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Mapping the Civil War in Arlington

Seat of War map
Sketch of the Seat of War Map – Virgil P. Corbett May 31, 1861

On May 24th, 1861, over 11,000 Union troops crossed the Potomac River and entered what is now called Arlington county. Their goal was to secure the strategic heights overlooking Washington, D.C. Following the April 12, 1861 rebel attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteer troops to defend the Capital.

Union soldiers marching near Minor’s Hill close to Arlington.

The troops arriving in and around Washington were comprised of state militias and volunteers from all over the north, some as far away as Wisconsin and Maine. Lincoln and his administration were fearful of an immediate enemy attack and there was a sense of urgency to build the necessary forts and camps to protect the Capital. Overnight, the rural population of Arlington numbering less than two thousand people, mushroomed to over 30,000. It was the largest concentration of military forces in North America at the time.

Fort Corcoran and the 69th New York Regiment. Located in present day Rossyln, Arlington.

“Mapping the Civil War in Arlington” is a prototype project that demonstrates the value of geospatial analysis as resource to track troop movements during a specific historical period. In the first six months of the Civil War Arlington was at the epicenter between two large armies. While the first Battle of Bull Run/Manassas did not occur until July 21, 1861, the months proceeding and following the battle were witness to a steady and almost daily contact between northern and southern troops. These small military engagements often took place along the Arlington and Falls Church border.

Union skirmishers attacking Munson’s Hill.

Long overshadowed by the major battles that were to take place in 1862 and beyond, the military conflict in Arlington is a forgotten period of US history that is worthy of retrospect. The major combatants of both sides, including William T.Sherman, George B. McClellan, James Longstreet, and Jeb Stuart all lived and fought in and around Arlington in 1861. For a brief period of time the Confederates seriously considered attacking the Arlington Heights (now known as Fort Myer).

The primary focus of the prototype project is on the early Union regimental camps in Arlington. An expanded project would include more geospatial details of fort locations, local military engagements, and other topographical features, like bridges, hills, and roads. Finally, the project also has the potential to personalize the war by permitting researchers and students to identify individual units and soldiers and track their real life stories.

Lt. Newton T. Colby, 23rd New York
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Competency Questions

The following list of competency questions have been generated to assist Arlington County elementary teachers develop Civil War lesson plans that focus on local history. The goal is to make the Civil War more relevant to Arlington’s students.

Geography
1) What are some of the unique geographical features of Arlington County that made it so strategic during the war? (Arlington’s Heights, hills, valleys, Potomac river.

2) Compare and contrast a modern map with one from 1861. What roads existed then? What bridges existed then? What about transportation like canals or railroads? How long did it take people to travel a mile compared to today?

3) What cities or towns existed back then? What was Arlington’s relationship with Georgetown, Alexandria or Falls Church?

4) When was the Alexandria, Loudon, and Hampshire railroad built and why was it so important during the war? What battle took place on the railroad early in the war (Battle of Vienna)?

Politics
1) What was the Retrocession of 1846 and what were the root causes? What was slavery’s role in the return of Alexandria to Virginia?

2) Who were the radical republicans and why were so many people living in Arlington at the time considered Unionists?

3) Why did President Abraham Lincoln wait until May 24, 1861 until sending Union troops into Northern Virginia?

4) What did the Virginia vote on May 23, 1861 (Referendum on the Ratification of Succession) decide?

Civil War
1) What were some of the strategic objectives of the Union Army in occupying Arlington? (Construction of forts, protecting bridges, establishing camps)

2)Identify some of the fort and camp locations from early 1861, what is located there today?

3) What is the closet camp or fort to where you live in Arlington?

4) Who were some of the famous Civil War personalities that spent time in or around Arlington during the early war? (Robert E. Lee, President Lincoln, George B. McClellan, James Longstreet, Jeb Stuart, and Irvin McDowell?

5) What military technology innovations were first tested in Arlington? (the use of gas filled balloons for aerial observations, the use of rubberized telegraph wire to link fortifications)

Impact of the war on Arlington
1) What was life like for the 2,000 people living in Arlington during the war?

