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Catalogue 255 The |
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Section VII: Paine to Sayer |
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Papers
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158. Paine, Thomas: COMMON SENSE; ADDRESSED TO THE INHABITANTS OF AMERICA, ON THE FOLLOWING INTERESTING SUBJECTS...A NEW EDITION, WITH SEVERAL ADDITIONS IN THE BODY OF THE WORK. [bound with, as issued:] PLAIN TRUTH: ADDRESSED TO THE INHABITANTS OF AMERICA. CONTAINING REMARKS ON A LATE PAMPHLET, INTITLED COMMON SENSE...Written by Candidus. London: J. Almon, 1776. [4],54; [4]47,[1]pp. including publisher’s advertisements on final printed page. [bound following:] AN ARGUMENT IN DEFENCE OF THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT CLAIMED BY THE COLONIES TO TAX THEMSELVES...TO WHICH IS ADDED, AN ACCOUNT OF THE RISE OF THE COLONIES.... London: Printed for the author, 1774. vii,163,[4]pp. including bookseller’s advertisements on final four pages. Modern three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, spine and boards finely gilt. 19th-century engraved bookplate of Richard Snelling tipped onto front free endpaper. Contemporary ink inscription on front fly leaf preceding first title listing three titles included in volume. Later pencil note on same page. 19th-century library stamp on titlepage and first page of text of An Argument.... Light age-toning throughout. Preliminary leaf with pp.[3-4] of Plain Truth... misbound between pp.50 and 51 of Common Sense.... A very good copy. The fourth London edition of Paine’s famous political pamphlet, one of the defining products of the American Revolution. The work was of such general interest that it was issued in England almost certainly before the Declaration of Independence. This copy is bound, as issued, with the second British edition of Plain Truth..., a vigorous attack on Paine’s pamphlet, which Howes describes as the "most famous answer to Paine’s advocacy for independence in Common Sense." It is usually attributed to James Chalmers, but is ascribed also to William Smith, Alexander Hamilton, Joseph Galloway, and others. "This is made up of the Almon editions of Paine’s Common Sense and James Chalmers’ Plain Truth, with a collective half title [included in some issues, but not present in this fourth edition]. Both the Monthly Review and the London Magazine indicate that this was the form in which the two pamphlets appeared. The Monthly Review suggests that the two were combined ‘from prudential motives’ but refers to Common Sense as a ‘celebrated pamphlet’ – suggesting a wide distribution in Britain despite the apparent lack of advertisement in newspapers...For the various mixed editions, issues, and states of the two pamphlets...see Gimbel CS 24-39. The difference in the paper used in at least some copies suggests that some if not all of the copies of the two pamphlets were printed at different times" – Adams. This issue of Common Sense... and Plain Truth... is bound with the anonymous 1774 tract, An Argument in Defence of the Exclusive Right Claimed by the Colonies to Tax Themselves..., which includes an account of the rise of the colonies and "the manner in which the rights of the subjects within the realm were communicated to those that went to America, with the exercise of those rights from their first settlement to the present time." Adams notes that a contemporary printed reference suggests that the author may have been Thomas Parker of Lincoln’s Inn, who published The Laws of Shipping in 1775. GIMBEL CS-38. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 76-108a; 74-5 (An Argument...). HOWES P17, S696. SABIN 58214. $10,000.An Extraordinary Collection 159. Paine, Thomas: COMMON SENSE; WITH THE WHOLE APPENDIX: THE ADDRESS TO THE QUAKERS: ALSO, THE LARGE ADDITIONS, AND A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE GHOST OF GENERAL MONTGOMERY, JUST ARRIVED FROM THE ELYSIAN FIELDS; AND AN AMERICAN DELEGATE IN A WOOD, NEAR PHILADELPHIA: ON THE GRAND SUBJECT OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCY. Philadelphia: Printed, and Sold, by R. Bell, in Third-Street, 1776. [8],147,[1],16pp. Bound with five others, described below. Contemporary American calf binding, spine gilt, raised bands, gilt morocco label, gilt "J" on spine. Front hinge cracking, chipped at head of spine, calf scuffed, corners worn. Light even tanning. Later items (listed below) with contemporary manuscript pagination beside or over the printed page numbers. Contemporary ownership signature of "Benj. Smith." Overall, very good, in original condition. In a half morocco and cloth box. A truly remarkable collection of Revolutionary pamphlets from the months in 1776 before the Declaration of Independence, highlighted by a most important edition of Common Sense..., the fourth edition printed by Bell, and the first enlarged version issued by that printer. It is joined by an additional five pamphlets (described below), written in reaction to Paine’s incendiary work, all of them bound in a contemporary American calf binding produced for the publisher, Robert Bell. Bell, an incredibly interesting and entrepreneurial printer and bookseller made a regular habit of producing sammelbands of similarly-themed works, usually titles that he had printed himself. The works would be bound in a plain calf binding, with a gilt monogram on the spine, as here. In this case, Bell has also included two pamphlets by other Philadelphia printers in this collection, which has a gilt morocco spine label reading "Politics for MDCCLXXVI". The extended version of Common Sense..., was first issued by printers William and Thomas Bradford, about five weeks after the appearance of the first edition from the press of Robert Bell, on Feb. 14, 1776. The present edition, printed by Bell, came about in reaction to the appearance of the Bradford edition. It can lay claim to being as important as any other edition issued in 1776, excluding the first edition, and certainly the additional material contained herein adds greatly to its interest. The added text by Paine did not appear in the earlier printings by Bell, and it was only with the appearance of the Bradford edition that Bell was compelled to quickly issue the present edition. Bell also added material that appears here for the first time. Common Sense... first appeared on Jan. 9, 1776. Its importance was immediately realized and its contents hotly debated. At the same time, Paine’s relationship with Bell also became heated, as the author asked for a share in the profits of his bestseller and Bell denied a profit had been realized. Paine then asked Bell to wait before producing a second edition so that he could add more material. On Jan. 20, however, Bell advertised a "new edition" which reprinted the original, without Paine’s additions. Infuriated, Paine went to the Bradfords and proposed to give them his new material to publish with the original text, including an appendix and "An Address to the People Called Quakers," increasing "the Work upwards of one Third." The Bradfords, anxious to capitalize on the popular work, hired two printers, the firm of Styner & Cist and the firm of Towne, each to print 1500 copies of the new "Enlarged Version" on contract. They announced their plans on Jan. 25, stating that the new version was "in press" and drawing down on their heads vituperative attacks from Bell, who pressed forward with a third edition of the original text. The Bradford printings and the Bell third edition all seem to have gone on sale the same day, Feb. 14. Bell then pirated from the Bradford text, issuing the present work sometime in either late February or early March. Bell explains his actions on the leaf following the text of the Large Additions..., which is headed: "Robert Bell, Bookseller, to the Public. Self-Defence against unjust attacks needs no apology. Bell." This stinging reprisal shows that Bell could "out-jockey" Paine: "When the work was at a stand for want of a courageous Typographer, I was then recommended by a gentleman nearly in the following words, ‘There is Bell, he is a Republican Printer, give it to him, and I will answer for his courage to print it.’ This same Mr. Anonymous, this Amanuensis to a group of authors, on seeing the manly fortitude with which R. Bell printed his name on the title of the flaming production, to sound the depths of the multitude for a virtuous and glorious independency; and afterwards beholding the success of the sale and of the sentiment, he immediately formed the ungrateful design of jockeying the Printer, who had to please the authors, and serve the cause, done fifty pounds worth of work for the small price of twenty pounds...Upon the Bookseller’s discovering these shameful veerings, he laid immediate hold on the indubitable maxim in the law of retaliation, which he holdeth to be as invulnerable, in the practice of the world, as the law of self-defence, and therefore determined to out-jockey if possible." The present copy, then, is one of the earliest editions of the "Enlarged Version" of Paine’s celebrated pamphlet, preceded only by Bell’s first, second, and third editions of the original text, issued on Jan. 9 and 10 and Feb. 14, respectively, and Bradford’s extended version, also issued Feb. 14. As such, it represents one of the first appearances of important parts of the text, the whole issued within a few short weeks of the first appearance of the first edition. And, while Paine called for independence in the first edition, it is in this "Enlarged Version" that he first uses the phrase, "the Free and Independent States of America." In addition to the general titlepage, this work contains separate titlepages for each of its components, i.e. for Common Sense..., Large Additions..., and A Dialogue Between the Ghost of General Montgomery...and an American Delegate in a Wood Near Philadelphia, the last of which is often missing. It is almost unnecessary to comment on the importance of Common Sense.... The political rhetoric of Paine inflamed the desire for independence, attacking British misgovernment and calling for colonial independence in clear and unmistakable terms. The editors of the Grolier One Hundred remark: "It is not too much to say that the Declaration of Independence...was due more to Paine’s Common Sense than to any other single piece of writing." A most important and seminal edition of America’s greatest political tract. GROLIER AMERICAN 100, 14. GIMBEL CS-9. HOWES P17, "b." AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 222. EVANS 14966. SABIN 58214. HILDEBURN 3435, 3437. The rest of the pamphlets bound in this volume are: 1) [Chalmers, James]: Plain Truth; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America. Containing, Remarks on a Late Pamphlet, Entitled Common Sense...Written by Candidus. Philadelphia: Printed, and Sold, by R. Bell, 1776. [2],64,57-64,73-96,[8],[97]-136pp., including Additions to Plain Truth... which carries a separate titlepage but is continuously paginated. "Second edition." A vigorous attack on Common Sense..., written under the pseudonym of "Candidus," whose true identity is claimed by Thomas Adams to be James Chalmers, although Sabin attributes it to William Smith, as does Howes. Howes notes that Smith, Chalmers, and four others have all be attributed as the author and instructs "take your pick." The preface, containing an appeal to John Dickinson, author of the celebrated Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania..., shows that Thomas Paine’s authorship of Common Sense... remained a mystery for some months after its initial publication. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 208d. EVANS 15089. HOWES 696. HILDEBURN 3345. SABIN 84642 (note). 2) Rusticus: Remarks on a Late Pamphlet Entitled Plain Truth. Philadelphia: Printed by John Dunlap, 1776. 31pp. Only printing of this rare pamphlet, written in response to Chalmers and frequently attributed to John Dickinson, though it is unlikely the "Pennsylvania farmer" wrote the present tract. "Rusticus" offers a page-by-page analysis and rebuttal to Plain Truth..., criticizing that document and defending Common Sense... rather strenuously. Dickinson would not have been such an ardent supporter of Paine at this time, as evidenced by his refusal to sign the Declaration of Independence two months after the date of this pamphlet. NAIP locates a total of ten copies (and Adams adds three more) of this little-known pamphlet. EVANS 14735. NAIP w021769. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 225. HILDEBURN 3461. HOWES D332, "aa." SABIN 74423. 3) [Green, Jacob]: Observations: On the Reconciliation of Great-Britain, and the Colonies; in Which are Exhibited, Arguments for, and Against, That Measure. By a Friend of American Liberty. Philadelphia: Printed, by Robert Bell, 1776. 40pp. Adams notes that this pamphlet appeared in mid-April, 1776. Green clearly and calmly sets out the arguments for and against independence from Britain, and favors an agreement that would grant American autonomy short of an absolute break with the mother country. Pages 32-40 contain the author’s "Plan of an American Compact, with Great-Britain," which includes no direct British taxation or meddling in the internal policing of the colonies, and the colonists would choose their own local representatives. Britain would have the right to appoint colonial governors and could regulate trade, but would not have the power to tax commercial goods. The colonies Furthermore, the colonists would have the right to form their own native militia, with only a small British military presence. EVANS 14791. SABIN 56558. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 216a. HILDEBURN 3427. HOWES 363, "aa." 4) [Inglis, Charles]: The True Interest of America Impartially Stated, in Certain Strictures on a Pamphlet Intitled Common Sense. By an American. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by James Humphreys. 1776. 71pp. The second Philadelphia edition, which apparently went on sale right around July 1, 1776. Inglis, the royalist rector of Trinity Church in New York, calls Common Sense "one of the most artful, insidious and pernicious pamphlets I have ever met with" and that Paine is driven by "his own private resentment and ambition." Inglis hopes for a settlement with Great Britain which would not break the colonial bonds but with allow the United States to grow and proper under British supervision and protection. A war for independence, he warns, would "dismember this happy country — make it a scene of blood and slaughter, and entail wretchedness and misery on millions yet unborn." Most of the copies of the New York printing of this pamphlet (under a slightly different title) were destroyed by the Sons of Liberty. "Ablest Tory reply to Paine’s Common Sense" – Howes. EVANS 14810. