Mapping During the War-- Part 2: "The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War"

Continuied  from September 21, 2017.

Ironically, Jedidiah Hotchkiss was born in New York, became a teacher in Pennsylvania and traveled extensively in Pennsylvania before moving to the Shenandoah Valley where he joined Jackson in 1861.

Many of the areas of the South, where most of the fighting would occur had been inadequately mapped before the war.

Both the Union and Confederate leaders relied on their "topography" staffs.  Many of these maps were compiled after the war into "The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War."  It was compiled between 1891-1895 under a board of directors and credited to Captain Calvin D. Cowles, 23rd U.S. Infantry.

It consists of 821 maps, 106 engravings )mostly of fortifications and 209 drawings of weapons, logistical equipment, uniforms and federal corps flags.

It was tied to the Official Records War of the Rebellion, Union and Confederate.

--Old secesh

OR and SHSP

The Feb. 1st NewsOK had an article about two important sets of Civil War books.

In 1866, a Joint Resolution of Congress authorized the publication of Civil War records in a set of books that finally numbered 128 volumes. Officially called "The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of Records of the Union and Confederate Armies," but more commonly referred to just as "Official Records." They were published between 1881 and 1901 and consisted of reports sent to superiors along the chain of command.

In addition, ma separate set of Naval records was published. I have several originals and a complete reprint set of the ORN as I call them.

The South came out with their own set to balance the OR called the Southern Historical Society Papers. They were published from 1869 to the 1950s and ended at 52 volumes. It is shortened to SHSP.

A Great Source of Information. --B-R'er