Existing comment:
A Plan of New York Island, and Part of Long Island, with the Circumjacent Country
Drawn by Charles Blaskowitz
Ink and watercolor on paper. New York, 1777
The Richard H. Brown Revolutionary War Map Collection. Promised Gift.
The British launched an invasion of New York on August 22, 1776, with an expeditionary force of 32,000 regulars and more than 200 ships. Washington had just 19,000 men. Over the next several weeks, the British defeated Continental forces in a number of battles, including Long Island and White Plains. The redcoats captured the city, beginning an occupation that lasted until 1783. This victory dealt a critical blow to the Patriot war effort.
Charles Blaskowitz's manuscript map visualizes the British victory in remarkable detail. A veteran cartographer, Blaskowitz created this "Campaign Headquarters Map" for General Sir William Erskine. British officers would have used it to study the campaign's progress and develop future military strategy. |