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 219c. SABIN 97119. HOWES I46, "aa." HILDEBURN 3406. 5) Tucker, Josiah: The True Interest of Britain, Set Forth in Regard to the Colonies; and the Only Means of Living in Peace and Harmony with Them, Including Five Different Plans, for Effecting This Desirable Event...to Which is Added by the Printer, a Few More Words, on the Freedom of the Press in America. Philadelphia: Printed, and Sold, by Robert Bell, 1776. 66,[6]pp. First and only American edition, issued in late June, 1776, of this pro-Independence pamphlet by Josiah Tucker, an economist and Dean of Gloucester. Tucker, an anti-colonialist, issued several pamphlets in favor of American independence, arguing that the economic advantages to Britain of keeping the American colonies were a delusion. He discusses five alternate plans for dealing with the colonists, from ignoring the situation, to granting some small measure of political representation or confederation, to war, to the granting of independence. The final four pages contain a strident statement by printer Robert Bell in favor of a free press in America, asserting that were there even to be a temporary restriction on the press, "we may then bid a final adieu to every thing pertaining to liberty." He warns Americans that restricting the press would be a "suicide on their own liberties." Howes asserts that there was a Norfolk, Virginia edition of the present pamphlet in 1774, but is confusing it with the Norfolk, England, printing. EVANS 15119. HILDEBURN 3488. SABIN 97366. HOWES T392. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 144b. A vital collection, containing a very early printing of Common Sense..., and some of the most important and influential political pamphlets published in the six months before the Declaration of Independence. $60,000. 160. [Partridge, George]: [AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, FROM GEORGE PARTRIDGE, DELEGATE TO THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS FROM MASSACHUSETTS, TO FELLOW DELEGATE ELBRIDGE GERRY, ALSO OF MASSACHUSETTS, REGARDING NEW TAXES]. [Boston]. May 5, 1780. [3]pp., docketed by Gerry on verso of second leaf. Minor edge wear. Light fold lines. Four-inch tear along one fold. Some spotting on left edge of first leaf where the two leaves were previously joined. Overall very good. A fraternal letter, from one member of the Massachusetts delegation to another, commenting on the affect a recent raise in taxes will have on the population of the Bay State. In writing his letter to Gerry, Partridge provides a detailed précis of the economic situation in Massachusetts: "I address this letter to you at Congress hoping that you have not yet left it and that the principle reasons of your doing so immediately have subsided this State have fully adopted the Measures of Congress relative to finance and tho. the consequent heavy tax acts puts a Weapon into the hands of our Tories I think that they will not be able to do much execution with it – the Tories will uniformly condemn Measures which they see are founded in Wisdom & the weak & simple join with them because they do not; but it is our endeavor to enlighten the ignorant & oppose the Wicked. The Gen’l Court have before them a Depreciation Bill by which government the private Debts are to be repayed. But there are so many difficulties in passing it so as to do justice that I believe it will be over to another session thereby enabling their Delegation in Congress to draw this States Treasury for such Sums as they find necessary to defray their expenses which Drafts are to be paid on Sight and I hope our Treasurer will be better supplied then. At present he has been drawn upon for about four million Dollars since the Warrant for two Millions in from this State which I brot [sic] with me. The Treasurer informs me that he has received our Quota of 15 million for 4 years 78 in Dead money. I believe that Congress have circulated on that money without considering that it was to be Repaid in Dead Emissions. However, I believe he will be able to discharge all the Warrants to which have been drawn on him, But then We must neglect paying our own Debts. There are considerable Sums I am informed in the Lottery and Loan office here, but the Treasury Board I suppose have returns. I feel anxious to know how Matters are with you & wish you would communicate them so far as is proper." Given the deplorable state of the nation’s finances in the wake of the currency collapse of 1779 and a de facto Congressional declaration of bankruptcy in March of 1780, Partridge’s letter, while not shying away from money problems, remains measured and pragmatic. His letter found Gerry in an acrimonious position; his proposal for adjusting Massachusetts revenue quota had been rejected, Gerry took it personally and absented himself from Congress. A superbly phrased overview of economic conditions in Massachusetts at a low point in the war. DAB VII, p.223. $2500.161. Peabody, Nathaniel: [MANUSCRIPT DRAFT OF A LETTER, SIGNED, FROM NATHANIEL PEABODY TO GEN. WHIPPLE]. Philadelphia. Nov. 9, 1779. [3]pp. written on folded sheet, docketed on verso. Tanned, but very good. Nathaniel Peabody was a physician, and a leader in New Hampshire affairs throughout the Revolutionary period. He was for a time adjutant-general of the militia, and in 1779 he was elected delegate to the Continental Congress. "His scathing criticism of the feeble, blundering, military policy of the Revolutionary authorities is worthy of the commander-in-chief himself" – DAB. In this letter Peabody writes to Whipple about a Mr. Gerard’s visit to camp. "I will endeavour to forward you the Journals of Congress regularly as they shall be published which you know will give but a faint Idea of Proceedings here...Mr. Lee sets off from this City for S. Carolina, Tomorow [sic]...Congress have given him liberty to appoint a Secry with a Salary not exceeding 500 sterlg to [?] me instead of the 300 first voted – "No official advice here of the enemies movements worth notice since their Evacuation of R Island – "You will find by the Papers that Genl Sullivan having accomplished the designs of his Mission, has returned with Eclat "I am no ways Surprised at the information of a Certain Genls. being under arest [sic], and think he ought not to stand alone Since you left us There has been a Capital Convention in this State, Chiefly for being Concerned with Counterfeit Continental money, it is thought not more than 3 of them will be pardoned...others will soon be executed as to our finances, no material alteration in Congress but out of Doors the Devil himself Reigns Triumphant – to speak in a Clerical Stile – for almost every article of support is from two to four times as dear as when you left...as dear as the New appointment of Delegates in the State of N. York for the Ensuing year are Genl. Schuyler, Mr. Duane, Genl Scot Mr. Lloyd & Mr. La Hammedieu – & the Chancellors Mr. Livingston is appointed Special Delegate for Vermont business but none of them have as yet Come on – the assembly of that State have set a Trap for NY Grants, by adjourning the assembly to meet at Albany next...." The letter is clearly a draft, full of crossed-out passages and editorial corrections. It is signed "N. Peabody" and docketed on the verso: "No. 6 To Whipple November 9th —79 Copy." Crossed out on the docket page is the following note: "Mr. Peabody professed his Compliments to the Horl. Mr. Laurens, and begs him to accept a Trifle of Cambrick, Manufactured in New Hampr." A wonderful Revolutionary letter, apparently in Peabody’s own hand, with important content. DAB XIV, p.340. $3500.The First Conscientious Objectors 162. [Pemberton, Israel]: AN ADDRESS TO THE INHABITANTS OF PENNSYLVANIA, BY THOSE FREEMEN, OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, WHO ARE NOW CONFINED IN THE MASON’S LODGE, BY VIRTUE OF A GENERAL WARRANT SIGNED IN COUNCIL BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA. Philadelphia. 