A British Defeat in the Revolutionary War
A State of the Expedition from Canada, as laid before the House of Commons, by Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, and Verified by Evidence; with a Collection of Authentic Documents and an Addition of many Circumstances which were prevented from appearing before the House by the Prorogation of Parliament. Written and Collected by Himself, and dedicated to the Officers of the Army he commanded.
London: Printed for J. Almon, Opposite Burlington-House, Piccadilly, 1780.
Price: $3,500.00
About the item
Second edition. 5 (of 6) folding, hand-colored plans (two with overlays), one folding table. pp. ix, [2], 191, Appendix, cix. 1 vols. 8vo. A British Defeat in the Revolutionary War. Original boards, detached and worn, spine mostly perished, some gatherings loosened. An uncut copy with some foxing internally, maps crisp and bright. Lacking the general map of Lake Champlain and district. Custom morocco-backed folding box. Sabin 9255; Streeter 794 (for first edition); Howes B-968; Lande 69; Staton & Tremaine/TPL 503.
Item #34429
Burgoyne's well-written account of the disastrous British military expedition from Canada in 1777. While his army was intended to descend from Canada to cut the states of New England off from the rest of the American colonies, Burgoyne's forces were defeated by American forces in Saratoga. In this account, Burgoyne attempts to lay out his case that his army was ill-equipped and outnumbered. "One of the best sources on the campaign" - Streeter catalogue.
This copy bears interesting traces of its provenance. One early ink inscription notes "cost 10/ Mar 3, 1785"; a later inscription reads "The property of James H. Phelps, ... Feb 14, 1849 $1.50"
