Civil War Collections

During the Civil War, cartographers and mapmakers played a greater role than ever before in the Nation's history. Their skills mapped out the unknown landscapes where the Armies traveled and battled. The mapmaker’s job was hard as they gathered information firsthand from the field by questioning local residents and traveling the roads, woods, hills, fords and finding the best landmarks of the locale. They are now useful to historians as they study strategies and campaigns, and the country's developing culture and history. Additionally, by following the evolution of an area through maps, a more complete record of any site can be gained. Close inspection of the maps often reveals the rise and fall of towns, and the coming of the railroads, etc. Maps, also with the addition of color gained an artistic dimension that caused them to be highly collectible. Many of the maps in the Kentucky Library Map Collection are from the "Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies."



Louisville and Its Defenses	Defenses of Camp Nelson, KY	Sketch of Paducah, KY and Vicinity


War Map of Kentucky Showing the Present Field of Operations	Topographical Map of Mill Springs, KY	Bowling Green Approaches and Defenses