Author: Zebulon Montgomery Pike

Zebulon Montgomery Pike (1779-1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado was named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions under authority of President Thomas Jefferson through the new Louisiana Purchase territory, first in 1805-1806 to reconnoiter the upper northern reaches of the Mississippi River, and then again in 1806-1807 to explore the Southwest to the fringes of the northern Spanish-colonial settlements of New Mexico and Texas. In 1810, Pike published an account of his expeditions, a book so popular that it was translated into Dutch, French, and German languages, for publication in Europe. He later achieved the rank of brigadier general in the American Army and served during the War of 1812, until he was killed during the Battle of York, in April 1813. Elliott Ladd Coues (1842-1899) was an American army surgeon, historian, ornithologist, and author.