The British landing at Kip's Bay, New York Island, 15 September 1776

This drawing was long misidentified as the uncontested British 'Occupation of Rhode Island, 9 December, 1776', and was shown as such in the former NMM American War gallery, from 1977. Based on the vigorous shore bombardment shown , the topography, the number of ships involved and comparison with eyewitness accounts, the scene was in 2008 convincingly reidentified by Don Hagist of Rhode Island as part of the slightly earlier British capture of New York. It shows amphibious forces about to make an opposed landing against rebel entrenchments at Kip's Bay, on the eastern side of New York Island (Manhattan), on 15 September 1776. The ships bombarding rebel positions, before troop boats from unseen transports on the Long Island side pass through them to the shore, are not individually distinguishable. Their sizes however indicate that the two on the left are the 'Rose' (20 guns) and 'Carysfort' (28 guns), with the larger 'Roebuck 'and 'Phoenix' (both 44 guns) and the 'Orpheus' (32 guns) on the right. Robert Cleveley, then at the beginning of his dual career as a naval clerk (and later purser) and a marine artist, was at this point clerk to Captain George Vandeput of the larger 'Asia', also on the American station. The 'Asia' was involved in the Rhode Island operation but not at Kip's Bay, probably the source of the earlier confusion. The drawing is signed and dated, lower left: 'Robt Cleveley Delt 1777' .
Robert Cleveley