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
THE NEBENZAHL COPY IN PUBLISHER’S BOARDS
London: Printed for J. Almon, 1780. The Second Edition.
Octavo (8 7/8” x 5 ¾”, 225mm x 145mm): binder’s blank, A6 B-N8, 2A-F8 G8 (G8 blank), binder’s blank [$4 signed; –C4, H4]. 157 leaves, pp. i-iii (title, blank, dedication) iv-vi, blank, vii (introduction) vii-ix, [2] (advertisement, blank), 1 2-191, blank, i-cix, blank. [=xii, 192, 110] With 6 hand-outlined engraved folding maps (drawn by Medcalfe, engraved by William Faden) and a folding letterpress table.
Bound in the publisher’s blue drab boards, backed with paper. Title ink manuscript to the front board. Title ink manuscript to the spine. Fore- and bottom edges untrimmed.
An entirely unsophisticated copy. The paper-backing party perished, with splits up the hinges, albeit still quite solid. A bit of rubbing to the fore-corners. Very mild even tanning throughout. Maps slightly offset, but otherwise unusually neatly folded and without tears. Bookplate of Kenneth Nebenzahl on the front paste-down.
John Burgoyne (1722–1792) was put in command of the British forces in Canada in 1777 after outlining what he considered the errors and insufficient boldness of his own commanding officer, Guy Carleton. His plan was to move south from Quebec and to retake the entire Hudson River valley down to the City of New York, with the aim of stranding New England from southern reinforcement. He got only as far as Saratoga, having failed to coordinate his rendezvous with the forces of Clinton and Howe. On 17 October he surrendered the whole of his army, some 5,800 men, to Horatio Gates. It was the Americans’ greatest victory to date, and was crucial in convincing the French to join the fight. Modern historians consider the episode the critical point in the American Revolution’s success.
“Gentleman Johnny” returned to Britain with Washington’s permission in order to defend his conduct, and the present volume is the account of that defense to the House of Commons, and more broadly to rehabilitate his career and to restore his name. That was his sole victory; he would go on to be a Privy Councilor, Commander-in-Chief of Ireland and Colonel of the King’s Own Regiment — to say nothing of a considerable success in the theatre, both on his own and in partnership with Richard Brinsley Sheridan.
The survival of the copy in publisher’s boards, entirely unsophisticated, explains its ownership by Kenneth Nebenzahl (1927–2020), whose 2012 Christie’s sale fetched some $11.6M (the present item was lot 18). He was a dealer of the highest order, specializing in maps. Indeed, the Nebenzahl Lectures in the History of Cartography at the Newberry Library in Chicago (the first speaker was the great authority R.A. Skelton) are among the most important landmarks in the field.
Howes B968, Lande 69, Sabin 9255.
Item #6JLR0144
Price: $9,000