Summary:
In January, 1864, Confederate Topographical Engineer Jedediah Hotchkiss and his
assistants set up office in Staunton, VA, to carry out orders to map the
Shenandoah Valley. In this letter to General Jubal Early, Hotchkiss reports on
his progress in surveying and mapping Augusta, Bath, Allegheny, and Rockbridge
Counties.
Maj. Gen. J. A. EARLY,
Cmdg. Volley District,
Harrisonburg, Va.:
STAUNTON, VA.,
January 21, 1864.
GEN.:
I last night received your letter of yesterday, giving me instructions. I brought my assistants along with me, with the consent of Gen.'s Ewell and Lee, and I have obtained quarters in Staunton, where I can keep them at work and supervise them once a week at least.
I have a surveyed map of Rockbridge County, and also a survey of portions of Augusta, Bath, and Allegheny Counties, and I shall have them at once put together by my assistants, and so forward the work assigned me. I am now making tracings of the maps I have to take along with me, that I may verify them; that and other necessary preparations will occupy the rest of this week, and on Monday I shall start, and go first along the line of the North Mountain, by the road nearest to it on the east, and go as far as where the road from the Sweet Springs to Fincastle crossed the same mountain, then come back by the nearest line of parallel roads on the west of the North Mountain, and so back and forth until I reach the Allegheny Mountains, as I suppose by so doing I shall examine all the crossings of the mountains from one parallel valley to another. I think I had better make the main road from Harrisonburg, through Staunton, Lexington, Buchanan, and Fincastle, on the Salem, the limit of the map on the southeast; the road from Dry River Gap to Harrisonburg and the Parkersburg road from Staunton westward the limit on the northeast; the Allegheny Mountains the limit on the southwest, making a section of country 100 miles long and 40 wide, as shown in the inclosed tracing. Such, I understand, is the intention of your orders when you ask for "a map of Augusta and Rockbridge from Staunton and Lexington westward, and the counties adjoining them on the west," and "ascertain the routes from Covington to Lexington, Buchanan, Fincastle, and Salem." All the materials from Staunton northeast to the proposed line are now ready to my hand, and only need reduction. If this boundary is not the one you desire, please specify to me a limit. I need a courier or cavalryman to go along with me; it expedites my observations much to have some one to send to ascertain names of houses, &c., while I am taking notes and sketching topography. A courier of Maj. Allan's (A. D. Moore) desires to accompany me, and Gen. Ewell and Maj. Allan have consented for him to come, but Gen. Lee has referred the matter to you. I will be obliged to you if you will approve it. I have asked Col. Imboden to let one of his men accompany me next week, which will, I hope, meet with your approval. I have always had a courier sent with me when on such duty.
I propose to construct the map on a scale of 1\160000 or 4\10 of an inch to the mile. My address will be Staunton.
I am, general, you obedient servant,
JED. HOTCHKISS,
Capt. and Topographical Engineer, Second Corps.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 33, Serial No. 60, Pages 1111-1112, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
