Maps and mapmakers of the Civil War Cover Image

Book

Maps and mapmakers of the Civil War / Earl B. McElfresh ; foreword by Stephen W. Sears.

Summary:

During the Civil War, a good map could spell the difference between victory and defeat. This book collects the war's most notable, interesting, and beautiful maps--and tells the story of how they were made. Ranging from exquisitely detailed renderings reproduced in full color to rough pencil sketches drawn from horseback, these maps are both striking works of art and invaluable historical artifacts. The anecdotal text explains the techniques and travails of mapmaking during the war and reveals the little-known cartographic exploits of George Armstrong Custer, writer Ambrose Bierce, and Brooklyn Bridge engineer Washington Roebling, among many others.

Record details

ISBN: 0810934302
ISBN: 9780810934306
Physical Description: 272 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 31 cm.
Publisher: New York : Harry N. Abrams, Publishers in association with History Book Club, 1999.

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:

Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-263) and index.

Formatted Contents Note:

Foreword / Stephen W. Sears -- 1. The Necessity of Military Maps: Walking over Strange Ground with Eyes Shut -- 2. Familiar Territory: The South's Advantage -- 3. The Topographical Engineer: Looking up the Country -- 4. Making the Maps: Pencils Were a Dollar Each in Richmond -- 5. Roads: A Calamity at Their Worst -- 6. Military Fords: We've Struck This River Lengthways -- 7. Woods and Forests: Will Anybody Come through There? -- 8. Local Knowledge: A Right Smart Distance I Reckon -- 9. Hills, Mountains, Rolling Terrain, Gaps, and Impregnable Positions: Not Only Length and Breadth but Thickness -- 10. Procuring the Maps: Requisitioned, Captured, Bought, Borrowed, Bartered, and Stolen -- 11. Preparing the Map and the Map Memoir: Worked at Maps All Day -- 12. Map Reproduction: Each Had Received a Bound Copy of the Map -- The Maps -- The Mapmakers