1777. 4,52pp. Modern half morocco and marbled boards. Foxed, marginal dampstain affecting a few leaves. Titlepage tanned and with ownership signature of "Sarah Fisher 1808." Good, untrimmed. A work of great rarity and importance in the history of civil liberty, freedom of religion, and objection to war in the United States. The document was written by a group of Quakers led by merchant Israel Pemberton. "During the first Continental Congress the Massachusetts delegation were invited by the Friends to attend a meeting at Carpenter’s Hall. Pemberton addressed them, urging them to grant liberty of conscience to the Friends and Baptists in their province. This incident is said to be one of the chief reasons for John Adams’ animosity toward the Quakers. Holding to his religious convictions, Pemberton was opposed to the Revolution. With others of his faith he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or to promise not to give aid to the enemy. Consequently he was arrested early in September, 1777, and imprisoned in the Free Mason’s Lodge without trial. Their homes were searched and their papers seized...Pemberton’s health was undermined during his imprisonment, causing his death one year later" – DAB. This pamphlet was written by Pemberton and other Quakers immediately after their imprisonment and put through the press of Robert Bell by friends. It sets forth their views and defends their conduct. Of the greatest importance to the history of American civil disobedience. EVANS 15496. Theodore Thayer, Israel Pemberton (1943). DAB XIV, p.412. SABIN 59610. HOWES P191. $1500.Key Colonial Map 163. [Pennsylvania]: [Scull, William]: A MAP OF PENNSYLVANIA EXHIBITING NOT ONLY THE IMPROVED PARTS OF THAT PROVINCE, BUT ALSO ITS EXTENSIVE FRONTIERS: LAID FROM ACTUAL SURVEYS, AND CHIEFLY FROM THE LATE MAP OF W. SCULL, PUBLISHED IN 1770. London: Printed for Robert Sayer & J. Bennett, 1775. 28½ x 54¾ inches, outlined in period color, backed on canvas. Small ink stamp near title, a few small worm holes expertly repaired. Very good. Archivally matted, protected with mylar sheet. A large and impressive map of the colony of Pennsylvania, published just a few months after the battle of Lexington and Concord, and drawing heavily from the landmark map executed by William Scull in 1770. Scull’s original map is exceedingly rare, and noteworthy for showing the extensive Pennsylvania frontier, including western roads, paths, forts and other buildings, and the newly executed Mason-Dixon line. In the present map, printed for Sayer and Bennett, Scull’s map is revised and improved, with clearer topographical delineations and including latitude and longitude markers. These improvements were likely added to aid British troops fighting in North America. Sayer and Bennett’s map appears in several contemporary atlases, including Faden’s The North American Atlas and Jefferys’ The American Atlas, both issued in 1776. Sayer and Bennett took over the Jefferys firm after Thomas Jefferys’ death in 1771, and were among the most important British map publishers of their day. Not in Rumsey. PHILLIPS MAPS, p.674. Hazel Shields Garrison, "Cartography of Pennsylvania Before 1800" in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, July 1935, pp.278-79. SCHWARTZ & EHRENBERG, p.170 (ref). $9500.A Connecticut Tory 164. [Peters, Samuel A.]: A GENERAL HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT, FROM ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT UNDER GEORGE FENWICK, ESQ. TO ITS LATEST PERIOD OF AMITY WITH GREAT BRITAIN; INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY, AND MANY CURIOUS AND INTERESTING ANECDOTES. London: Printed for the Author, 1781. x,2,436pp. Original paper boards, rebacked in contemporary style, printed paper label. Edge wear, but a lovely, large, untrimmed and internally clean copy. In a cloth chemise and slipcase, leather label. The author was a native of Hebron, Connecticut, and later rector of the Episcopal church there. "Mobbed in Connecticut for his Tory activities, Peters fled to England and, in retaliation, wrote this false and vicious misrepresentation of that commonwealth. Included were the Blue Laws of the New Haven Colony, manufactured by his animosity, but still swallowed as true by many people" – Howes. "The first edition is very rare" – Sabin. Church locates only three copies in America and one in the British Museum. HOWES P262, "b." SABIN 61209. COHEN 6361. WINSOR III:372. STEVENS, NUGGETS I:659. EBERSTADT 130:175. CHURCH 1183. $5000.Just Preceded 165. Price, Richard: OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE OF CIVIL LIBERTY, THE PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE JUSTICE AND POLICY OF THE WAR IN AMERICA.... London, Printed; Philadelphia, Reprinted: John Dunlap..., 1776. 71pp. Half antique calf and marbled boards, leather label. Occasional light tanning, else very good. Price was a well-known British Presbyterian minister and the author of several notable books about moral philosophy and economics. He was particularly friendly with a number of Americans, and vigorously argued their part in the British debate over colonial taxation and government. This pamphlet was one of the most important pro-American works published as the debate neared its crisis in 1776. Price was later offered honorary American citizenship by the Continental Congress, which he declined. This is one of the first two American editions, the other being issued in New York. One of the most influential political pamphlets written by an Englishman who sympathized with the American colonies, this work first appeared in February 1776 in London and went through numerous editions. This American edition was advertised in a Philadelphia newspaper on July 1, 1776, so its moderate arguments came off the press just days before the Declaration of Independence. The American editions are quite rare. HOWES P586. AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE 224u. