Essential Account of the American Revolution - from the British Side
Edward Monckton's Copy
First edition of one of the best accounts of the Revolutionary War by a participant on the British side. Charles Stedman, a Philadelphia-born loyalist, served as a commissary officer in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, under Howe, Clinton, and Cornwallis. He participated in several key campaigns and battles, providing him with firsthand insight into the conflict's military operations. In his detailed account, Stedman is notably critical of British General Sir William Howe. Stedman argued that Howe's strategic decisions, particularly his failure to aggressively pursue and defeat the Continental Army after victories such as the Battle of Long Island, were significant missed opportunities that allowed the Americans to regroup and prolong the conflict. Stedman's criticisms highlight what he saw as Howe's lack of decisiveness and inadequate use of British military advantages, which ultimately contributed to the British failure to swiftly quell the rebellion.
The excellent engraved battle plans and maps (called by William Reese "the finest collection of plans assembled by an eyewitness") are as follows:
- Bunker Hill (with the printed overlay intact).
- General Grant's Position on Long Island
- A Topographical Map of the Northn. Part of New Island Island.
- A Plan of the Operations of the King's Army under the Command of Sr. William Howe, K.B. in New York and East New Jersey.
- Plan of the Position which the Army under Lt. Genl. Burgoine took at Saratoga.
- Plan of the Attack of the Forts Clinton & Montgomery, upon Hudsons River.
- Sketch of Fayette's Position at Barren Hill
- Plan of the Siege of Savannah
- Plan of the Siege of Charlestown in South Carolina
- Plan of the Battle Fought Near Camden
- Sketch of the Catawba River at McCowans Ford
- Battle of Guildford
- Sketch of the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill near Camden
- Position of the English and French Fleets Immediately Previous to the Action on the 5th Sepr. 1781.
- Plan of the Siege of Yorktown in Virginia.
Provenance
Edward Monckton (1744-1832), of Somerford Hall, Staffordshire, with his engraved armorial bookplate in each volume and signature. Monckton joined the service of the East India Company as a teenager and rose through the ranks. He became a member of Parliament for Staffordshire and lived at Somerford Hall for over fifty years.