Senior British naval officer (1726–1799) best known for his service in the American Revolution, during which he was Commander of the North American Station and a peace commissioner. Historic pamphlet annotated throughout by Admiral Richard Howe, responding to the criticisms leveled at him: A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount H—e, on His Naval Conduct in the American War. First edition with half-title (Howes G42). London: Printed for J. Wilkie, 1779. Howe makes handwritten notations in the margins throughout the 50 page tract, answering the chargers against his conduct as commander of the British fleet along the Atlantic coast during the early part of the American Revolution, as he battled the French fleet and the smaller American forces. Howe writes on nearly every page, with heavy underlining and fascinating commentary throughout as he defends his actions. A contemporary ink notation to the title page reads: "Notes in Lord Howe's own writing."
The pamphlet is bound in early 19th century half-calf along with seven other pamphlets, including: "Letters from Portugal on the Late and Present State of That Kingdom" (1777); "A Letter From Lieut. Gen. Burgoyne to His Constituents" (1779); "A Fair Statement of the Real Grievances Experienced by the Officers and Sailors in the Navy of Great-Britain" (1797); "A Letter to a Protestant, or The Balance of Evils" (1819); "A Letter from a Porter in the City to the Lords and Commons of Great Britain" (1757); "A Letter to the Right Honourable Henry Grattan" (1796); and "A Supplicatory Letter to Lord Viscount Castlereagh" (1819).
In overall very good condition, with rubbing to boards, splitting to leather at the spine's head, small losses to margins of the first three leaves of the Lord Howe tract, and trimmed edges affecting the extremities of some of his writing; a Westport House bookplate is affixed to the front pastedown.
