[Faden, William (1749-1836).

folio (550 x 385mm.), [2]pp., advertisement leaf ("North America maps, &c. Just published, by W. Faden") loosely inserted, illustration: 9 engraved broadsheet maps on guards, contemporary outline colour, binding: eighteenth-century half calf, label on spine "Operations in N. America", occasional discoloration

a collection of scarce broadsheet plans depicting the principal theatres of war from the early part of the american revolutionary war.

The nine maps are as follows:

1. Page, Lieut. Thomas Hyde. A Plan of the Action at Bunker's Hill, on the 17^th. June 1775. no date. Map of the Charlestown peninsula (after Montresor) depicting the phases of this set-piece battle, drawn by Lieutenant Hyde, Aide-de-Camp to General Howe during the action. This example is complete with the paste-on overlay, which depicts the commencement of the attack, the overlay folding back to reveal the capture of the American positions.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution, 29; Nebenzahl, Atlas of the American Revolution, 4 (ill.)

2. The Attack and Defeat of the American Fleet under Benedict Arnold, by the King's Fleet Commanded by Captn. Thomas Pringle, upon Lake Champlain, the 11^th October 1776. 1776. Detailed map of the southern part of Lake Champlain, around Isle de Valcour, showing the British victory, here in the second state with Pringle’s name substituted for Sir Guy Carleton’s in the title, once it became clear the victory was not as significant as first appeared, here with an account of the battle in three panels printed beneath plan, bearing the imprint of William Faden, John Wallis Sr. and Stonehouse.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 47, state 2, notes; Nebenzahl, Atlas, 10 (ill., without text); Stevens & Tree, Comparative Cartography, 24b

3. Sauthier, Claude Joseph. Plan of the Operations of the King's Army under the Command of General Sr. William Howe, K.B. in New York and East New Jersey, against American Forces Commanded by General Washington, from the 12th of October to the 28th of November 1776. Feby. 25^th 1777. The final stages of the New York campaign, centred on northern Manhattan and Westchester County, in which Howe drove the Americans from New York (the next two maps show the first and second phases of the campaign). This is state 2, with the British ships the "Tartar", "Phoenix" and "Roebuck" inserted off "Terry Town", with their course up the Hudson River marked, and additional place names inserted. Sauthier, a French national serving as a military engineer with the British forces, produced some of the most important maps of New York and New Jersey of the period.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 101, state 2; Nebenzahl, Atlas, 13 (ill.); Stevens & Tree, Comparative Cartography, 45b

4. A Plan of New York Island, with part of Long Island, Staten Island & East New Jersey, with a Particular Description of the Engagement of the Woody Heights of Long Island... on the 27th of August 1776. Oct. 19^th 1776. The initial phase of Howe’s New York campaign, with the landing on Long Island, the victory in the battle of Long Island, and pursuit of the American forces north to Fort Washington. This example has the extensive letterpress description printed outside the lower border, entitled: "An Account of the Proceedings of His Majesty's Forces at the Attack of the Rebel Works on Long Island, on the 27th of August 1776. Taken from Gen. Howe's Letter to Lord George Germaine, Principal Secretary of State for the American Department ...", the text bearing the joint imprint of William Faden and John Wallis Sr. (only). The map was much revised as the campaign progressed, this the fifth and final state, showing the American retreat northwards to Fort Washington.
Nebenzahl, Battle Plans, 107; Stevens & Tree, Comparative Cartography, 41e

5. Sauthier, Claude Joseph. A Topographical Map of the Northn. Part of New York Island, exhibiting the Plan of Fort Washington, now Fort Knyphausen, with the Rebel Lines to the Southward which were Forced by the Troops under the Command of the Rt. Honble. Earl Percy. March 1^st 1777. Second phase of the New York campaign, showing the American forces assembled around Fort Washington, and the attack of the Hessian forces commanded by General Knyphausen, breaking through the Amercan lines. This is state 2 of the map, marking the lines of march of the "Hessian Column" and the "British Column commanded by Earl Percy" up Manhattan Island.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 116

6. Plan of the Operations of General Washington, against the King's Troops in New Jersey, from the 26^th December 1776, to the 3^rd January 1777. 15^th April 1777. Very detailed map of Washington’s campaign in New Jersey, commencing with his victory at Trenton. This is state 2, with "Kings Town", "Middle Town" and "Allens Town" so named, and the road from Bristol to Trenton labelled "High Road from Philadelphia".
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 119; Nebenzahl, Atlas, map 15 (col. ill.); Stevens & Tree: Comparative Cartography, 36b

7. Battle of Brandywine in which the Rebels Were Defeated, September the 11th 1777... under the Command of General Sr. Willm. Howe. April 13^th, 1778. State 1, dated 1778 in the imprint and crediting the cartographic contribution of the Hessian artillery officer S.W. Werner.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 126; Nebenzahl, Atlas, 24 (ill.)

8. British Camp at Trudruffrin from the 18th to the 21st of September 1777. With the Attack made by Major General Grey against the Rebels near White Horse Tavern. On the 20th of September. Drawn by an Officer on the Spot. July 1^st. 1778. The battle of Paoli, Pennsylvania.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 127; Nebenzahl, Atlas, 25 (ill.)

9. Plan of the Attack on Fort Sullivan, near Charles Town in South Carolina, by a Squadron of His Majesty's Ships, on the 28th of June 1776, with the Disposition of the King's Land Forces. London: Printed and Sold by William Faden, Augt. 10^th 1776. Inset plan of the platform in Sulivan’s Fort by Lt. Colonel James. Fort Sulivan (Fort Moultrie) was perceived as the key to Charleston Harbour, and was attacked by the British preparatory to an assault on Charleston itself. The plan miscarried partly as a consequence of faulty maps and charts of the area, and because of the determined resistance of the defenders. It is remarkable that this map was first published less than six weeks after the action it depicts. This is the final state of the map, much revised and updated following the action, and is complete with the letterpress account of the action printed outside the lower border.
Nebenzahl, Printed Battle Plans, 64, state 3; Nebenzahl: Atlas, 8 (ill.: with text); Stevens & Tree, Comparative Cartography, 14d

A remarkable collection of a number of the best printed battle plans from the early years of the Revolutionary War, by the leading British map publisher of the day. In the absence of a military publishing office, William Faden Jr, and Thomas Jefferys Sr, who he succeeded, acted almost as official map publishers to the British government, and its various branches. All these maps originate with British military surveyors present at the battles and events depicted, as such forming an important contemporary record of these momentous events.

Where possible the maps are in their most desirable form with the accompanying descriptive letterpress text.

The accompanying advertisement leaf itself is also of some significance (and rarity), listing individually Faden’s maps of North America, which were used by him as the nucleus of the North American Atlas (one of the two most important atlases of the British colonies and utilised by both sides in the Revolutionary War), as well as the military plans of events from the war, with prices. The contents of this slim volume match the list of military plans in the advertisement (omitting the plan of Quebec and views of Charleston Harbour, and with only one of the three plans of Boston). It is assumed that, with each of the maps in its most complete and up-to-date form as of the time of compilation, this set was sold by Faden as a supplementary volume to the North American Atlas.