Lot 1120
  • 1120

THE HIGHLY IMPORTANT 'COLONEL HENRY BOUQUET' POLYCHROME-DECORATED FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR MAP POWDER HORN, NEW YORK, DATED 1760 |

Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description

  • Length 17 1/2 in.; 44.5 cm.
The rectangular reserve inscribed THIS HORN BELONGS TO COL HENRY BOUGUET [SIC] 1ST BN: ROYAL AMERICANS, surmounted by the crest of the British monarch. Included depictions of Fort William Henry, Fort Ticonderoga, Fort Edward, Crown Point, and Saratoga.

Provenance

Anthony Sassi, Fort Plain, New York;
Roderick H. Blackburn, May 2002;
Vogel Collection no. 712.

Condition

Overall fine condition. Wear, discoloration and residue commensurate with age and use. Few minor cracks or losses due to age.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This exquisite horn originally belonged to Colonel Henry Bouquet (1719-1765) who was a British Army officer and served during the French and Indian and Pontiac’s War, perhaps best known for his victory at the Battle of Bushy Run, which lifted the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac’s War. Born in Rolle, Switzerland in 1719 into a prominent family, Bouquet began his military career at age 17 as a cadet in the Swiss regiment in the army of the Dutch Republic. He was promoted to lieutenant during the War of Austrian Succession and later appointed lieutenant colonel of the Swiss Guards at The Hague by William IV, Prince of Orange and head of the Dutch Republic. While serving in that capacity in the United Provinces, the Seven Years War (or French and Indian War in North America) broke out and Bouquet was asked to serve as an officer of the 60th Regiment of Foot (The Royal American Regiment) by Sir Joseph York, the British Ambassador to the Hague. He accepted the commission of lieutenant colonel in the British Army and set sail for North America in 1756.

After more than a year of recruiting for the Royal American Regiment, he was appointed second-in-command to Brigadier General John Forbes during his campaign at Fort Duquesne in 1758. Due to Forbes’ poor health, the responsibility of carrying out the campaign fell to Bouquet, including the construction of the road that would bear his commander’s name. The campaign ended with the French destruction and evacuation of Fort Duquesne, as well as British possession of the fort in November 1758. Bouquet remained in western Pennsylvania for the remainder of the war to ensure British military control of the region.

In 1763, Bouquet was in command of Fort Pitt, although in Philadelphia at the time. He organized and led the expedition to relieve the post, which culminated in his victory over Native American forces at the Battle of Bushy Run. This battle and his successful campaign into the Ohio Country the following year ended the Indian uprising and enabled westward expansion of British settlements.

He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general after the Ohio expedition and placed in command of the Southern District of North America. He was headquartered at Pensacola, Florida, where he caught yellow fever and died on September 2, 1765.