Major General Charles Lee — Continental Army Officer (French Revolutionary War Engraving)
A Paris chez Esnauts et Rapilly, rue St. Jacques, à la Ville de Coutances
Copperplate engraving, circa 1780
Frame: 9⅝ x 7¼ inches; sight: 8 x 5¾ inches
 
A copperplate engraved portrait of Major General Charles Lee, shown in military dress within an ornamental oval cartouche. The French inscription beneath identifies him as “Major General de l’Armée Continentale, présentement prisonnier à la Nouvelle Yorck.” Issued in Paris by the publishers Esnauts et Rapilly, the engraving reflects the strong European interest in the personalities of the American Revolutionary War during the conflict itself, when likenesses of prominent American officers circulated widely in France and Britain.
 
Lee, a seasoned professional soldier, served in the British Army during the French and Indian Warbefore resigning and joining the American cause. Commissioned a Major General in the Continental Army, he ranked among its earliest senior officers and played a role in the defense of Charleston in 1776, working with Colonel William Moultrie in preparations that helped repel the British attack on Sullivan’s Island. Captured by British forces in New Jersey later that year, Lee was eventually exchanged and returned to service, though later disputes with George Washington ultimately led to his dismissal from the army.
 
Condition: Excellent.