"GREAT GLORY NECESSARILY PROCEEDED FROM PROJECTS THAT WERE CONCEIVED WITH PROFOUND WISDOM": TARLETON'S HISTORY OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF 1780 AND 1781, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND ITS SOUTHERN CAMPAIGNS, WITH FIVE LARGE MAPS

(AMERICAN REVOLUTION) TARLETON, Sir Banastre. A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781, in the Southern Provinces of North America. London: T. Cadell, 1787. Large quarto, early 19th-century full brown tree calf rebacked with original elaborately gilt-decorated spine laid down, burgundy morocco spine label. Housed in a custom slipcase. $12,500.

First edition of Tarleton's significant account of the southern campaigns in the American Revolution, illustrated with five detailed maps (three large folding) with hand-colored outlines of routes and positions, desirable in contemporary tree calf.

Tarleton's aggressive, ruthless style on the field of battle during the American Revolution earned him the name "Bloody Tarleton." "The work begins with D'Estaing's fruitless attack on Savannah in the autumn of 1779, and proceeds with great minuteness of detail to give the military events of the Carolinas and Virginia down to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19, 1781. The history is in general a compilation of the official letters of the British officers, both in the sea- and land-service, and of the American and French commanders, which had appeared in the newspapers… This book has great value, especially because it contains many documents that cannot be found elsewhere without great labor" (Church 1224). Featured in this handsome volume are five maps (three large folding), each with hand-colored outlining, that depict the sieges of Charlestown and Yorktown, the battles of Camden and Guildford, and a general map of Cornwallis' movements in the American South. With mispagination of p. 236 (as in Church); without rear advertisement leaf. Sabin 94397. Howes T37. Clark I:317. ESTC T97251. Armorial bookplate of Sir Matthew White Ridley, a respected British statesman and member of Parliament who served as Under-Secretary of State in Disraeli's administration and as Home Secretary from 1895-1900. That same year he was created Viscount Ridley and Second Baron Wensleydale. Small shelf label.

Text and maps generally fresh with light scattered foxing; some rubbing, slight edge-wear to boards. An extremely good copy of this major Revolutionary work.