GREGG, Josiah, American traveler, trader and writer: b. Overton County, Tenn., 19 July 1806; d. Clear Lake, Cal., 25 Feb. 1850. His father was of Scotch-Irish extraction and his mother was of Pennsylvania German stock. His parents migrated to Illinois in 1809 and to Missouri three years later, settling in the Boone's Lick country. Of the education of Josiah Gregg, but little is known, though his writings bear evidence of a knowledge of the classics and an acquaintance with mathematics and astronomy. He was believed to have studied medicine but probably never practised that profession. At the age of 25 he became interested in the overland trade between the frontier of Missouri and the Mexican prov inces. As the result of his experiences and ob servations during the course of his journeys across the Great Plains, he wrote a book which was published in two volumes, in 1845, entitled (Commerce of the Prairies, or the Journal of a Santa Fe Trader, During Eight Expeditions across the Great Western Prairies and a Resi dence of Nearly Nine Years in Northern Mexico.' This work has ever since been recog nized and accepted as the most authoritative trealise concerning the overland trade between the Missouri River and the Rio Grande during the two decades preceding the Mexican War, in cluding accurate descriptions of the geography, topography, climate and resources of the dif ferent parts of the country through which he traveled, accounts of the Indian tribes and their manners, customs and habits of living. During
the war with Mexico, he accompanied the ex pedition of Col. A. W. Doniphan as a news paper correspondent. In 1849, he went to Cali fornia, where he was employed in the service of the government. He was reported to have left the manuscript of an unpublished volume, entitled 'Rovings Abroad,' but if so it disap peared soon after his death and so was lost to the world. Gregg's (C, merce of the Prairies' was reprint,'! N, , Gold Thwaites, (Early Western Travels.' Consult CoyneIley, William E., (Doniphan's Expedition and the Conquest of New Mexico and California,' especially the supplemental notes.