Description:

Albert H. Campbell "Lee's Map Maker" Archive of Letters, Maps, & Kit!

An extensive and fascinating archive relating to Albert Henry Campbell, who was known as "General Lee's map-maker". The group includes numerous correspondences, along with Campbell's personal war-used drafting kit, several maps, and Campbell's university diploma. There is also a small twig taken as a souvenir from the apple tree at Appomattox Court House where General Lee waited to meet with General Grant to discuss surrender. One letter is war-dated, while the rest are prior to or after the Civil War. Please refer to the photographs for condition information. Most with flattened folds, creasing and wear - with some small separations or holes in places. Light soiling, foxing, and toning. Campbell's drafting kit shows wear from use but has been kept in excellent condition. Overall, very good.

The archive includes the following:
1. Albert H. Campbell's Diploma from Brown University. In Latin. Dated September 4, 1850, signed by President T. Wayland. Campbell graduated Second in Arts.
2. Autograph Letter Signed from Lt. Col. J. F. Gilmore to Captain Campbell. Virginia, dated September 20, 1862. Assigning Campbell as Captain to assist Lt. Col. W. H. Stevens in the Corps of Engineers, Office of Engineers Department, for the Defense of Richmond.
3. Autograph Letter Signed from Albert H. Campbell to General George Washington Custis Lee. Charleston, West Virginia, dated January 25, 1875. Campbell discusses discrepancies in Dr. Jones' "Personal Reminiscences" about Lee's surrender at Appomattox under the apple tree.
4. Autograph Letter Signed from George Washington Custis Lee to Campbell. Lexington, Virginia, dated January 27, 1875. Lee responds to Campbell's previous letter.
5. Autograph Letter Signed from Dr. J. William Jones to Campbell. Richmond, Virginia, dated January 29, 1875. Jones responds to Campbell's previous letter, which George W. Custis Lee forwarded to him.
6. Twig kept as a souvenir from the Appomattox Court House apple tree, taken April 9, 1865.
7. Letter Signed from J. Morrison, Secretary to Albert H. Campbell. Department of the Interior, dated June 2, 1857. Appointing Campbell General Superintendent in charge of the construction of wagon roads from Fort Kearney and Fort Ridgeley.
8. Autograph Letter Signed T. Sewell Ball to Major Albert Campbell. Pikesville, Maryland, dated April 14, 1892. Sending two circulars of testimonials from Campbell's Company.
9. Preliminary Map of the South Side of the James River, Signed and approved by Campbell. Two sheets, Map No. 1. Approved on October 17, 1864.
10. Fac-Simile Reproduction of the Confederate War Map of the Vicinity of Richmond and Part of the Peninsula, which was Issued to Genl Robert E. Lee and his Corp Commanders in 1864.
11. Albert H. Campbell's Drafting Kit, which was still in use until the end of the war. Numerous tools and materials are housed in a velvet lined box, accompanied by a small scope.

Albert H. Campbell (1826-1899) was an American civil engineer and explorer. Prior to the Civil War, Campbell served the U.S. government in surveying the Far West for a transcontinental railroad. Beginning in 1854, Campbell participated in Amiel Whipple's survey through New Mexico and Arizona, and then in John Parke's survey to San Diego. Campbell was a competent artist and drew landscapes of the California and Arizona countryside on both expeditions.

When the Civil War broke out, General Robert E. Lee, a former army engineer himself, took prompt action to improve the Confederate mapping situation. Five days after assuming command of the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee assigned Captain (later Major) Albert H. Campbell to head the Topographical Department. Surveying parties were sent into the countryside around Richmond to collect the data for an accurate map of the Confederate capital, and soon after, other parties were dispatched into the surrounding counties where fighting seemed likely to occur. Based on this new information, Confederate engineers under the direction of Campbell prepared detailed maps of most counties in eastern and central Virginia. These maps today are sometimes referred to as the Gilmer-Campbell maps or the "Lost War Maps of the Confederates," because their whereabouts were unknown until many years after the war.

One of the most enduring myths of Appomattox Court House surrounds the Apple Tree site, where it was believed General Lee met with General Grant to surrender his army. This story was carried on and largely accepted by soldiers and was even published in several books after the war. As Campbell writes to G.W. Custis Lee and Dr. Jones, however, this version of the tale was not wholly correct. Grant was riding hard to reach Appomattox along with his troops, but he was 22 miles away and there was some uncertainty over whether the message would be received and if the fighting would continue. Upon receiving the message, however, Grant sent two staff officers, Colonel Orville Babcock and Captain William McKee Dunn, to ride ahead. After some difficulty and confusion, Babcock crossed into Confederate lines under a flag of truce, and he found Lee resting in an apple orchard near the village, by the Appomattox River. From a distance, Babcock bore a resemblance to Grant, which is how this myth came into being about the surrender at Appomattox. So prevalent was the tale, that it caused many soldiers to chop down most of the apple trees in the orchard as souvenirs of the “surrender.” The two generals would actually meet at the McLean House, where the official surrender was conducted. The tale is a great example of how stories grow out of a mixture of facts and misinformation.

We’ve done our best, but there could be secretarial or facsimile signatures found within this sizable collection.

Please see our terms and conditions of sale regarding large lots.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

December 14, 2022 11:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000