postmarked the Great Salt Lake City, Utah. Part of this letter is missing, but the existing piece discussed survey events, and it mentions some of the party members. This letter was likely mailed during the middle of the summer of 1868

This letter was sent from the Smithsonian institution and was his first letter written home after returning to the east. The letter described his three day trip on the Union Pacific Railroad back to Washington, D.C. It also mentioned a discovery that he had made on western hawks

This letter was sent from the Smithsonian Institution and it discussed specimen collecting that was done the previous year on the survey

This letter was sent from the Smithsonian Institution. It discussed the report that he was compiling from his survey work and a book that he was currently preparing about North American raptors

This letter was sent form the Smithsonian Institution . It told his father about Clarence King's decision to drop zoology and botany from the next year's expedition. Ridgway had been offered a trip to the west, anyway, but the only compensation would be to have his expenses paid

This letter was sent from the U.S.G.S. headquarters, Salt Lake City, Utah. It mentioned family matters, Granville Turner, and Spencer Baird

This letter was sent from the Smithsonian institution and mentioned his completed manuscript compiled from his survey trip. He went onto tell his mother that he was currently helping Baird on the "Manual of the Birds of North America."

This letter was sent form the Smithsonian Institution and it requested his mother to send him a Black Hawk specimen.

The letter asked Hubbard assist Ridgway in preparing for his upcoming trip, with Clarence King, to the West

Letter includes a sheet of paper entitled "Persons to whom Mr. Ridgway is especially recommended."