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Description

Dramatic hand-colored engraved view of the landing of the marines under the command of William Howe (of Revolutionary War fame).

The engraving is of the highest quality; the skill of the artists is particularly evident in the diverse and elaborate typography below the image. The rendering of the clouds and the ability of the engraver to suggest the sun's rays streaming through them is also quite remarkable.

General William Howe (1729-1814) was a British Army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence. Howe was one of three brothers who had distinguished military careers. He led numerous extremely impactful landings, notably taking the cliffs at Quebec for Wolfe during the French and Indian War, during the New York Campaign in the American Revolution, and here during the taking the Havana.

The "secret expedition" to capture Havana set off from Spithead on March 5, 1762. By the 26th of April, it had arrived in Martinique, pausing there before setting off again on May 6. The flotilla landed troops six miles east of Havana on June 7 and siege-works were started upon at once. The army was aided by a large number of seamen who helped land canon, man the batteries, and supply the troops with water. The British had received detailed reports of the weak points in Havana's defenses provided by the Governor of Jamaica, Admiral Knowles. By the 30th of June, the batteries were ready, and they opened fire on July 1. Three ships of the line engaged from the water, but two of them left action after heavy losses six hours into the battle. Eventually, the land batteries subdued the Spanish defense, and on the 30th of July, the Moro was stormed. The city capitulated on August 13. The prize money was considerable, netting Pocock over £122,000 alone.

Condition Description
Expert restoration of some small tears in the sky.