Civil War Maps

Why are maps so important to collectors of Civil War memorabilia?

As strange as it may seem to those in the 21st century who are used to internet driving directions and GPS systems, maps can tell one more about an area than just the street names and locations. Maps can be a wealth of information not only about the geographical elements of the area outlined therein, but also about the history of the area, the relationships between the people who lived in the area and other features of the area, and even about neighboring areas.

Maps created during the Civil War era are not limited to just outlines of geographical regions. Maps were drawn for many different purposes, thus resulting in many different types of information being contributed to the maps.

For generals both Federal and Confederate, traveling into unknown territory was a treacherous endeavor. Generals would often send out reconnaissance teams to map the area, so that generals would have a better idea of the lay of the land ahead of them.

Maps were made of battlefields, in order to allow generals the ability to use the battle site’s natural topography and other resources in the battle strategy.

Soldiers made maps in diaries or in letters to help them remember the places where they had served.

Regardless of how detailed or simple, maps made during the Civil War era offer those interested in this period of history an invaluable resource for study. Not only do these maps offer a timeline and itinerary for the movements of certain brigades, but they also offer historical information about the areas they illustrate, including genealogical information, often in the form of designations of family homes and plots and municipal history in the form of information about where specific public buildings, private enterprises, and other entities were located.

One of the most important and well-known mapmakers, also known as topographers or cartographers, of the Civil War era was Jedediah Hotchkiss, a Virginian by way of New York and Pennsylvania who joined the Confederate Army of Virginia to provide mapmaking services to Generals Lee and Jackson.

Serving under Stonewall Jackson until Jackson’s death, Hotchkiss’ maps undoubtedly helped Jackson to victory in the Valley Campaign. Hotchkiss prodigiously drew an enormous number of maps noted for their accuracy, attention to detail, and topographical information. His familiarity with the Shenandoah Valley allowed Hotchkiss to aid Jackson not only by drawing maps, but by assisting with directing troop movements in the area.

Much of Jackson’s success can be traced to his strategic movements – often surprising and befuddling to his enemies – in battle. This success, in turn, can be traced to the superb maps produced by Jedediah Hotchkiss.
Hotchkiss served under Lee after the death of Jackson, and continued to offer his services as a mapmaker through the conclusion of the war. His maps were so accurate that Ulysses S. Grant asked permission to use them in reports on the war in the postbellum period.

Hotchkiss published several books and collections of maps after the end of the war, and has become even more highly-regarded in the years since for his beautiful, detailed maps that show the world as he knew it during the Civil War.