1866 Bien Map of Union Army Military Railroads During the American Civil War

This is an 1866 Julius Bien map of Union Army military railroads during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). The map illustrates both the eastern and western theaters of war, highlighting railroads operated by the Union Army. Railroads proved critically important to both sides during the war, and many major battles were fought at railroad junctions or along rail lines.

A Closer Look

The map depicts the United States from Missouri and Arkansas east to the Atlantic Ocean and from central Pennsylvania south to the Georgia-Florida border. Black lines highlight the railroad network, with individual railroads identified by name, including those operated by the U.S. Military Railroad. Blue (5 ft.), red (4ft. 8.5 in.), and yellow (5ft, 6. in.) mark the gauges of railroads operated by the U.S. Military Railroad. Cities and towns are labeled throughout, not just along the railroads. Among the railroads highlighted are the route between Nashville and Atlanta (which supplied Sherman's campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta in the summer and fall of 1864) and the critical connections between Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia (where a large portion of the war was fought).

The U.S. Military Railroad

Even before the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861 - 1865), the U.S. government recognized the military importance of the country's ever-expanding railroad network. At the outbreak of the war, even with this realization, the U.S. government continued to allow the railroads to be run by private companies. The private operation of the railroads never fully changed in the North, although the government did exert pressure on the railroads to prioritize military shipments. However, in the theater of war (the Border States and the Southern States), the U.S. government took direct control of the railroads. The U.S. Military Railroad (USMRR) was established in January 1862, and Major General Daniel Craig McCallum was put in charge. Between January 1862 and the end of the war, the USMRR built, rebuilt, and operated thousands of miles of railroads. This network constantly suffered Confederate raids that destroyed tracks, bridges, locomotives, and rolling stock. In McCallum's final report, he 'pointed out that 2,105 miles of road were operated, that 419 locomotives were used to haul 6,330 cars, and that the net expenditures were about thirty million dollars.'

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Julius Bien in 1866. Two editions were published: one colored and one uncolored. The colored edition appeared in Reports of Bvt. Brig. Gen. D. C. McCallum, Director and General Manager of the Military Railroads of the United States and The Provost Marshal General. In Two Parts. Appendix to the Report of the Secretary of War Accompanying Message of the President to the 39th Cong., Ist Sess. Part I. It is unclear where the uncolored edition was originally published. Maps bearing this title are well represented in institutional collections, but it is unclear if they represent the colored or uncolored edition.