2) How did all of the camps and fortifications impact the countryside? (destruction of Arlington forests)

3) Where there any military engagements that took place in Arlington? (Arlington Mill Skirmish, Ball’s Crossroads Skirmish)

4) Where did the Union soldiers come from? Which northern states sent the most troops? What did they say about Arlington and their experiences while staying there?

5) How did soldiers drill and live in camp?

6) What are some of the types of Civil War artifacts that have been found in Arlington?

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Sources

Source TypeList
Bibliography 1861:
The Civil War Awakening

by Adam Goodheart

A Virginia Village Goes to War:
Falls Church During the Civil War
by Bradley E. Gernand

Civil War:
Northern Virginia 1861

By William S. Connery

Lincoln’s Citadel:
The Civil War in Washington, DC

by Kenneth J. Winkle

Longstreet’s Aide:
The Civil War Letters of Major Thomas J. Goree

Edited by Thomas W. Cutrer

Reveille In Washington 1860-1865
By Margaret Leech

The Civil War Papers of Lt. Colonel Newton T. Colby, New York Infantry by William E. Hughes

The Glories of War:
Small Battles and Early Heroes of 1861

by Charles P. Poland Jr.

The Siege of Washington:
The Untold Story of the Twelve Days that Shook the Union

By John Lockwood and Charles Lockwood

US Sanitary Commission Records – Camp Inspection Returns 1861-1864

WebsitesAmerican Battlefield Trust
Arlington County Historical Society
Civil War Defenses of Washington
Civil War Photos
Civil War Photo Sleuth
Civil War Washington
David Rumsey Historic Map Collection
Essential Civil War Curriculum
Hathi Trust
Library of Congress
National Archives
Project Gutenberg
Virginia Memory (Library of Virginia)

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Regiments

96th Pennsylvania Regiment – Camp Northumberland, Arlington, Virginia February, 1862

The volunteer troops that marched into Arlington in May of 1861 were organized into state regiments that usually numbered somewhere between 600 – 800 men. These regiments were recruited locally and provisioned by state armories. The volunteers were inexperienced and most had never seen combat. At the time of the Civil War the regular army numbered about 15,000 soldiers. These professional soldiers were widely dispersed around the country. President Lincoln had no choice but to request individual states to provide troops.

The table below provides a list of the regiments that arrived in Arlington. It includes the name of the city and state where they mustered in. Also provided is links to the individual regimental histories.

TitleMuster CityStateLink
1st ConnNew HavenConneticuthttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/connecticut/1st-connecticut/
2nd ConnNew HavenConneticuthttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/connecticut/2nd-connecticut/
5th MainePortlandMainehttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/maine/5th-maine/
3rd MaineAugustaMainehttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/maine/3rd-maine/
1st MassBostonMassachusettshttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/1st-massachusetts/
1st Mass Heavy ArtilleryBostonMassachusettshttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/1st-massachusetts-heavy-artillery/
5th MassBostonMassachusettshttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/5th-massachusetts/
9th Mass.BostonMassachusettshttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/9th-massachusetts/
11th Mass.BostonMassachusettshttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/massachusetts/11th-massachusetts/
3rd MiGrand RapidsMichiganhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/michigan/3rd-michigan/
2nd MiDetroitMichiganhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/michigan/2nd-michigan/
1st MichiganDetroitMichiganhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/michigan/1st-michigan/
1st NJTrentonNew Jerseyhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-jersey/1st-new-jersey/
2nd NJTrentonNew Jerseyhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-jersey/2nd-new-jersey/
3rd NJTrentonNew Jerseyhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-jersey/3rd-new-jersey/
4th NJTrentonNew Jerseyhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-jersey/4th-new-jersey/
12th NYElmiraNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/12th-new-york/
2nd NYTroyNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/2nd-new-york/
79th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/79th-new-york/
13th NYElmiraNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/13th-new-york/
29th NY New York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/29th-new-york/
69th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/69th-new-york/
31st NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/31st-new-york/
14th NYOneida CountyNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/14th-new-york/
8th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/8th-new-york/
23rd NYElmiraNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/23rd-new-york/
21st NYBuffaloNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/21st-new-york/
39th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/39th-new-york/
37th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/37th-new-york/
15th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/15th-new-york/
11th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/11th-new-york/
32nd NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/32nd-new-york/
38th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/38th-new-york/
18th NYAlbanyNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/18th-new-york/
40th NYYonkersNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/40th-new-york/
25th NYNew York CityNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/25th-new-york/
41st NYYorkvilleNew Yorkhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/new-york-infantry/41st-new-york/
1st OhioDaytonOhiohttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/ohio/1st-ohio-infantry/
2nd OhioColumbusOhiohttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/ohio/2nd-ohio-infantry/
27th PennPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniahttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/pennsylvania/27th-pennsylvania-infantry/
4th PennHarrisburgPennsylvaniahttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/pennsylvania/4th-pennsylvania-infantry/
5th PennHarrisburgPennsylvaniahttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/pennsylvania/5th-pennsylvania-infantry/
2nd WisMadisonWisconsinhttps://civilwarintheeast.com/us-regiments-batteries/wisconsin/2nd-wisconsin-infantry/
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About

