[WALCHEREN CAMPAIGN, 1809.]

Map of the island of Walcheren with the fortifications &c.

London, J. Stratford, 10 February 1810. 290 x 235 mm, engraved map; a good copy. A map of WalcherenIsland, with its capital town of Flushing, at the mouth of the Scheldt. It depicts the island’s fortifications as well as the British landing site and siege emplacements of 1809. When Napoleon decided to reintroduce shipbuilding at Antwerp, thus threatening British naval control of the Channel, a combined military (commanded by John Pitt, second earl of Chatham) and naval (commanded by Sir Richard Strachan) expedition to take the Scheldt as far as Antwerp was deemed necessary. Despite initial success, the failure to take the heavily fortified town of Flushing sufficiently quickly allowed French troops to mobilise against Chatham’s army. Eventually the British expedition was forced to retire with heavy losses: although only 106 soldiers were killed in action, nearly 4,000 died of ‘Walcheren fever’.Although unsigned, this map was probably engraved by the map-maker and engraver John Luffman at an early stage of the Walcheren campaign, and the plate then sold to the book-publisher, J. Stratford, after the ignominious end of the expedition.

• GBP 260.00 > other currencies
• ordernr.: T2911

• bookseller: Bernard Quaritch Ltd. (GREAT BRITAIN)