War of the Austrian Succession (1740-8)
Includes much of the mapping collected by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, as Captain General of the British army
Map of Cartagena, 1741 (Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia) 37°36'18"N 00°59'10"W
1741 or laterPencil, ink and watercolour on paper; laid down on thick linen | Scale: no scale stated. | RCIN 728035
The combined operations attack, under the command of Admiral Vernon and Brigadier General Thomas Wentworth (d.1747), on Spanish-held Cartagena was intended to achieve British control over trade in the West Indies. The action took place between the middle of March 1741 and ended in a British defeat by June.
The grounds for the attribution, in the old catalogue, to ‘Captain Thomas Eng.r’ are not known. According to Conolly (List 2, no.75, p.4), a Practitioner Engineer by the name of John Thomas saw service in Cartagena and died in Flanders in 1747. No other rank is given for him, although he may have held a captain's rank in the army. If this John Thomas is not the author of this map, then it is possible that the Captain referred to in the old catalogue was a Captain of a Regiment of Foot who was temporarily appointed as an engineer. The map appears to be unfinished: the letters which are explained in the References do not appear on the map. Another, finished manuscript copy of this map by John Thomas, dedicated to the Duke of Montagu, is in the Library of Congress, Call Number G5294.C3S5 1741 .T5 Vault.
Insets: [left:] A PLAN of FORT St PHILIP. Size: 8.3 x 9.5 cm (neatline). [Bottom left:] A PLAN of FORT St JAGO. Size (including title): 8.9 x 9.6 cm. [Right:] Our BATTERY consisting of Twenty. 24 Pounders and / 38 ROYALS with the Intrenehments [sic] adjacent thereto. Scale: 1:870 approx. Scale bar: [105 mm =] 300 feet. Size (including title): 11.3 x 23.6 cm. [Bottom right, a profile through the battery showing the underground mines or stores of ammunition.] Scale: 1:121 approx. Scale bar: [125 mm =] 50 feet (9 fathoms) Size: 4.9 x 30.9 cm.
Additional text: [bottom, below plan, in plain rectangular panel, a key, A-I, K-P to the fortifications and other significant military features:] REFERENCES.
Condition: verso: foxing to linen backing; bottom centre, water-stained patch from the removal of Cumberland's cipher label.
? John Thomas (active 1739-d.1747) (draughtsman)
Subject(s)
Royal NavyWatermark: None visible
Mark, stamped: 268
Condition: verso: foxing to linen backing; bottom centre, water-stained patch from the removal of Cumberland's cipher label
Scale: no scale stated. Scale bars unfinished; no units or figures given.
41.0 x 68.3 cm (neatline)
52.6 x 68.9 cm (image)
56.2 x 74.1 cm (sheet)
Manuscript title:
A PLAN of FORT S LOUIS / S JOSEPH S JAGO & of S. PHILIP / scituated at the Entrance of CARTAGENA / HARBOUR called BOCA=CHICA with the / Parts Adjacent And also of the / ATTACKS made against / the said FORTS. [top left, in elaborate cartouche of leaves, flanked by mermen]
Insets:
[left:] A PLAN of FORT St PHILIP. Size: 8.3 x 9.5 cm (neatline). [Bottom left:] A PLAN of FORT St JAGO. Size (including title): 8.9 x 9.6 cm. [Right:] Our BATTERY consisting of Twenty. 24 Pounders and / 38 ROYALS with the Intrenehments [sic] adjacent thereto. Scale: 1:870 approx. Scale bar: [105 mm =] 300 feet. Size (including title): 11.3 x 23.6 cm. [Bottom right, a profile through the battery showing the underground mines or stores of ammunition.] Scale: 1:121 approx. Scale bar: [125 mm =] 50 feet (9 fathoms) Size: 4.9 x 30.9 cm.
Additional text:
REFERENCES. [bottom, below plan, in plain rectangular panel, a key, A-I, K-P to the fortifications and other significant military features]
Annotations:
George III heading: Cartagena 1741.
Other annotations: (Recto) the values of the scale bars for the insets, bottom right, are given in faint pencil; the blank panel, bottom, left of centre, has a faintly profile view of what appears to be the battery. (Verso) [obscured by white paper label:] [Cartagena]; [top right, black pencil:] [March] 1741; [bottom centre, black pencil:] 64; [right, centre, red pencil:] 64.
George III catalogue entry:
Cartagena A drawn Plan of Forts S.t Louis, S.t Joseph, S.t Jago and S.t Philip, situated at the Entrance of Cartagena Harbour called Boca Chica, with the parts adjacent, and also of the Attack made against the said Forts in 1741; [red ink:] by Captain Thomas Eng.r
Subject(s)
Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia (37°36'18"N 00°59'10"W)
Page revisions
23 May 2024
Current version
