The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers

Thanks for posting this, Mike. This is the 'Henry Jackson map' dated 1869 and is one of the best of the time period.

For those of you that haven't seen the David Rumsey Map Collection online, you should! Search for Indian Territory and you'll find many maps. One thing to keep in mind is when land surveys were done. At the time of the war, only boundaries and a few roads had actually been surveyed with astronomer teams. (The astronomer teams determined the precise lattitude and longitude to give the surveyors a reference point.) Distances on the Butterfield Stage Route or Overland Road had been measured by a type of 'odometer' on the wheel of the stagecoach and were quite precise. The location of other roads, rivers and streams, etc. were estimated. Every map was based in part on earlier maps so a mistake on one map was carried forward for years until the surveys were done. As I recall, the Chickasaw Nation was surveyed in the 1870s but the Cherokee and Creek Nations were not done until about 1890.

One fairly minor example on the Henry Jackson map is the location of Maysville AR in relation to Ft Wayne. At the time of the war, Maysville straddled the Arkansas/Cherokee boundary about three miles northeast of the old fort. Maysville was practically destroyed during the war but grew back slightly east on the Arkansas side. The map shows Maysville slightly south of Ft Wayne. While this minor, especially for a traveler of the time, it can confuse anyone trying to understand the battle and Blunt's movements. Of course, in official reports, diaries, memoirs, etc., there are many places mentioned that don't show up any maps so it takes a lot of research to determine their locations.

Messages In This Thread

Reomended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
1869 Henry Jackson map of Indian Territory
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Recommended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Reomended Reading to IT researchers
Re: Reomended Reading to IT researchers