The Corps of Topographical Engineers. 1831-1863.
Captain John Mackay & Lieutenant Jacob Blake.

The independent Topographical Engineering Bureau was established in 1831.
The smallest branch in the Army, it was first led by Colonel John Abert till 1861, then by Colonel Stephen Long. It was absorbed by the Army Engineering Corps, by an Act of Congress in 1863.
In spite of its low headcount (some 44 officers on the eve of the Civil War), the Corps amassed an impressive cartographic knowledge. It was instrumental in facilitating:
- the taming of the Western and Southern Territories,
- the conduct of operations during the second Seminole War between 1835 and 1842,
- the prosecution of the war with Mexico between 1846 and 1848,
- the strategic and tactical moves during the Civil War, between 1861 and its demise in march 1863.

Map of East Florida,..

This map (10 ½" X 15 ¾") is a reduction of the much larger work (30 ½" X 41") prepared by the same two officers of the Topographical Engineering Bureau in 1839 on the order of General Zachary Taylor. Taylor was heading the operations of the US Army during the 1838 till 1841 part of the second Seminole War (1835 till 1842).
The map depicts the infrastructure already in place in the Florida Territory: military roads, some ninety forts, bridges, ferries, depots, trading houses, and Indian encampments and track network.
It also pinpoints the location of earlier battles. Notice in particular, south west of the Wahoo swamp, the site of the December 28th 1835 ambush where Colonel Dade and some one hundred of his men were massacred. This event is generally credited for triggering the second Seminole War.
Note: A few military leaders involved in the first two Seminole Wars, acceded to the US presidency: Ulysses Grant, Andrew Jackson and Zachary Taylor.
Note: this map served as the basis for the 1954 "Mikasuki" land claim (the so-called Buckskin Declaration of Independence).
No text on verso.