View of the British Fortress at Stoney-Point, Stormed and Carried by a party of the Light Corps of the American Army, under the command of Gen. WAYNE, on the morning of the 16th of July last.

Scarce Contemporary Stony Point Battle Plan

This rather crude woodcut depicts a battle plan of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne's daring and dramatic capture of the British fortification at Stony Point, about 30 miles up the Hudson River from New York City. The battle, planned in detail by Washington, took place around midnight on July 16, 1779.

The lower portion of the battle plan includes a four item key: "A. The British Fortress, B. Abattes [abatis] in front, C. The Reserve, D. The detached Party who stormed the Works." Nebenzahl's A Bibliography of Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution, 1775-1795 cites only a 1784 London-printed battle plan by Faden for the Stony Point engagement (#145). The offered plan is not noted by Nebenzahl, was published in America and was issued five years earlier than the Faden plan. (The Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack for 1780 would almost certainly have been published in November or December of 1779 – within six months of the actual battle.)

A very scarce almanac in the trade. Auction records indicate the most recent copy sold at the Gutman sale in 2005 for $4,800. Prior to that, Swann sold an example in 1979.

References: For the almanac: Evans: 16287; Drake: 3290. For the map: Cresswell: 309.

Condition: Map appears on verso of title page and measures about 6 ½ x 3 ¾." Almanac is complete in 24 pp. Slight loss of road table text at upper tip of final leaf.

[ICN 7643.]