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Section I Selections from the C.W. McAlpin Collection
Section I Dawn of the American Revolution, 1768-1776Section IVWitness to the Revolution: Archibald Robertson’s Sketchbooks Archibald Robertson, a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, served in America from 1775 to 1780. During his service, he faithfully kept a diary and recorded numerous scenes in his sketchbooks. With a sense of freshness and immediacy, his drawings capture images of a country at war. Robertson received instruction in draughtsmanship as part of his training at the Royal Military Academy, and many of his drawings also reflect his exposure to the flourishing late 18th-century practice of watercolor painting.
Robertson arrived in Boston on November 9, 1775, and immediately set to work supervising the building of fortifications. The day after sketching this bucolic scene, he recorded in his diary, “began to raise a Battery for 3, 32-pounders on the side of Mount Whoredom against the Rebel works on Phipps’s Farm.” Mount Whoredom, an elevation west of Beacon Hill, gained its name from the proliferation of prostitutes working in the area.
Sketch of the Burning of the Houses on Dorchester Neck, by our Troops who went & returned upon the Ice During the siege of Boston, both the Americans and the British were eager to gain control of key locations north and south of the city center. When General Howe feared that the Americans were about to seize the heights of Dorchester to the south, he sent his troops there to destroy any buildings. Robertson wrote, “At 4 o’clock in the morning 6 Companies of Light Infantry and 6 of Grenadiers went across the ice to Fosters hill on Dorchester neck, in all about 400 men. At the same time the 64th Regiment landed on the Neck from Castle William. The whole amounting to about 800 men. They went over the whole ground on the Neck, met with no opposition, did not fire a shot, took 6 Rebels prisoners, Burnt 6 or 8 Empty uninhabited houses and barns, and return’d about ½ hour after 6 o’clock.” Although the troops readily succeeded in their mission, they did not secure the area and it was later overtaken by the American troops.
Sketch of the Burning & Destroying of Castle William in Boston Harbour General George Washington planned to end the siege of Boston by attacking from Dorchester Heights, a strategic position high on a bluff south of the city center. On the evening of March 4, 1776, his troops stealthily moved into position and toiled through the night to erect fortifications and position their artillery. When the British discovered them the next morning, they were dumbfounded. Although Robertson claimed that “a most astonishing nights work must have Employ’d from 15 to 20,000 men,” only around 2,000 Americans had participated. Outmaneuvered, the British planned to make a final attack from Castle Island, off the eastern shore of Dorchester Heights. But foul weather intervened, so Howe abandoned the attack and ordered his troops to evacuate. Before leaving, they set fire to their fort, Castle William.
12th June 1776. Sailing from Halifax to N. York Upon leaving Boston, Howe directed his fleet to sail to Halifax, Nova Scotia. A little over two months later his troops set sail again, toward their next target, New York. On June 29, 1776, Robertson recalled: “at 6 in the morning discovered land the heights call’d the Neversinks close by sandy hook the Entrance into New York Bay, and all the Fleet got safe to an Anchor at 3 o’clock behind the Hook.”
View of the Narrows Between Long Island & Staaten Island with Our Fleet at Anchor & Lord Howe Coming In—taken from the Height above the Waterg. Place Staaten Island. 12th July 1776 Lord Howe sailed into New York Harbor on July 12 and joined his enormous fleet. While awaiting their next attack, British warships sailed up the Hudson River to disrupt the Americans’ communications with New Jersey. On the day of this view, Robertson wrote: “At half past 3 o’clock Afternoon the Phoenix man of war of 40 Guns Captain Parker, The Rose of 20 Guns Commodore Wallace and three tenders got under way from the watering Place at Staaten Island, to pass New York and go up Hudson’ River with the tide in their favour and a fine Breeze. Immediately on their setting sail 6 or 8 Alarm Guns were fired at New York. The Ships proceeded with the greatest order and never return’d a Shot untill they got between Paulus Hook and the Town…. From this day forward I date the commencement of our Successes.”
View of the Rebel Work round Walton’s House, with Hell Gate & the Island After the Battle of Long Island, the Americans retreated to Manhattan and the British prepared to attack along the eastern shore at Kips Bay. Robertson helped to organize the attack and recalled: “I went on board the Rose at Bushwick Point with Colonel Sheriff to reconnoitre the opposite shore of New York island Kipps’s Bay which Appeared very strong ground. Made a Sketch of it.” The British attack was quick and well-executed: while warships fired at the battery, thousands of soldiers rowed to shore and forced the Continental soldiers to flee. According to Robertson, “The scene alltogether was Grand and Noble.” |
