1862 New York Herald Map of the St. Johns River and Jacksonville, Florida

This is an 1862 New York Herald map of the St. Johns River and Jacksonville, Florida, illustrating the region just after the first Union occupation. It highlights the importance of the St. Johns River to the Union and Confederate armies.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from the Atlantic Ocean inland along the St. Johns River to Jacksonville, with creeks, points, islands, and other physical features identified. Jacksonville appears as a street grid near the left border. An inset map along the bottom expands coverage from Talbot Island south to Palatka and west of Middlebury to the Atlantic.

Jacksonville during the Civil War

Union troops first occupied Jacksonville and St. Augustine on March 12, 1862, after Confederate forces evacuated Florida to reinforce the Confederate army in Tennessee. The Union occupied and abandoned Jacksonville thrice throughout the war, finding it difficult to hold. Similarly, Confederate forces could not hold Jacksonville because the Union Navy controlled the St. Johns River. By 1864, a plan to cut off Confederate supplies of Florida beef led to permanent Union Occupation.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the New York Herald on Page 1 of the Sunday, March 23, 1862, edition. We note a single cataloged example of this edition of the New York Herald, located at the Library of Congress.