Germany, 1761

PLAN / SHEWING THE MOVEMENTS / OF / HIS MAIESTY’S ARMY IN GERMANY / ON THE EXPEDITION TO EIMBECK in Nov=br 1761

A map of the movements of the Allied army on the expedition to Einbeck in November 1761. Seven Years War (1756-63). Oriented with north to top.

This map shows the series of movements made by the Allied army under the command of H.S.H. Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick in November 1761. The Prince's double objective was to isolate Chabbo's Corps at Eschershausen from the rest of the French army, centred on Einbeck, and to push the French back from the area. Chabbo escaped the manoeuvres of the British contingent (under Granby), and Ferdinand's attempts to cannonade the French at Huve Hill (on the uplands just north of Einbeck) on 5 November were fruitless. Ferdinand attempted to force Marshall Broglio to battle on the 6th, but, in appalling weather conditions of snow, followed by fog and rain which rendered the naturally bad roads impassable, the French retreated to Gottingen to take up winter quarters. Ferdinand thus achieved one of his objectives, and made Einbeck (which is about fifty miles south of Hanover) his temporary H.Q.

This map showing the theatre of operations was compiled and drawn by William Roy by augmenting the basic details of a printed map with data gathered from observation in the field. The sharp contrast between the amount of information shown on the printed map, and the additional data provided by Roy is illustrated in the north-east corner which was ‘only inserted from the common map’.

Additional text: [left, down left side of map, a detailed journal of the movements of the army in November:] RELATION OF THE OPERATIONS OF HIS MAIESTY’S ARMY IN GERMANY / in the Month of Novbr 1761. [Right, down right side of map, in four rectangular panels, a listing of the regiments and their strength, as follows:] DISPOSITION OF HIS MAIESTY’S ARMY Novbr 2d 1761, before the Expedition to Eimbeck. [and] ORDER OF MARCH OF THE ARMY and Detached Corps Novbr 4.th 1761 in 8 Columns. [and] ORDER OF MARCH OF THE ARMY and Detached Corps, Novbr 5.th in 8 Columns, to attack the Ennemy at Eschershausen. [and] ORDER OF MARCH OF THE ARMY and Detached Corps, Nov.br 9.th in 9 Columns.

Condition: two fold lines; acid from the ink has eaten through the paper in the title area; surface dirt along right edge. Verso: induced discolouration; brown staining; heavy surface dirt along right edge, consistent with the map having been rolled.