May 27, 2020 Founders & Patriots
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/27/2020
Heinrich Otto von Scheel (1745-1808). "MEMOIRES D'ARTILLERIE, CONTENANT L'ARTILLERIE NOUVELLE, out les changemens faits dans l'Artillerie Francoise en 1765. AVEC L'EXPOSE ET L'ANALYSE DES OBJECTIONS qui ont ete faites a ces chagemens." Copenhagen: August Frederick Stein for Claude Philibert, 1777. Quarto (9 3/4 x 7 3/4 in.), [4 (including half-title)], xvi, [8], 440, [2 (errata leaf)] pp., 6 folding tables, illustration: engraved vignette on title-page, 29 engraved plates (most folding), in later binding of marbled boards, with gilded leather spine label. First edition of this seminal account of the reforms made to the French artillery by Jean-Baptiste de Gribeauval (1715-1789), who had fought with the Austrian artillery during the Seven Years' War. Gribeauval's reforms included standardisation of the artillery calibre, improved mobility resulting from mechanical innovations, the adoption of horse artillery, waterproof ammunition wagons, improved wages and conditions for the lower ranks and training for the officers. This work was essentially an unauthorized publication of the new, official French artillery system by one of Gribeauval's disciples, available in France itself prior to this publication by only a handful of closely-guarded, manuscript copies (the first French edition was not published until 1795). The French Army used artillery and carriages built according to the Gribeauval System with great effect during the American Revolution which in turn, had a lasting influence on many of the American artillery officers who served with them during the Siege of Yorktown. It was translated into English by Jonathan Williams (nephew of Benjamin Franklin and future Chief of the Corps of Engineers) in 1800, for use of the United States Army. CONDITION: The spine paper separated at front board, with some soiling to the end papers, title page and preface, the remainder of the book clean and bright, with excellent quality to plate engravings. JLK