An Exact View of the Late Battle at Charlestown, June 17th, 1775

This rare early American print depicts a conflict often referred to as the Battle of Bunker Hill. The action pitted 2,400 British troops (in red) commanded by General William Howe against 1,500 American soldiers (in blue) led by Generals Artemas Ward and Israel Putnam. A glimpse of Boston appears at far right, across the river from Charlestown, which burned during the battle. Trained in England as a cartographer, naturalist, and engraver, Romans settled in North America in the 1750s, joined the American military during the Revolution, and fought in the conflict shown here. The panoramic approach and precise details reveal his experience as a mapmaker.