Map of the Vicinity of Richmond, and Part of the Peninsula

The region around Richmond during the American Civil War, surveyed by a soldier from the Confederate Army.

This finely engraved map shows a large area around the city of Richmond, Virginia bounded by the James River to the south and the Pamunkey River to the north. It was created by Confederate Engineer Jeremy Francis Gilmer and published in 1866 as part of The Life and Campaigns of General Robert E. Lee. It’s based on a tremendously scarce map designed during the Civil War by Albert H. Campbell, of which only one known copy exists at the University of Georgia.

The image shows a wealth of detail about the theater of war surrounding the Confederate capital. Topography is depicted in hachure and groves of trees and forests are displayed pictorially. An interesting transportation network comprised of railroads, stage routes, and what were essentially footpaths can be seen connecting much of the region. A variety of place names are labeled, including mills, taverns, towns, post offices, stores, and more. Of particular interest is Sherwood Forest, home to President Tyler and visible in the lower right. According to Old World Auctions;

“At the beginning of the war, General Robert E. Lee had few up-to-date maps to provide his commanders, nor did he have the equipment to survey and reproduce a large volume of maps. Major General Jeremy Francis Gilmer, the Chief Engineer for the Confederate States of America, undertook the task of providing the needed maps. Like the Hotchkiss maps mainly done in western Virginia, Gilmer’s, done mainly in eastern and central Virginia, are extremely detailed and accurate. The present map is an example of Gilmer’s efforts near Richmond.”

Source: Old World Auctions