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 76-118. EVANS 15031. $3000.166. Price, Richard: ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURE AND VALUE OF CIVIL LIBERTY, AND THE WAR WITH AMERICA: ALSO OBSERVATIONS ON SCHEMES FOR RAISING MONEY BY PUBLIC LOANS; AN HISTORICAL DEDUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE NATIONAL DEBT; AND A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE DEBTS AND RESOURCES OF FRANCE. London: Printed for T. Cadell, 1777. xvi,176pp. Dbd. Early ink and pencil notes in several margins. Very good, untrimmed. This is a sequel to Price’s Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty. Price was a well-known British Presbyterian minister and the author of several notable books about moral philosophy and economics. He was particularly friendly with a number of Americans and vigorously argued their part in the British debate over colonial taxation and government. AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 77-75a. SABIN 65444. HOWES P583. $1000.167. Price, Richard: OBSERVATIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND THE MEANS OF MAKING IT A BENEFIT TO THE WORLD. TO WHICH IS ADDED, A LETTER FROM M. TURGOT, LATE COMPTROLLER-GENERAL OF THE FINANCES OF FRANCE: WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A TRANSLATION OF THE WILL OF M. FORTUNE RICARD, LATELY PUBLISHED IN FRANCE. London. 1785. viii,156pp. plus errata slip. Half antique calf and marbled boards, vellum-tipped corners, spine gilt, leather label. Some light foxing, else very good. Revised and best edition of this important British work in support of the American Revolution, "a revolution which opens a new prospect in human affairs and begins a new era in the history of mankind." "Price, intimate friend of Franklin, was the most influential British advocate of American independence" – Howes. This is the second impression of the first edition, expanded from 112 to 156 pages. SABIN 65450. HOWES P585. $1250.The New Jersey Quakers 168. [Quakers]: [MANUSCRIPT STATEMENT BY THE QUAKERS OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, ASSERTING THEIR RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES DURING THE REVOLUTION AND DEMANDING FULL RIGHTS AND TRIAL BY JURY]. [Middlesex County, N.J. nd, ca. 1778]. [2]pp. manuscript on a single sheet, 11¼ x 8 inches. Silked and expertly repaired. Good. An exemplary document, illustrating the difficulties felt by fringe religious sects during the American Revolution. The Quakers as a whole were held in suspicion due to their pacifism and refusal to take up arms against the British, while many Quakers compounded the problem by harboring Loyalist sympathies. In this document, addressed "to the judges of the Inferior Court," the Quakers of Middlesex County, New Jersey maintain their loyalty to the state but assert their higher loyalty to God, explain their pacifist views, and demand jury trials for any offenses or breaches of laws. With regard to their pacifism the Quakers write that they are "restrained by our religious principles from every measure which might render us dangerous to the government under which we live, manifested by our conduct and peaceable deportment as a society for above a century past having nothing to do with the Revolutions of Kingdoms and Empires which is the peculiar prerogative of Almighty God." The Quakers further assert their rights as New Jersey citizens: "We conceive the establishment of laws in every state or government in the world has always been designed for the security of the state and protection of the property of the inhabitants individually and that all the laws lately enacted in this state for its security against dangerous & disaffected persons as well as other Acts were intended for the same good purposes. And that words, actions, signs, or tokens or something inimical to the Government as a foundation or cause of suspicion should ever appear before any of its inhabitants to cause legally to be deprived of their liberty or in any manner punished as offenders. That as native inhabitants of this state we claim an unviolable [sic] right by one of the most unalterable clauses in the present Constitution to be fairly tryed [sic] by a jury in every instance wherein suspected or under colour or pretence of being suspected of any offence or breach of law whatsoever...altho we have been taken from our lawfull [sic] occupations and examined no charges alleged or breach of any law previous to said allegation." Our attribution of the present document to the Quakers of Middlesex County in New Jersey, as opposed to those of Middlesex County in Massachusetts or Virginia, is based on a manuscript list on the verso of the document. The list is an account of goods sold to the Continental Army in 1777 and 1778 by Stacy Potts. Potts was a prominent merchant in Trenton, New Jersey whose home was temporarily used as the headquarters of the Hessian commander during the occupation of the city in December 1776. The list consists of goods sold between Jan. 1, 1777 and January 1778, and includes sundries sold to Col. Casimir Pulaski, buckskin and sheepskin breeches, flour, salt, and shoes. The total owed Potts comes to more than £2100. A most interesting document, clearly illustrating the mistrust felt toward Quakers for their pacifist and allegedly Loyalist sympathies during the Revolution, and a fine assertion of Quaker tenets during a time of great societal strain. Sydney E. Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People (New Haven, 1972), pp.378-79. $4500.169. [Quebec]: NEW COMMISSION OF THE GOVERNOR OF QUEBEC; AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS OF AUTHORITY, DERIVED FROM THE CROWN RELATIVE TO AMERICA. [London. ca. 1777]. 82,[2]pp. Dbd. Old stain on titlepage and next seven leaves. Very good, untrimmed and unopened. A work important in Canadian constitutional history and for the beginnings of the British regime in Canada. The text includes: "New Commission of the Governor of the Province of Quebec" (George III to Guy Carleton), "Former Commission of Captain General, &c. of Quebec" (George III to James Murray), "King’s Proclamation" (of Oct. 7, 1763), "Commission of Vice-Admiral" (George III to James Murray), "Abstract of the Quebec Act," "Commission to the Captain General and Governor New York" (1754 appointment of Sir Danvers Osborn as captain-general and governor-in-chief of the Province of New York), and the first and second charters granted by King Charles II to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. GAGNON II:1506. SABIN 52579. LANDE 676. TPL 6564. $1250.Notable Early Kentucky Imprint, with Unusual Early Ohio Provenance 170. Ramsay, David: THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Lexington: Printed and Published by Downing and Phillips, 1815. Two volumes. 