The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War [VINTAGE 1983] [FACSIMILE EDITION OF THE 1891-1895 ATLAS TO ACCOMPANY THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE ARMIES]

Fine unread condition extremely heavy and oversized (elephant folio - 16 1/2 inches tall) red boards with gold spine lettering contained in a fine condition color illustrated dust jacket. Includes Introduction by Richard J. Sommers, U.S. Army Military History Institute; Original Preface approved by Redfield Proctor, Secretary of War dated August 1, 1891; List of Table of Contents Plates; Publisher's Note: "This facsimile edition is an exact reproduction of the original Atlas except for a 10% reduction in size. This musts be taken into account in relation to the scale measurements on the maps"; Preliminary Page List entitled: "Maps, Sketches, Etc, Pertaining to the Several Volumes; Authorities: Names of Persons Responsible for Maps, Sketches, Etc., Printed in Volumes 1 to 53, Inclusive; Authorities: Embracing the Names of Commanding Officers and Senior Engineer Officers Responsible for the Maps and Sketches, With the Names of Assistants Employed in Their Preparation and Index. Profusely illustrated with 821 Maps, 106 Engravings, and 209 Drawings. The jacket is contained within and protected with a Gaylord book jacket cover. A very small scripted three words/numbers at the very lower inner edge of the blank first front endpaper and a line crossing out the ISBN number on the copyright page. All other pages are in very fine unmarked condition and the spine/binding is in exceedingly tight and square unread condition (see photographs). Unpaginated. "After the Civil War, the U.S. Government and the Army embarked on a landmark joint endeavor. For the first time in American history, the federal government itself - let by the Army - compiled a military history. The history was composed of all of the official military documents from both sides of the war, and it proved to be a massive production. It was called War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, and referred to as the Official Records, or O.R. It contained official reports, letters, telegrams, strength returns, and casualty lists, covering all theaters throughout the war. The Army then got together the official military maps to supplement the O.R. This was called The Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. The maps had been drawn during the war by engineers, draftsmen, and sometimes even generals themselves for actual military use. Only a few maps, drawn later by cartographers, were added for historical purposes. Tacktical and strategic maps indicate troop dispositions; defense lines, redoubts, and fortifications of key sites are clearly shown. Terrain maps often contain picket positions, signal stations, and lines of march. Some are rough sketches, some cartographic masterpieces. All are informative and reveal the knowledge - or lack of knowledge - that both sides possessed about the terrain, and the strength and the position of opposing troops. The index to the maps is an invaluable aid. It refers to campaigns and battles, rivers, creeks, lakes, bays, islands, bridges, fords, ferries, landings, roads, railroads, mountains, town, churches, forts, and much more. In this reprint, the index and maps are conveniently bound in one volume. The original edition was published in separate folios, sporadically produced. Here, in brief, is a completely indispensable tool for both historian and Civil War buff, reproduced with absolute precision and fidelity. The Official Military Atlas does not only add to an understanding of the Civil War, it is vital to a complete understanding." - from the inner front and rear jacket flaps.…