A212 - Plan of New York Harbour and part of North River in 1776
This delightful hand-drawn manuscript plan dates from 1776, just after the British had taken New York and following the ensuing skirmishes between the British and the Americans from August through to November of that year.
- 1776
attributed to Lt. John Hunter. RN.
- h43" x w17.5"
- P
This plan is especially important because it is unquestionably the source from which J.F.W. Des Barres produced his two (abortive) Plans for the battle for New York (see Heritage Charts A215 & A216) and published his historic 'A Sketch of the Operations of His Majesty's Fleet and Army Under the Command of Vice Admiral the Rt. Hble. Lord Viscount Howe and Gen./Sr.Wm. Howe, K.B. in 1776.' in London Jan 17, 1777 (see Heritage Charts A200).
A close examination of this 'rough' plan raises one question above all others: Who is responsible for the work? Whoever it was, if Des Barres had exclusive access to such a contemporary document, was likely to be one of the trusted and talented team of surveyors and hydrographers working in the area at the time. The most likely candidate for this work would be Lieutenant John Hunter. Hunter is known to have been aboard Vice Admiral Richard Howe's flagship MHS Eagle in New York harbor in 1776. It is also worth noting that the chart was transmitted back to England for dissemination, and the eyes of Des Barres, by Captain (later Admiral) Hyde Parker, commander of HMS Phoenix. A letter to such effect from Hyde-Parker to Des Barres exists in the latter's personal letters. Finally the style in which the Plan is made and drawn is very similar to that used by Hunter for his later 1777 plan of the Delaware River (see Heritage Charts A309).
The plan offers, through its 'References', a narrative of the events which eventually saw George Washington and his beleaguered army escape the clutches of a much superior British force. As with this plan, the published Des Barres 'Sketch of the Operations..' (A200) includes an inset of References, which tells the story of all of the major places and events from the initial invasion up to and including the battle at Fort Washington.
A comparison of the references on both plans confirms the link between the two documents and the historic significance of this 'rough' plan. For a full list of the References, and other comparative material please visit the Heritage Charts 'Logbook' article Plan of New York Harbour and part of North River in 1776. See also: Des Barres' Great Folly: www.heritagecharts.com/great-folly
Both this plan and Des Barres' 'Sketch of the Operations..' cover the area from Sandy Hook to Haverstraw, and Jamaica Bay to the western New Jersey.
- Plan of New York Harbour and part of North River in 1776
