Joseph Goldsborough Bruff

Joseph Goldsborough Bruff (also known as J. Goldsborough Bruff; October 2, 1804 – April 14, 1889) was an amateur artist and adventurer as well as a professional draftsman and cartographer. He attended West Point for two years before becoming a merchant seaman. He later served as a draftsman for the United States Navy and a mapmaker for the United States Army. In 1849, he formed the Washington City and California Mining Association and led an expedition to California seeking gold. He kept a detailed journal of the expedition that was later published in two volumes. After returning from California, Bruff worked as an architectural designer in the United States Department of the Treasury.