?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
(AMERICAN REVOLUTION.) Pair of manuscript charts detailing all of France's military forces in the wake of the American Revolution. Each about 26 x 40 inches, with color-coded notations, both laid down on linen at an early date; the first with moderate wear and soiling but quite legible, frayed at margins, one-inch hole in title area, a few other short tears and chips in text area; the second more worn and soiled, with much of the text difficult to read. Np, 1 November 1783
The first of these oversized charts is titled "État militaire de France à l'Epoque du Prem. Novem'bre 1783," and provides a detailed description of every regiment in the French army in the year following their departure from America. For each regiment is given its name, commander, number of troops, and a color-coded set of check marks which described the regimental colors: habit, culotte, revers, collet, bouton (dress, pants, lapel, collar, button). For example, the Agenois regiment (listed as number 16 under infantry), which had recently captured a British redoubt at Yorktown, are shown with purple collars, while their Yorktown colleagues the Royal Deux-Ponts (number 104) are shown with their traditional blue and yellow. The Vicomte de Rochambeau, son of the Comte, is shown as commander of Yorktown's Royal Auvergne regiment (number 18), with purple lapels. Other French leaders from Yorktown are listed with their commands, including the Duc de Lauzun, shown commanding Lauzun's Legion in the "Hussards" section. Also of Americana interest is a list of colonial infantry units in Haiti, Martinique, and Guadeloupe. All told, 200 regiments are listed in this striking presentation, with a total of 293,641 enlisted troops. The second chart is titled "Marines de France d'Espagne & d'Angleterre du Pm. Nov'bre 1783." It lists hundreds of individual vessels, along with an inventory of their guns arranged by caliber. As the title suggests, the chart also lists ships of the nation's Spanish allies and British enemies. As with the first chart, colors are noted. Provenance: sold as a pair at the 1893 Brinley sale, lot 9314; donated the following year by Jonathan F. Morris to the consignor, the Connecticut Historical Society.
