Wright’s collections of 1S49 
During the spring of 1849 a route had been discovered which was 
practicable for a new southern wagon-road between San Antonio and El Paso. 
A government party of soldiers and road-builders left San Antonio the first of 
to 
June,l 849 ,^put this road into commission. Wright accompanied this party but 
had no official connection. His botanizing was eawi-ed-e-at carried on under 
discouraging conditions. The official report of the expedition, by Capt. S.G. 
French, pp. 40-54, and others, is found in Senate Executive Documents, 1 st Sess., 
ff iLu t 
31 st Congress, vol. 14, no. 64 (1830}. There is a copy^in the Arboretum Library. 
This report gives a map, milages, and descriptive details of the area in which 
Wright botanized as the road was slowly pushed through to El Paso. The party 
arrived in El Paso fcboutthe 10 th of:September, and after remaining there 
nearly a month, returned via the Guadalupe Mts, the Pecos, and Devils Siver^ 
to San Antonio. An interesting account of Wright’s work during this 
expedition, with itinerary, and personal details has been given by S.W.Geiser, 
Field & Lab. 4 { 23-32 ( 1935 ^ * ^ ere are a few mistakes in details in this 
article., but no important ones. 
All the plants collected in 1849 were obtained within the state of 
Texas, with the possible exception of a few that might have come from just 
over the Hew Mexican line in the vicinity of the Guadalupe Mountains. 
The collection was received by Gray in Feb. 1850. 
