Item #28083 [ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers. Johnson Fry, Co.
[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.
[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.
[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.
[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.
[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.
Original steel engraving plate for Attack at Kelly's Ford

[ Printing Plate ] The steel engraving plate for "ATTACK AT KELLY's FORD, VA" from the original painting by Chappel in the possession of the publishers.

Albany, NY: James B. Lyon Publisher 1864. First Edition. Oblong 11 1/2 x 9 inches. Beveled steel plate with engraved surface. Rusting in many spots including in the main image. Interestingly there is a spot that has been burnished out after "Albany, N. Y" in the plate. Comes in a thick paper folder with an example of the engraving as originally done when the plate was not rusted. The back of the plate is stamped "john seller & sons sheffield" There is a small paper label "147" on the plate. The paper folder has a number on it in blue pencil, "152" and on the inside flap a matching "147" paper label.

NOTE: we apologize for our images of the plate - these are very difficult to photograph - the portions of the plate without rusting are bright and crisp. The rusted parts we have not attempted to clean or conserve. It is unclear to us what would happen if the rust were removed, but given that the rust likely has caused some erosion of the steel, any prints from this matrix would not be as strong as the originals. [28083]


"The Battle of Kelly's Ford, also known as the Battle of Kellysville or Kelleysville, took place on March 17, 1863, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the cavalry operations along the Rappahannock River during the American Civil War. It set the stage for Brandy Station and other cavalry actions of the Gettysburg Campaign that summer. Twenty-one hundred troopers of Brig. Gen. William W. Averell's Union cavalry division crossed the Rappahannock to attack the Confederate cavalry that had been harassing them that winter. Brig. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee counterattacked with a brigade of about 800 men. After achieving a localized success, Union forces withdrew under pressure in late afternoon, without destroying Lee's cavalry. " (wikipedia)

The engraving is quite nice, an action scene with soldiers fording a river in the foreground, and others shooting ahead in the background. One soldier appears to have been shot on the right hand side, and is being helped by another.

We have been unable to figure out what book this came from (assuming it wasn't separately published). The copyright on the plate is 1864, by Johnson Fry & Co, office of the district court of the southern district of NY.

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