501; 488pp. Portrait of George Washington in second volume. Contemporary calf, leather label. Front hinge of first volume cracked, but holding by cords. Leather on spine of second volume slightly gnawed. Edges worn. Scattered foxing, at times quite heavy. Contemporary handsome private library blindstamp on front cover of each volume, with eagle device: "A. Latham, Chillicothe, Ohio." Overall a good set. In separate cloth chemises within a half morocco and cloth box. One of the standard American histories of the Revolution, first published in Philadelphia in 1789, but most unusual in this frontier Kentucky printing, especially in this condition. This is the third American edition. The provenance of this copy is notable, as each volume bears an unusual and quite beautiful eagle blindstamp of Allen Latham of Chillicothe, Ohio. Latham was a native of New Hampshire who settled in Chillicothe shortly before 1817 to practice law. In partnership with S.G. Leonard, he established an agency for soldiers’ claims to land in Ohio. Latham married a daughter of Richard Clough Anderson (Revolutionary soldier, born in Hanover County, Virginia) who, after the war, was appointed surveyor general in charge of dividing the lands reserved by Virginia in the West for her Continental troops. Anderson was married to a sister of George Rogers Clark; she died in 1795, and he remarried in 1797. Latham was executor of his estate and probably acquired his papers. He was also the "author" of an advertisement printed in 1822: "A Roll of the Officers of the Virginia Line, of the Revolutionary Army, who Have Received Land Bounty in the States of Ohio and Kentucky: to which is added, a list of non commissioned officers and privates, whose claims...are well worthy of consideration." HOWES R35. AII (KENTUCKY) 564. $2500.171. Raynal, Guillaume T., Abbé: THE REVOLUTION OF AMERICA. By the Abbé Raynal.... Salem, Ma.: Samuel Hill, 1782. vii,[1],92pp. Contemporary plain front wrapper. Spine perished, slight wear to extremities. Minor foxing. Very good, untrimmed. One of three American editions printed in 1782, after Boston and New York printings of 1781. The work, which first appeared in the 1780 Geneva revision of the Abbé’s famous Histoire Philosophique et Politique..., sparked numerous vitriolic responses, none more vehement than that of Thomas Paine. Paine objected to what he claimed were numerous falsehoods in the Abbé’s history, though he admitted that it was likely the text was stolen by an unscrupulous printer and rushed into print before the Abbé had a chance to revise it. One of the more colorful contemporary histories of the Revolution. Scarce. HOWES R85. EVANS 17687. NAIP w021977. KRESS 503. SABIN 68104 (ref). AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 81-59a (another ed). $1000.Justifying French Support 172. [Rayneval, Conrad Gérard de]: OBSERVATIONS SUR LE MÉMOIRE JUSTIFICATIF DE LA COUR DE LONDRES. Paris: de l’Imprimerie Royale, 1780. 84pp. Large engraved ornament on titlepage. Original self-wrappers, string-tied, as issued. Wear to center portion of wrapper spine. A few light fox marks. Else a lovely copy, in original condition. An important work on French assistance to the Americans during the Revolution, written by Conrad Gérard de Rayneval. Rayneval’s tract is a response to Edward Gibbon’s Memoire Justicatif..., composed in French and first published in 1779. Gibbon’s work was prompted by a French justification of their actions early in the Revolution. Rayneval continues the debate, and his work is an important contribution to the issue of diplomatic recognition by neutrals of seceded colonies and revolutionary governments. Rayneval served as a secretary to the French Foreign Minister, the Comte de Vergennes. Another work with the same title, but not identical, was also published by Beaumarchais. OCLC locates ten copies. Not in Howes. SABIN 56580. OCLC 6469331. $2500.Establishing the Board of Admiralty 173. Read, James: [MANUSCRIPT COPY OF A LETTER FROM JAMES READ TO WILLIAM WINDER, JR., REGARDING THE BOARD OF ADMIRALTY, THE NAVAL WAR, AND PRICES OF SUPPLIES]. [Np. ca. 1779]. [3]pp. Folio. Light fold lines. Short separation along one fold. Clean. Very good. A copy of an engaging letter from James Read to William Winder, Jr., both of whom were commissioners of the Navy Board in the Middle Department. There are three main components to Read’s letter. First, he discusses the establishment of the Board of Admiralty, a brief and ill-fated attempt to better manage the naval war. Second, he summarizes the recent progress of that effort in the West Indies. Third, he includes an itemized price list of essential supplies. The letter reads, in part: "Your several favors of the 30th Octob. & 15th of Nov. Utl. came to hand together, the expectations I have had for some weeks past of being able to give you certain information respecting the salarys, occasioned my not writing you sooner and I find Mr. Geddis has informed you of the sum we are to expect in future; in addition to which a Committee has been appointed to Consider of a recompense for past Services, the persons appointed are Mr. Gerry, Mr. Harnett, and Mr. McKean, but I can’t leave that they have as yet made any Report, I am not acquainted with the two former Gentlemen, as to the Latter I have no doubt of the liberality of his sentiments on this Occasion, yet I by no means indulge the expectation of Receiving full recompense and you are not unacquainted with the frugality of Congress in this particular line. The Marine Department is at last put into Commission and the Board of Admiralty Appointed, the Members are Gen. Whipple, Mr. George Bryant, Late Vice President of this State, and a Mr. Wearing of South Carolina, of the latter I have no knowledge nor can find any person that knows his Character. I am told Mr. Bryant has hesitated whether he will accept or not, and will give his answer this day...The Fleet bound to Hispaniola met with a hurricane 13 days after they left our capes which separated them, a Brig Capt. Chunn [?] has arrived here and another brig Capt. Taylor we hear has got into Baltimore, the brig Baltimore arrived at Cape Nichola with the Loss of all her masts, Bowsprit, & Guns, three schooners (the Ferret one) have not been heard of, other than by a flying report of their having got into St. Thomas’ which we fear is without foundation. We have lost the Fly. She was taken by part of her Crew off Cape May who proceeded towards St. Augustine, in their passage they met with a Schooner bound from the island of Providence to New York on board which they put Capt. Robinson, his Doctor, & Pilot. These took possession of the Schooner & Carried her into the French Fleet at Savannah, Where She was lost. The Pilot arrived here. We have had no news for a long time but are anxiously expecting to hear from Europe. Annexed you have the prices Current of Sundry Articles from the best information I can procure...." The price list on the third page lists values for a series of essentials: rum, sugar, salt, coffee, iron, tobacco, beef, pork, tallow, oak, and hickory. The Board of Admiralty was created on Oct. 28, 1779, with possible members being nominated on Nov. 15. The Board was to consist of two members of Congress and three civilian "experts." William Whipple was the only nominee among the original candidates to actually serve on the Board. The Board as a whole was ineffective, and in 1781 it turned over its responsibilities to Robert Morris, who took full control of the Navy as Agent of the Marine. Good source material for both the management of the Navy and the progress of the naval war. DAB XV, p.425. $1250.174. [Richard, First Earl Howe]: [Wedgwood, Josiah]: [MINIATURE PROFILE MEDALLION OF RICHARD, FIRST EARL HOWE]. [London: Josiah Wedgwood, ca. 1798]. Image in black basalt relief on black oval. Contemporary gilt frame, 4¾ inches in diameter. Image and background clean. Gilt on frame also quite bright. Near fine. A profile portrait of Richard, First Earl Howe. The medallion was issued by the famed London artisan, Josiah Wedgwood, after a model by John de Vaire. "Wedgwood" appears on the verso. From the collection of the famed collector of American decorative