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Framed 1859 Charcoal Drawing of U.S. Military Academy Cannon Target Practice

“Firing From North Batteries, Targets On Rattlesnake Hill"

Provenance: Formerly Owned By West Point Library

    This wonderful original charcoal drawing was formerly the property of the United States Military Academy Library. It was drawn by "JGR" in 1859 (and is signed as such on the bottom left corner as shown above), when George Custer was a cadet and the Civil War was a couple of years in the distance. It shows sailing vessels cruising on the Hudson River and the West Point cadets firing over them to a target at the bottom of Rattlesnake Mountain. You can see the target on the left of the picture below.

The title, which comes from a library label now on the back of the frame, states, “Firing From North Batteries, Targets On Rattlesnake Hill."  The label also says "Charcoal Drawing at West Point Military Academy" and “Special Note: Contact J. Thomas Russell, Chief Special Collections Division Librarian before disposal."  Below is a picture of the old label.

    J. Thomas Russell was a librarian at the US Military academy and authored “Preliminary Guide to the Manuscript Collection of the U.S. Military Academy Library” in 1968 and “Edgar Allen Poe: The Army Years” in the 1972 U.S. Military Academy Bulletin (No. 10).

The Drawing is 14.5 x 10.5 inches and as framed is  24.25 x 20.5 inches. The framed charcoal of West Point is shown below.

An antique, one-of-a-kind, depiction of the pre Civil War West Point and cadets long range cannon practice, this graphical artifact from the past will be a treasured possession.

Price: $875

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