23rd Regiment from Elmira, New York

Background
“Mapping the Civil War in Arlington” is a digital humanities project that leverages the GPS coordinates of Union regimental camp locations in northern Virginia and the origin points of the volunteer troops. The primary tool for the project is Kepler.gl which permits users to conduct geospatial analysis. “Mapping” tells an interesting story of how young volunteers from all over the north answered the call to save the Union and free the slaves. They traveled hundreds of miles (some over a thousand) from the states and cities where their units were mustered in.

Kepler.gl timeline

For most of these soldiers it was the first time they took a train or traveled beyond 20 miles from where they were born. Upon their arrival in Northern Virginia it was the first time they entered the south and saw slaves. By linking the camp locations with the regimental origin points an perspective emerges as to how northern states responded to the early crisis of the war.

Georeferencer tool

Data and Other Sources
The primary source of data for the project were two almost 160 year old maps created early in the war. One map is called the “Sketch of the Seat of War” and the other is the “Map of the Ground Occupation and Defense of the Division of the U.S. Army in Virginia 1861”. Both maps captured the exact locations of over 50 regimental camps. Using these historic maps along with Georeferencer tool provided by the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection it was possible to compare the camp locations with modern reference points.

Another key source for the project is the website The Civil War in the East which provided the city, and state information for the identified regiments. Once these sites were located another resource was used (Latlong.net) to capture their general latitude and longitude coordinates.

Project Goal
The goal of “Mapping the Civil War in Arlington” is to provide an educational resource for three primary audiences. These include:
1) fourth grade teachers and students in Arlington County, 2) Civil War historians, and 3) local neighborhood associations. In the state of Virginia, the topic of the Civil War is introduced to elementary students in the 4th grade. “Mapping the Civil War” brings history closer to home for these students. Plotting the locations of Union regimental camps on a modern map using applications like Keppler.gl, will help students to literally discover the history in their backyards. Teachers will be able to use the GIS data to create visual timelines and track how the Union army grew in size.

For Civil War historians, “Mapping the Civil War” makes accessible a new collection of data that focuses on a relatively unknown historical period. From May to October 1861, Arlington was the front line between Union and Confederate forces. A comprehensive overview of the location of the regimental camps, forts, and military engagements provides a different narrative. These northern regiments, were untested, poorly trained, and experiencing the south for the first time. Many of the Union Army’s future military heroes, like William Tecumseh Sherman, were still not battle tested.

Finally, neighborhood associations in Arlington are very active in historic preservation. “Mapping the Civil War” provides these associations with a new historic perspective. Residents will be able to look online and see who camped in their backyards.

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Maps

Map of the Ground Occupation and Defense of the Division of the U.S. Army in Virginia 1861

The Civil War was well documented and historians now have digital access to detailed records of the soldiers who enlisted in these volunteer regiments. Mapping the Civil War provides students an opportunity to learn more about the men who joined these regiments and their service during the war. The early maps record over 50 camps that were located in Arlington County. Later in the war the army stopped tracking these camps since their names and locations kept changing. The urbanization of Arlington has paved over many of these sites, but there is still time to preserve some of the remaining locations.

https://davidrumsey.georeferencer.com/compare#386642496505

https://kepler.gl/demo/map/carto?mapId=6ec7c8cd-b285-07ae-7ceb-dd068e9fc422&owner=pvaselop&privateMap=false

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