arts and founder of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, Richard Townley Haines Halsey. This medallion appeared in the landmark exhibition by the Met, Franklin and His Circle, lent by Halsey to the museum for that purpose. Richard Howe was appointed commander of the British forces in North America while hope for reconciliation remained. As the exhibition catalogue to Franklin and His Circle attests, Lord Howe held Franklin in high esteem. He even agreed to meet with Franklin at his sister’s home in a last attempt to avoid open war between the colonies and Great Britain. He planned on using his personal friendship with Franklin to reopen peace talks in America, but he arrived after the Declaration of Independence and was refused private audiences with Washington and Franklin. "Believing that the last thing Great Britain needed was an internecine war with the American colonies, Vice Admiral Howe agreed to lead the peace commission of 1776. When war proved inevitable, Howe assumed command of the British naval forces and played a major role in the blockade of Boston" – Tattersall. This medallion was issued a year before his death in 1799. This medallion comes from the celebrated collection of Richard Townley Haines Halsey. Halsey, a Princeton graduate and stockbroker by trade, was an intense Americanist. He believed that by promoting the history of American craftsmanship, modern American industry would be better protected against the intrusion of foreign-made goods. Halsey began collecting in the 1890s and continued through the 1920s. His mission to advance modern scholarship on American decorative arts reached its zenith in 1924 with the opening of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Halsey gave liberally of his expertise and his money to the project, the successful completion of which cemented his reputation as America’s leading authority on the subject. Afterwards, he pioneered a course at St. John’s College in Maryland that explored the marriage between American arts and crafts, and American history which became the model for a similar course taught by John Marshall Phillips at Yale University. Long an admirer of Benjamin Franklin, Halsey ended his professional career as a research assistant with the Franklin Papers at Yale University. He died in 1942. Josiah Wedgwood was one of the most prominent British manufacturers of his day. The thirteenth son of a potter, Wedgwood opened his own business in 1759, partnered with Thomas Bentley in 1768, and by the 1770s had become a renowned craftsman whose goods were exported throughout the world. Despite the fact that he profited from stable colonial relations with the American colonies, Wedgwood supported the independence movement, and executed profiles of a number of American notables, like Franklin, but also including George Washington. After the war, Wedgwood became a leading proponent of British abolition. A fine portrait of one the best-known British commanders of the Revolution, from the collection of a founding father of American decorative arts. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND HIS CIRCLE 197. REILLY & SAVAGE 195b. REILLY 55. AMBLER 66. TATTERSALL, WEDGWOOD PORTRAITS AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 76-77. DNB (cd/rom). $2750.Narrative of an Important 175. Riedesel, Friedrich, and Friederike Charlotte: DIE BERUFS-REISE NACH AMERICA. BRIEFE DER GENERALIN VON RIEDESEL AUF DIESER REISE UND WAHREND IHRES SECHSJAHRIGEN AUFENTHALTS IN AMERICA ZUR ZEIT DES DORTIGEN KRIEGES IN DEN JAHREN 1776 BIS 1783 NACH DEUTSCHLAND GESCHRIEBEN. Berlin. 1800. x,352pp. Engraved title vignette. Contemporary three-quarter calf and marbled boards, ornate gilt spine. Lightly rubbed. Modern bookplate on front pastedown. Very good. The first published edition, preceded only by a privately printed edition for the family, with a different title, issued the same year. Although bibliographers often attribute this book to both Riedesels, it was in fact written by Mrs. Riedesel. Mr. Riedesel was in command of the German troops sent to Canada in February 1776 to aid the British. His wife joined him there in the spring of 1777 and accompanied him on the campaign under Burgoyne which went south into New York that fall, ending in the defeat and surrender of all of Burgoyne’s forces at Saratoga on Oct. 17, 1777. The Riedesels were then captives of the Americans (although under loose parole), first at Cambridge and then in Virginia, when the captive army was moved there in late 1778. Life was quite pleasant there, and the prisoners became friendly with Thomas Jefferson. Later they spent time in York, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, New York, and Canada, before finally returning to Europe in 1783. "Mme Riedesel’s narrative and descriptions are written with impressive directness and simplicity; there is a quality of genuineness about them that bespeaks her sterling character and the honesty of her record" – Clark. HOWES R284. CLARK I:295. SABIN 71300. $1850.176. [Rittenhouse, David]: FATHER ABRAHAM’S ALMANACK, FOR ...1777...BY ABRAHAM WEATHERWISE, GENT. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by John Dunlap, [1776]. [36]pp. including two woodcut illustrations. Illustrated self-wrappers, stitched. Light soiling on wrappers, else very good, untrimmed. A Revolutionary War-era issue of Father Abraham’s almanac, complete with the elaborate illustrated frontispiece by Henry Dawkins. In addition to the calendar for the year, the almanac contains substantial text, infused with themes of patriotism, war, and liberty, including verses on "Kings," "Hypocrites," "Death," Tyranny," "Liberty," and "Adversity," an essay on "The State of Great-Britain and Ireland," and excerpted "Sentiments of that sage Roman Cato, worthy of particular attention at this time." The volume also contains lists of roads, courts, and Quaker meetings, and the anatomical depiction of the zodiac. The publisher notes on the titlepage: "the ingenious David Rittenhouse, A.M. of this city, has favoured us with the astronomical calculations of our Almanack for this year." DRAKE 10034. EVANS 15062. HILDEBURN 3494. NAIP w029777. $1250.177. Rivington, James [pub]: RIVINGTON’S NEW-YORK GAZETTEER. THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 1774. NUMBER 81. New York: James Rivington, Nov. 3, 1774. [4]pp. Folio broadsheet. Folded as issued. Decorate woodcut illustration, with capital letter inserted, on first page. Moderate age-toning, occasional minor dampstaining and foxing. Minor tears at bottom edges and foredges with no loss; top margin trimmed close; affecting a few letters. A very good copy. The Nov. 3, 1774 issue of James Rivington’s weekly New-York Gazetteer, notable for its printing of several Revolutionary texts. These include the "extracts from the votes and proceedings of the American Continental Congress, held at Philadelphia, on the 5th of September 1774: containing the Bill of Rights, a List of Grievances, occasional Resolves, the Association, an Address to the People of Great Britain, and a Memorial to the Inhabitants of the British American Colonies. And an Address to the Inhabitants of Quebec." This revolutionary material is found on three of the four pages of loyalist Rivington’s newspaper, which was initially published