1866 Gilmer 'Confederate Imprint' Civil War Map of Richmond and Vicinity, Virginia

This is a scarce c. 1866 Civil War map of the vicinity of Richmond, Virginia, issued in Richmond by Confederate Civil Engineer Major General Engineer Jeremy Francis Gilmer.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces one of the primary theaters of the Civil War, the peninsula in the vicinity of Richmond, Virginia, between the Pamunkey and Ames Rivers. The map is highly detailed, showing roads, individual farms, stations (some burnt), and railroads. The map is the result of surveys conducted by Albert H. Campbell in and before 1864 on the orders of Confederate Major General and surveyor Jeremy Francis Gilmer, who was serving as Chief Engineer of the Confederacy under General Robert E. Lee. Lee was woefully lacking in good cartography and, like any good graduate of West Point, knew that good maps made for good strategies. He assigned Gilmer to fill the gap with new survey work. Campbell's map of 1864 is extremely rare, with only 2-3 examples known, so this derivative is the only obtainable example of that seminal cartographic work.

Publication History and Census

This map was published c. 1866 for J. D. McCabe's Life and Campaigns of General Robert E. Lee. Although printed after the Civil War ended, it nonetheless retains the 'C.S.A.' imprint, suggesting an earlier variant may have been issued.