{"product_id":"old-siege-map-of-charleston-sc-by-abernethie-1785-ft-moultrie-cooper-r-blockade-the-battery-brit-fleet-gen-lincoln","title":"Old Siege Map of Charleston SC by Abernethie, 1785: Ft Moultrie, Cooper R blockade, The Battery, Brit fleet, Gen Lincoln","description":"\u003cp\u003eThomas Abernethie’s A Sketch of the Operations before Charleston the Capital of South Carolina 1780 captures the decisive siege that reshaped the Southern theater of the American Revolution. Engraved in 1785 by an early Charleston artisan, it stands among the first maps published in America and is celebrated as the first plan of Charleston to be printed on American soil. Its appearance in David Ramsay’s History of the Revolution of South Carolina—famously the first work granted copyright in the United States—anchors the plan at the crossroads of military history and the birth of American print culture. With a decorative cartouche, clear legends, and a crisply rendered compass rose, the sheet distills the city’s strategic geography at the very moment of its trial.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat makes this plan singular is its granular depiction of the siege mechanics. Abernethie charts British ship positions hemming in the harbor and the vital blockade of the Cooper River, effectively severing American lifelines. Fortifications are carefully labeled—from the Battery guarding the waterfront to the outer works that once promised a stubborn defense—while the placement of American encampments and British parallels reveals the tightening noose that culminated in General Benjamin Lincoln’s capitulation on May 12, 1780. Notations of vessels such as the Providence, Ranger, and La Fage situate naval assets within the broader choreography of attack and denial, reflecting how sea power and earthworks worked in concert to force the largest American surrender of the war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbernethie’s engraving—deemed naïve by some—proves remarkably effective in conveying both the lived city and its war footing. Streets and blocks are crisply plotted, with King Street marching inland from the bustle of East Bay and the Market, the Commons laid out as a civic breathing space, and St. Philip’s Church rising as a landmark within the grid. Waterfront defenses and batteries knit the urban fabric to the harbor, while the West Side and early districts register Charleston’s growing footprint. This union of urban planning and martial preparation underscores why Charleston, a premier Atlantic entrepôt, drew such concentrated British attention in 1780.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plan’s provenance amplifies its rarity and authority. Thomas Abernethie, a Scottish engraver working in Charleston, cut some of the earliest maps ever published in the nascent United States, drawing on local intelligence that larger imperial presses often lacked. His hand is also known on treasury notes and Masonic bookplates, yet it is here—rendering fort lines, ship lists, and reference keys—that his craft most fully serves the historical record. Issued as the second earliest map known to have been published south of the Mason–Dixon Line, and among the earliest Revolutionary battle plans printed in America, it embodies an indigenous cartographic voice at a moment of national crisis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, the Siege of Charleston signaled the pivot of British strategy to the South and the temporary humiliation of the Patriot cause, even as it lit the fuse for the partisan resurgence of Marion, Sumter, and Pickens. Abernethie’s plan preserves that turning point with a documentarian clarity: a city girded for defense, a harbor locked by blockade, and a countryside funneling armies toward inevitable collision. Its legends and labeled maneuvers guide the eye through a masterpiece of 18th-century operational art, making the sheet indispensable to collectors of Revolutionary Americana, Charleston history, and early American engraving—an eloquent witness to the stakes, strategies, and consequences of 1780.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlaces on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCharleston (city)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooper River (waterway)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBattery (fortification)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Moultrie (defensive position)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBritish Ship positions (naval assets)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmerican encampments\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKing Street (main thoroughfare)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEast Bay Street\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaterfront defenses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublic squares (notably the Commons area)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvidence (ship)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRanger (ship)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLa Fage (ship)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistoric landmarks related to military actions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSt. Philip's Church (notable landmark)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWest Side (neighborhood)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarket (local commerce area)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistoric districts (identified areas of historic settlement)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocations of encampments or military activity zones.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed layout of Charleston, including streets and blocks.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFortifications labeled for defensive structures.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpecific battle sites indicated with annotations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNames and details of various ships engaged during the battle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe blockade of the Cooper River depicted.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompass rose indicating cardinal directions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWaterfront details showcasing natural features and urban elements.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDecorative cartouche and legends explaining map features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLists of significant locations and references to military maneuvers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTitle: A Sketch of the Operations before Charleston the Capital of South Carolina 1780\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreation Date: 1785\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMapmaker: Thomas Abernethie\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe second earliest map published south of the Mason-Dixon Line.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignificant Charleston Battle Plan included in David Ramsay's History of the Revolution of South Carolina.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbernethie was an early Scottish engraver based in Charleston, known for maps, treasury notes, and Masonic bookplates.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHis maps are among the earliest published in America, derived potentially from local sources.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEngraving style is naïve yet captures numerous details about the Charleston battle and fortifications.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDistinction of being the first plan of Charleston printed in America and one of the earliest battle plans of the American Revolution.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRamsay's book was the first work granted a copyright in the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThemes Shown: Military operations, battle plans, geographic representation, and urban development.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCountries\/Regions: South Carolina, specifically Charleston and surrounding waterways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign\/Style: The engraving is notable for its detailed illustration of fortifications and urban planning, with a simple yet effective layout.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical Significance: Captures a key moment in the American Revolutionary War, highlighting the strategic importance of Charleston.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969070113152,"sku":"UM00274633A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969070145920,"sku":"UM00274634A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":57969070178688,"sku":"UM00274635A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969070211456,"sku":"UM00274636A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969070244224,"sku":"UM00274637A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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