Robert E. Lee (Jan 19, 1807 - October 12, 1870) was an American career military officer most famous for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. Lee's brilliance as a military commander, despite his adamant opposition to both slavery and succession, nearly led to Confederate victory in the Civil War. His military achievements and significance are far too great for us to cover here. His role as a cartographer is on the other hand often overlooked. Lee was born to an aristocratic Virginia family that unfortunately fell on hard times in his youth. As a young man Lee attended Extern View School and later West Point Military Academy. His focus was engineering and after graduating he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. Initially Lee was stationed at Cockspur Island, Georgia, where he worked on plans to construct a fort to protect the Savannah River. Later he helped to survey the Ohio-Michigan Boundary. Promoted to First Lieutenant Lee was assigned to supervise engineering work on St. Louis Harbor and to map Des Moines and Rock Island Rapids, both major obstacles to commercial navigation on the Mississippi. Promoted to Captain for his successes he became resident engineer at Fort Hamilton. With the outbreak of the Mexican-American war Lee earned numerous distinctions, emerging form the war as one of America's boldest and most brilliant military commanders. In 1859 he put down John Brown's slave revolt at Harper's Ferry. With the election of Abraham Lincoln and the outbreak of the American Civil War, Lee took on his most significant role as commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. The rest is, as they say, history. More by this mapmaker...

David Barnett Edward (1797 - 1870) was a Scottish-American educator, administer and explorer most associated with Texas. Edward was born in Forfarshire, Scotland. He lived in the West Indies and Columbia before immigrating to the United States in 1819. He worked as a teacher at the Academy of Alexandria, Louisiana before being transferred to the Gonzales Seminary at the DeWitt Colony, Texas. Around 1830, Edward participated in an exploratory mission around Texas, during which he formed a generally negative view of the English-speaking Empresarios then settling Texas. His subsequent work, The History of Texas: or, The Emigrant's, Farmer's, and Politician's Guide to the Character, Climate, Soil and Productions of that Country, written from 1831 to late 1835, and issued early in 1836, was issued on the eve of the Texan Revolution (March 1836). The work is detailed and based on first-hand knowledge, but generally pro-Mexican, anti-Anglo-Texan, and while thus unpopular in its day, is today considered one of the seminal publications on Texas. Around 1835, Edward, hated in Texas for his work, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. He lived here until his 1870 death in Wheelersburg. Learn More...

Joseph Allen James (May 17, 1807 - March 27, 1882) was a bookseller, engraver, stereotype founder, and publisher active in Cincinnati in the early to late 19th century. He was born in Newark, New Jersey. His firm, J. A. James and Company was based at 1 Baker Street, between Walnut and Vine. Additionally, he partnered with his brother, Uriah Pierson James (1811 - 1889) in 'J.A. and U.P. James Company', also a stereotype foundry. He was also a partner in the printing concern 'James and Gazlay'. James died at Fort Monroe, Virginia in 1882. Learn More...

Curtis Miller Doolittle (August 26, 1799 - June 1, 1849) was an American artist, printer, and engraver. He was born in Westfield, Connecticut, the son of Amos Doolittle (1776 - 1858). Based upon the dates, this is not Amos Doolittle (1754 - 1832) the great American engraver, but may be his son, 'A. B. Doolittle', making Curtis Miller Doolittle his grandson. He relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, sometime in the 1830s. From 1836, he partnered with Samuel Bishop Munson (1806 - 1880), likely a cousin, to found the bank note and map engraving firm of 'Doolittle and Munson.' Learn More...

Samuel Bishop Munson (May 29, 1806 - April 18, 1880) was an American engraver based in New Haven, Connecticut and later Cincinnati, Ohio. Munson was born in New Haven, Connecticut and studied engraving under Simeon Smith Jocelyn (1799 - 1879). He relocated to Cincinnati in 1836, immediately establishing a business partnership with Curtis Miller Doolittle (1799 - 1849), 'Doolittle and Munson', engravers of maps and bank notes. In 1838, he married Hannah Selina Sellew (1814 - 1861). Learn More...