DALLAS – Leading Heritage Auctions’ Americana and Political signature auction on February 27-28 was Joseph M. Chadwick’s map of Colonel James Fannin’s defenses at the historic site of Fort Defiance and the Battle of Goliad, which sold to a phone bidder for $250,000. The map, which had been published in 1836 by A.E. Baker at 8 Wall Street, New York City, represented one of several pivotal events – including the fall of the Alamo – that rallied Texans to rout General Santa Anna’s army at San Jacinto. Chadwick, who was Fannin’s adjutant, drew the map and sent it to his mother before he, Fannin and about 400 men perished at Goliad; it remained in the Chadwick family for generations and was largely unknown to scholars. In 1966, the Chadwick family allowed the original hand-drawn map and the published version offered by Heritage to be pictured in an American Heritage magazine article; the location of the original hand-drawn map is presently unknown and this is the only known example of the printed map.

A full review of the sale will appear in a future issue.