City Hall, Augusta, Georgia, with Kettle Creek 1779 Vignette, circa 1850

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "CITY HALL, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA." The view shows a large building of two main stories over a low basement, seen from the front, with a balustrade around its roof and a tall domed cupola topped by a standing figure. A columned porch with a balcony above stands over a flight of steps at the center. Slender, tall trees rise on both sides, a couple walks at left, a figure stands on the steps, and in the right foreground one man sits sketching while another stands beside him.

Above the view, the emblem vignette is a still life of a feathered headdress, a bow and arrows, a quiver, a gun and a decorated pouch. Two round scenes are set into the lower corners of the border: at left an officer on a white horse leading soldiers with bayonets while a man on foot points the way ahead, captioned "SIR JAMES BAIRD ATTACKS THE AMERICAN REAR. CAPTURE OF SAVANNAH. 1778."; at right a close fight among trees with men fallen on the ground, captioned "ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE WHIGS & TORIES NEAR KETTLE CREEK. 1779." No artist or engraver is credited under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON & NEW YORK."

The plate comes from History of the United States of America, edited by John Howard Hinton (1791 to 1873), the English Baptist minister and author, and published by J. and F. Tallis about 1850. J. and F. Tallis were London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century. The plates of this edition set a central steel engraved view inside an engraved ornamental border with small lettered vignettes of episodes from American history, as here. British forces captured Savannah, Georgia, in December 1778, and patriot militia defeated a Loyalist force at Kettle Creek, Georgia, in February 1779.

A Georgia subject with two Georgia episodes, suited to a Southern collection.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.