Pollard, Robert "Lieutenant Moody."

Robert Pollard. "Lieutenant Moody."

London: R. Pollard, 19 February 1785. Aquatint by R. Pollard. Original hand color. 15 x 20 1/2. Trimmed just within plate marks, but all text and image is present. Small spot and short repaired tear in text area. Otherwise, very good condition.

Lt. James Moody (d. 1809), an officer in the 1st. battalion of New Jersey Volunteers, is said to have struck terror into the hearts of New Jersey Whigs. According to the text below the title, Moody heard of the imprisonment of a British soldier who had been captured by the Americans and falsely convicted of a capital crime. In May 1780, Moody made a daring nighttime raid on the jail, freeing the soldier and escaping the "rebel" pursuit. This image is beautifully rendered, showing Moody and his men unshackling the prisoner, who could not believe he was being freed. The scene is particularly dramatic with the central tableau lit only by candlelight. Not long after the event shown here, Moody was himself captured by troops under the command of Gen. Anthony Wayne and placed in irons in a rock dungeon at West Point. This rare British print is unusual in extolling the virtues of an American Tory.