The Reply: A Complimentory [sic] Hieroglyphic Epistle from the Honorable Henry Laurens to Lord George Gordon

Illustrator Anonymous, British, 18th century British

1781

Not on view

This satire takes the form of a rebus letter written by Henry Laurens (1724-1792), a native of Charleston, South Carolina, sent as ambassador to the Netherlands by the Continental Congress. He was captured en route in 1779, off Newfoundland, tried for treason, thrown overboard then recovered. On October 6, 1781 became the first and only American ever imprisoned in the Tower of London, released on December 31 in exchange for Lord Cornwallis following the latter's surrender at Yorktown.

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Title: The Reply: A Complimentory [sic] Hieroglyphic Epistle from the Honorable Henry Laurens to Lord George Gordon
Author: Henry Laurens (American, Charleston, South Carolina 1724–1792 Charleston, South Carolina)
Illustrator: Anonymous, British, 18th century
Date: 1781
Medium: Etching
Dimensions: plate: 12 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. (31.4 x 22.2 cm)
sheet: 13 x 9 1/4 in. (33 x 23.5 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Object Number: 83.2.1073
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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