoology, paleontology and cartography of the west. It was as though a door had been opened on the American west. The cartographical data published was of paramount importance in the opening of the west to new railroads and wagon roads. This was to lead to new explorations for mineral deposits, the founding of new mining towns which would become cities and ultimately the settling of the western United States. The most significant cartographic achievement in the work was Warren's large "Map of the Territory of the United States from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean..." which is found in volume 11. It is hailed by historians as the most important cartographic work on the west. The map is usually missing from volume eleven and is sought after by collectors of cartography. The illustrations of panoramic views, geological features, specimens of birds, fish, mammals, plants, Native Americans and artifacts are often hand colored and are of the highest quality. Many of the colored plates are usually missing, having been extracted and sold individually. This is often the case with the beautiful colored plates of birds, Indians and views. The plates are of historical significance. For example, the colored view of Los Angeles is the first such view to be published. Many of the maps are the first attempts at the cartography of a region. The hand colored geological map of the southwest and hand colored geological map of the San Francisco region are two examples of early contributions to geological science in the west. The set will always remain the most important cartographic achievement on the western United States. Complete matching sets in very good condition will remain quite rare.