Barres, J.F.W. Des

Sea chart (image: 30 1/4 x 21 3/8 in.; 768 x 542; sheet: 33 3/4 x 24 1/2 in.; 857 x 622 mm), black and white copper engraving with aquatint, period color wash, and some outline color, on J. Bates laid paper.

Closed marginal tears not affecting image, expert restoration to clean splits at folds.

Debard, The Family Origins of Joseph Fredericks Wallet DesBarres p.15; Nebenzahl, 136; Sellers & Van Ee, 1370; Snyder, City of Independence p. 271; Spendlove, The Face of Early Canada pp. 18-22; Stevens 159

A superb sea chart, constructed for the use of the British Navy, depicting the Delaware River and including an early plan of Philadelphia. The map on the left, compiled by Lieutenant Knight, shows the major part of the river, from Bombay Hook to Ridley Creek, including the location of Newcastle and the Brandywine Creek. The chart on the right, by Lieutenant John Hunter, depicts the stretch of the river from Chester to Philadelphia, including the fort of Red Bank and the outlet of the Schuylkill River. It depicts, with notes, the sequence of events that occurred in November of 1777. The British had taken Philadelphia in September, but the Americans had blockaded the river so that the occupying troops could not be supplied. Crucial to the blockade was Fort Mifflin on Mud Island, more or less in the middle of the Delaware, just south of the confluence with the Schuylkill. In October, an assault had been attempted by Hessian troops and British warships, but this the Americans had thwarted causing the British to lose two ships. On November 11, the British began an artillery bombardment under Captain John Montresor, which was coordinated with another naval attack under Richard Howe. This proved too much for the Americans, who abandoned the fort on the night of November 14. Interestingly, the fort had been designed and partially built by Captain Montresor in 1771. This chart originally appeared in Volume IV, Part 2 of The Atlantic Neptune and corresponds to Stevens 159a.