The Source

Confederate Map Collection Now Online

By Michael K. Shaffer · Originally published January 2018 · pp. 10–11

In the May 2016 installment of this article, we explored the Atlas to the Official Records. The National Archives, in October 2017, released 121 Confederate maps found in Record Group 109 (RG 109). This fascinating collection, available online at http:// bit.ly/2zQLLIG, contains various maps, many sketched in the field, and captured or obtained after the war from former Confederates. Maps from all theaters of the war reside in this compilation, and many of the provided sketches include notations on the reverse side, also viewable. Unlike other online map repositories, this resource includes lesser known engagements and battles, while offering the perspective of Confederate cartographers and engineers. The map shown above right, of the defenses of Belmont, Mo., provides one example of a notation on the back. Most of the former Confederate states have maps within this RG 109 set, including Ala., Ark., Ga., Miss., S.C., Tenn., Texas, and Va. Other states represented: Ky., Md., and the Indian Territory (Okla.). Several of these maps, later redrawn, found their way into the Atlas of the Official Records, thereby offering researchers an opportunity to compare both versions. Certain maps, like the one shown from Chickamauga, contain color sketches and show various troop positions. An understanding of the terrain and the location of rivers, railroads, and other features, which could facilitate or hinder an army on the move, made accurate maps invaluable to commanding officers. This collection contains versions, like the ones shown below of Marietta, Ga., and Guntown, Miss., which include the features as mentioned earlier. When visiting the National Archive site, researchers can browse the collection, save individual maps, print notation records; export in various formats, or share with others on many social media platforms. While the National Archives does not require registration at the site, doing so, however, will enable one to save findings for reference at a later date. Two helpful resources exist, which can facilitate the use of this map collection and others found in the National Archives: Beers, Henry Putney. Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America. Washington: National Archives, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1968; and, Civil War Maps in The National Archives. Washington: The National Archives. National Archives and Records Service. General Services Administration, 1964. Remember to check WorldCat http://www.worldcat.org for help in finding these books in a local library. Continued good luck in researching the Civil War! Michael K. Shaffer is a Civil War historian, author, lecturer, and instructor, who remains a member of the Society of Civil War Historians, Historians of the Civil War Western Theater, and the Georgia Association of Historians. Readers may contact him at [email protected], or to request speaking engagements via his website www.civilwarhistorian.net. Follow Michael on Facebook www.facebook.com/ michael.k.shaffer and Twitter @ michaelkshaffer.