1816 Tanner View of Lake Champlain, Battle of Plattsburgh, War of 1812

One of the Most Decisive Battles of the War of 1812.

This is Benjamin Tanner's 1816 engraving of the Battle of Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain, based on a painting by Hugh Reinagle. A rather astonishing triumph against a superior force, the American victory at Plattsburgh proved to be one of the most decisive battles of the War of 1812 and hastened the war's conclusion.

A Closer Look

The view is oriented towards the west, looking out over Cumberland Bay in Lake Champlain from Cumberland Head. British and American ships engage at close range, including the British flagship frigate Confiance, the American flagship Saratoga, the brig Eagle, and the schooner Ticonderoga. In the background towards the right, the town of Plattsburgh (which had been virtually abandoned by its inhabitants and occupied by American troops) is depicted, having received cannon fire while returning some of its own. In the foreground, American civilians cheer on their forces with disregard for their own safety, while American army officers confer on horseback.

The Battle of Plattsburgh

Fought in September 1814, the Battle of Plattsburgh (also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain) was one of the most important battles in the War of 1812. Aiming to force a favorable peace settlement, a British invasion force of 10,000 to 11,000 Napoleonic War veterans, now freed up with Napoleon's defeat, under Sir George Prévost marched south from Canada into northern New York. Heavily outnumbered on land, Brigadier General Alexander Macomb established defensive positions along the Saranac River, while Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough prepared the American naval squadron on Lake Champlain. Macdonough anchored his ships strategically in Cumberland Bay (also known as Plattsburgh Bay), where the British would be forced to engage at close range, negating their advantage in long guns. He also anchored his ships in a way that both maintained formation and allowed maneuverability when necessary, as when his flagship Saratoga was able to spin around and keep firing after the starboard side initially facing the British was badly damaged. The Americans were also aided by the fact that, unlike Prévost's imposing land forces, British naval commander George Downie (who died in the battle) had difficulty mustering guns and experienced sailors, making his fleet and its flagship Confiance less intimidating in reality than they appeared at first glance.

The hard-fought naval battle resulted in the capture of all the large British ships and a British retreat on land, as Prévost's assault would have faced supply difficulties and harassment by Macdonough's ships despite his major troop advantage over Macomb. This remarkable American victory shattered Britain's strategy to occupy northern United States territory. When news of the defeat reached peace commissioners in Ghent, Belgium, it stripped the British delegation of any leverage to demand territorial concessions, paving the way for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war on status quo ante bellum terms. This was a dramatic reversal of fortunes, as the war had been going badly, even disastrously, for the Americans (including the burning of Washington, D.C.) until the victories at Plattsburgh and soon thereafter at Baltimore.

Publication History and Census

This print was engraved and published (on July 4, no less) by Benjamin Tanner in 1816, based on a slightly earlier painting by Hugh Reinagle. It was printed by Rogers and Esler in Philadelphia, a short-lived operation about which little is known, but which produced two other contemporary patriotic prints (along with the book Delaplaine's Repository of the Lives and Portraits of Distinguished American Characters). It is cataloged among the holdings of the Library of Congress, the American Antiquarian Society, the University of Michigan, and the New York State Library in the OCLC. It is also held by the New York Public Library, the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and the American Philosophical Society Library.

Cartographers

Benjamin Tanner (March 27, 1775 - c. 1846) was an American engraver active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Benjamin was the brother of the more prominent younger brother, the Philadelphia engraver Henry S. Tanner. Benjamin, who was based in New York City for most of his early career. Although is master is unknown, he most likely trained under the New York mapmaker Peter R. Maverick. His earliest work dates to 1792 and his is known to have engraved many of the maps for Reid's 1775 An American Atlas. Around 1811 he relocated to Philadelphia and established a business with his brother as a general engraver and map publisher. He also worked as a bank note publisher under the imprint of Tanner, Vallance, Kearny & Co. perfecting the stereographic technique until roughly 1846.   Further Details...

Hugh Reinagle (1790 - May 1834) was an early American painter. He was born in Philadelphia. His father, Alexander Reinagle (d. 1809), was the music director for the New Theater in Philadelphia. Hugh Reinagle was also deeply involved in the theater world, studying painting under John Joseph Holland (c.1776 - 1820), who mostly worked as a scene painter for theaters in New York and Philadelphia. Reinagle likewise painted scenes for theaters in New York; Philadelphia; Albany, New York; and Richmond, Virginia from about 1807. In the 1820s, he returned to New York City and was regarded as the leading scenic designer in that city, as well as the chief painter at the Park Theatre. In 1832, he moved to New Orleans to work as the main scene painter at the American Theatre, but he contracted cholera while there and died in 1834. Aside from theater scenes, Reinagle was also known for landscapes, biblical scenes, and at least two naval battle scenes of the War of 1812.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Slight toning.

References

OCLC 167816304, 768299376, 435643841. NYPL Stokes 1814-F-8. Royal Museums Greenwich PAH8146. American Philosophical Society Library Graphics Number: M42-2-12 APSimg3658.