Civil War Officer's Map/Document Tin, as in Gettysburg Museum

This is another nice piece being offered which was part of a large Civil War collection I acquired; it is a Civil War Officer’s Map Tube. It is made of tin and measures 18” long, with a diameter of 2”. It also has a removable tin lid.

During the Civil War, maps were made by the Topographical Engineers, eventually they would become a branch of the Corps of Engineers. Maps were a critical part of just about every unit. The routes for troop movement, water supplies, and the construction of roads and bridges would have to be planned. There is an example of one of these tins in “Commanders of the Civil War”, by Davis (see pictures). Another identified example is in the Gettysburg Museum (see pictures).

To keep the maps dry and protected, they would be carried in these tin cases. In the Civil War Collectors Encyclopedia, by Francis Lord, there is an example of this type of tin case. That example was carried by Surgeon Eli N. Love, 5th West Virginia Cavalry (see pictures). This tin is in very nice condition, only having overall minor dings, which is expected. It would go great in just about any type of Civil War collection.