The collection of important and many one-of-a-kind American documents tracing the country's westward movement, assembled by a colorful historian, will be offered in a public auction in New York City.

Described as a collection people have waited for decades to come on the market, a colorful author and historian's extensive multi-million dollar archive of important American manuscripts, maps, letters, early photographs, books and documents tracing America's journey to the Wild West will be offered in a public auction conducted in New York City by Spink Shreves Galleries, January 27 - 29, 2010.

The wide array of extraordinary items, most of them one-of-a-kind, include a 12-page letter written by John Adams during The War of 1812, a prospector's 1849-era hand-drawn map to the California gold regions and an Indian peace treaty directive to the Secretary of State signed in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln. There are hundreds of other items related to the Pony Express and U.S. postal history, the Alamo, the Civil War, expansion of the railroads and Mormon history including an 1841 letter signed by both Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith, early leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.