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General George Washington Holding The Declaration of Independence  

Nice example of this striking portrait of George Washington on the battlefield, commemorating the victory in the American Revolution and his friendship with the Marquis de Lafayette.

The engraving was made by Noel Le Mire after a painting by Jean Baptiste Lepaon, which was owned by Lafayette.

Washington is shown in uniform, standing to the left in front of a tent; in his right hand, a roll displaying sheets inscribed "Declaration of Independence," "Treaty of Alliance," etc.; his left hand, gloved, is thrust into the breast. Beneath his feet are various torn documents, marked "Protection to Rebels," "Conciliatory Bills," etc., etc.; in the rear a servant with a horse; and in the extreme right distance, on lower ground, an encampment. 

New Windsor Cantonment

On the table to Washington's left is a profusion of labeled documents relating to his roles in the immediate aftermath of the Revolutionary War. Included in this group is a map of "New Windsor". In the context of this time, New Windsor was the location for a major cantonment (boarding place for troops) in the Hudson River Valley. Between June 1782 and October of 1783, 7,000 troops were stationed at New Windsor in 600 log huts. This force was kept mobilized because of Washington's belief that the British were keen to restart the war and attempt to retake the colonies in a continuation of the armed conflict that had ended at Yorktown in 1781. On April 19, 1783, Washington issued a cease-fire order ending the need for the cantonment. In the context of this engraving, the map hints at Washington's preparedness for renewed hostilities with the British.

In addition to this map, there is a roll labeled "Military maps of the Several States of America". Also, "Daily Correspondence with the Congress", "His Excellency Genl. Washington La Fayette Head Quarters.", and "The Several States and All The Parts of the American Army". Interestingly, all the documents have separate consecutive numbers on them.