between April 22, 1773 and November 1775. "Rivington continued the Gazetteer until November 27, 1775; on which day a number of armed men from Connecticut entered the city, on horseback, and beset his habitation, broke into his printing house, destroyed his press, threw his types into heaps, and carried away a large quantity of them, which melted and formed into bullets. A stop was thus put to the Gazetteer...After the British gained possession of the city, he returned; and on October 4, 1777, recommenced the publication..." – Thomas. A remarkable surviving example of the public distribution of several Revolutionary documents generated by the Continental Congress. Thomas, History of Printing in America, pp.508-11. $1250.178. [Robinson, Matthew, Baron Rokeby]: A FURTHER EXAMINATION OF OUR PRESENT AMERICAN MEASURES AND OF THE REASONS AND THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH THEY ARE FOUNDED. BY THE AUTHOR OF CONSIDERATIONS ON THE MEASURES CARRYING ON WITH RESPECT TO THE BRITISH COLONIES IN NORTH-AMERICA. Bath. 1776. Title-leaf, 256pp. Modern blue wrappers, paper label. Scattered foxing, else internally clean. Very good. Lacks the half title. A continuation of the author’s previous publication and an important work of Revolutionary Americana. The author concedes American independence, calls for peace, and emphasizes old ties between the Americans and the British: "All the old and the mutual ties, the union, the conjunction between Great Britain and our ancient North-America are now cut, severed and dissolved...but what ought most nearly to concern us, we have parted with a people who have for ages past been to us most cordial, as countrymen, most affectionate, as friends...." AMERICAN CONTROVERSY 76-134. SABIN 72154. GEPHART 3222. $850.179. [Rochambeau, Jean B.D. de Vimeur, Comte de]: MÉMOIRES MILITAIRES, HISTORIQUES ET POLITIQUES DE ROCHAMBEAU, ANCIEN MARÉCHAL DE FRANCE, ET GRAND OFFICIER DE LA LÉGION D’HONNEUR. Paris. 1809. Two volumes. [4],xii,437; [4],395pp. Half titles. Contemporary tree calf, spines gilt extra. Some minor rubbing at edges and corners. A fresh, clean, very good set in handsome original bindings. Rochambeau commanded the French troops which were sent to aid the of American forces during the Revolution. His memoirs, edited by Luce de Lancival, cover the period from his arrival in Rhode Island in 1780 to the surrender of the British army in 1781 at Yorktown, and offer some of the finest firsthand accounts of major battles in the war, as well as many battles on the Continent. SABIN 72303. HOWES R384. MONAGHAN 1249. $2750.Lavishly Extra-illustrated 180. Sargent, Winthrop: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF MAJOR JOHN ANDRE, ADJUTANT-GENERAL OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN AMERICA. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1861. xiv,471pp. One volume extended to four, extra-illustrated by the insertion of over three hundred plates. 19th-century three-quarter morocco over marbled boards, spine gilt extra. Very minor wear. Specially printed titlepages in each volume. A fine set. An extravagantly extra-illustrated set of Sargent’s biography of André, extending the work from one volume to four with over three hundred illustrations. Numerous plates are from James Murray’s An Impartial History of the Revolution, published in various editions between 1778 and 1784. Larned describes the work as the "best biography" of the British officer, with descriptions of many of the major Revolutionary battles. This set has been greatly enlarged by the insertion of 18th and 19th-century plates, primarily portraits of the political and military leaders on both sides of the conflict, as well as occasional views. Revolutionary-era luminaries such as Washington, George III, Rochambeau, Lafayette, Jefferson, John Paul Jones, and Isaiah Thomas are included. A magnificent extra-illustrated set. HOWES S113. LARNED 1223. SABIN 77043. $3500.181. [Sayer, R., and J. Bennett]: THE SEAT OF WAR IN NEW ENGLAND BY AN AMERICAN VOLUNTEER, WITH THE MARCHES OF THE SEVERAL CORPS SENT BY THE COLONIES TOWARDS BOSTON WITH THE ATTACK ON BUNKERS HILL. London: Printed for R. Sayer & J. Bennett, Sept. 2, 1775. Engraved map with fine original color, 20¾ x 23¾ inches. A fine copy. A landmark map of the American Revolution, dramatically transmitting in visual terms the state of the action in New England a year before the Declaration of Independence, and giving dramatic visual details of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The map was published by the firm of Sayer & Bennett, the leading map publishers in England at the time, shortly after word of Bunker Hill reached London. It celebrates the British victory in the battle, but gives a portent of the bad news that would eventually come, as it shows armed colonial troops marching toward Boston from Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The map is actually three maps on one sheet: a large map, measuring 18 x 15½ inches, showing eastern Massachusetts, and two smaller maps showing details of Boston Harbor and the Battle of Bunker Hill. In the large map, several lines of American troops are shown marching to Boston. A rebel encampment near Worcester is shown, and Gen. Washington’s troops, made up of riflemen, Virginia horsemen, and New York grenadiers, are shown passing through the area. Artillery companies with horse-drawn wagons ride from Connecticut, wagons of provisions come from Rhode Island, and rangers and Portsmouth volunteers descend from New Hampshire. British troops, including those of Putnam and Ward, are shown camped outside Boston. The map, with original outline color, is very detailed, showing rivers, streams, towns, and municipal boundaries. The two insets are located on the right side of the map. The lower inset map, entitled "Plan of the Town of Boston with the Attack on Bunkers-Hill in the Peninsula of Charlestown, the 17th of June 1775," is an incredible and dramatic map. It measures 11½ x 5¼ inches and shows all of Charlestown and Boston. Charlestown is shown under attack by British forces, with the town in flames (colored orange), as British warships bombard it from the water, and a British battery fires across the Charles River from Cornhill in Boston. The locations of the British and American forces on Breed’s Hill are shown, as the two armies face each other in anticipation of the battle. The upper inset is entitled "Plan of Boston Harbor from an Actual Survey" and measures 6 x 5¼ inches. It shows the area from Nahant Bay in the north, Roxbury in the west, and Sarah’s Island in the south. The two insets were printed from a separate copper plate from the larger map, and have their own imprint (which is identical to that of the larger map). Not in Nebenzahl’s Atlas of the American Revolution. Not in Phillips’ Maps, nor in Sellers and Van Ee, though the Library of Congress does have a copy. An exciting, important, and rare map of the American Revolution. NEBENZAHL, BATTLE PLANS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 6 & 6A. McCORKLE, NEW ENGLAND IN EARLY PRINTED MAPS 775.1. MAPPING BOSTON, p.103. SCHWARTZ & EHRENBERG, plate 117. GUTHORN, BRITISH MAPS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, p.66. $85,000. |
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