1783 Lodge / Millar View Map of Boston, Charleston, and Battle of Bunker Hill

One of the earliest obtainable views of the 1775 American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) Battle of Bunker Hill. Published in 1783, this view illustrates the June 17, 1775, Battle of Bunker Hill, near Boston, one of the first and most significant battles of the war.

A Closer Look

The view looks east from Boston Harbor. Boston is on the left and Charlestown and Breed's Hill are afire on the right. British naval vessels fill the harbor, while long range cannons bombard Charlestown from Boston. The view is reasonably accurate, suggesting that the artist, 'Mr. Millar,' probably George Henry Millar, may have witnessed it firsthand or drew upon the experience of one who had.

Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the earliest and most important battles of the American Revolutionary War. Although identified as 'Bunker Hill', the actual battle was on Breed's Hill. British forces quartered in Boston, then a peninsula, were easily contained by Colonial forces controlling few choke points and surrounding hills. One such, Breed's Hill, was fortified by Colonials when reconnaissance discovered British forces about launch an offensive against the surrounding hills - thus securing Boston.

The overconfident British sailed across the Charles River in a direct assault on the well-fortified position. Although more numerous, better trained, and better equipped, the British forces were thrown back twice before ultimately taking the defensive fortifications on Breed's Hill. Although the Battle of Bunker Hill, as it came to be misnamed, was a loss for the Colonial army, it was a hard-won victory for the British, who suffered 1,054 casualties versus 450 Colonial casualties. Moreover, many of the British casualties were officers and command staff, a crippling setback that undermined British confidence.

Publication History and Census

This map was issued at the end of the American Revolutionary War to accompany Edward Bernard's 1783 New, Comprehensive and Complete History of England. It was engraved by John Lodge after a drawing prepared by George Henry Millar and published by Alexander Hogg. This view appears in several institutional collections but is scarce to the market.