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Scenes in the Life of General Scott.
[New York?, n.p., ca. 1852.] Illustrated broadside, 20.5” x 27.75” plus margins. Text in four columns within border consisting of eighteen wood-engravings. CONDITION: Very good, light cracking and minor losses along old folds with a loss to the signature in one of the wood-engravings, a few repaired tears and light chipping along margins, recently backed with Japanese tissue. A presidential campaign broadside illustrating and celebrating the military service of Gen. Winfield Scott, issued during his ultimately unsuccessful run for the presidency in the election of 1852. Scott, the Whig candidate, lost to Democrat Franklin Pierce. The illustration at the top of the broadside shows Scott in uniform riding a horse into battle and is captioned, “Hail to the Chief Who In Triumph Advances.” The other sixteen illustrations highlight key moments of his military service during the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–48): “Scott badly wounded”; “Battle of Lundy’s Lane”; “Charge of Chippewa”; “Scott meeting the Irish prisoners”; “Scott attacked by two Indian Chiefs”; “Scott tearing the British flag”; “Battle of Fort George”; “Bombardment of Vera Cruz”; “Entrance into the Grand Plaza of Mexico”; “Scott addressing the Irish prisoners”; “Scott at the Cholera Hospital”; “Battle of Cerro Gordo”; “Battle of Contreras”; “Battle of Churubusco”; “Battle of Molino del Rey,” and “Storming of Chapultepec.” At lower-middle is an illustration of a hot bowl of soup with a spoon labeled “Scott,” the bowl bearing the names of a number of important victories in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War in which Scott played a significant role. The image subverts a recurring jibe against Scott, which had its origins in the Mexican–American War: Scott’s vanity, as well as his corpulence, led to a catch phrase that was to haunt him for the remainder of his political life. Complaining about the division of command between himself and General Taylor, in a letter written to Secretary of War William Marcy, Scott stated he had just risen “at about 6 PM as I sat down to take a hasty plate of soup.” The Polk administration, wishing to sabotage Scott’s reputation, promptly published the letter, and the cryptic phrase appeared in political cartoons and folk songs for the rest of his life. (“LTG Winfield Scott”) Instead of representing Scott as ineffectual, the bowl of soup presented here tastes of victory. The text, which alludes to thirteen of the eighteen engravings, is taken from Life of General Scott (New York: C. A. Alvord, Printer, 1852). Eight of the engravings are signed Jocelyn (i.e., Nathaniel Jocelyn) and appeared in one of several editions of the biography. Other engravings are signed Strother, W. Roberts, J. W. & N. Orr, C. Mayr, and E. P. Four are unsigned. REFERENCES: “LTG Winfield Scott” at Military Hall of Honor online; Sabin 78425.
Item #7813
Price: $2,750.00
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