The William H. Ashley Collection consists of his diaries, drafts of letters, and some business papers. Ashley made several journeys to the Rocky Mountains from 1821 to 1826. The collection contains a draft, or copy, of his later account and his diary for the journey made in 1824 and 1825. At one time Ashley’s diary was mistaken for that of William Sublette. This has been corrected but is still evident on the typescript of the diary (folder 5). The Harrison G. Rogers journals contain accounts of expeditions made with, and for, Jedediah S. Smith. After his death in 1828, Rogers' journals were recovered from the Umpqua Indians by Jedediah Smith and turned over to William H. Ashley as executor of Rogers' estate. The collection contains drafts of letters that might possibly be notes (folders 17-18) that relate to Ashley’s observations and recommendations for a military presence in the Rocky Mountain region. It is estimated that these were written circa March 1829.