Distance view of mountains across the plains, showing wagon trail. Full caption reads: "Great dividing-Ridge of the Rocky Mountains, between the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, looking back towards the South-Pass; the Pass about 18 miles distant"; Notes under sketch reads (L-R): "Portion of the Wind River Chain of Mountains", "Two buffalo started", "Artemesia plains", "Part of the Table Mountain range & one of the Spring Sources of Green River, or the great Colorado R."; Notes on sketch read: "snow patches" and "snow-patches on these mts.". Joseph Goldsborough Bruff is best known as a topographer, journalist, and artist of the gold rush era. Bruff was born in Washington, D.C., on October 2, 1804. He attended West Point from 1820 until his resignation in 1822. From 1827-1836 he worked as a topographical engineer, predominantly at Gosport Naval Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1837 and from 1838-1849 worked for the U.S. Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Bruff then organized the Washington City and California Mining Association, which he accompanied to California. While in California he produced extensive journals and drawings of the mining camp experience. In 1853 Bruff returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked in office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department until his death on April 14, 1889.
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