Winterthur Museum, bequest of Henry Francis du Pont
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Print Title: Macdonough's Victory on Lake Champlain: AND DEFEAT OF THE BRITISH ARMY AT PLATSBURG BY GENL. MACOMB, SEPT. 11TH 1814. Description:
Colored engraving, by Benjamin Tanner after painting by Hugh Reinagle, 1816.
Inscribed lower left beneath the scene Painted by H. Reinagle and in bottom left corner Printed by Rogers & Esler, In lower right beneath the scene Engraved by B. Tanner and in bottom right corner Entered according to Act of Congress, the 22nd day of May, 1816; by Benjamin Tanner, of the State of Pennsylvania and beneath the title Published 4th July 1816 by B. TANNER Engraver No. 74 South Eighth Street Philadelphia.
This design depicts an engagement often said to be the turning point of the War
of 1812. The Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as The Battle of Plattsburgh,
effectively stopped the British in their tracks. A British army under
Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost and a naval squadron under Captain George
Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, New York, which was defended by
American troops under Brigadier General Alexander Macomb and ships commanded by
Master Commandant Thomas MacDonough. Downie's squadron attacked shortly after
dawn on 11 September 1814, but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie
was killed. Prévost then abandoned the attack by land against Macomb's defences
and retreated to Canada. Alexander
Macomb was promoted to Major General and became commanding general of the
United States Army in 1828. Thomas MacDonough was promoted to Captain, and
given the honorary rank of Commodore for his command of multiple ships in the
battle, he is remembered as the "Hero of Lake Champlain".
Print Source:
This print is perhaps one of the most commonly seen images of the War of 1812 and must have been produced in large numbers.
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