This uncommon and desirable bird’s-eye view was "drawn from Nature and Lith. by John Bachmann" and beautifully depicts the region from Portsmouth and Suffolk north to Baltimore and Washington. It locates Richmond, Ft. Monroe, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Harper's Ferry, and many more. Battle sites are marked by crossed swords, including the earliest Civil War land battles at Bunker Hill, Romney, and Laurel Hill in present-day West Virginia, along with sites in northern Virginia including Fairfax, Vienna, and Bull Run. Numerous vessels, including early steamships, are shown navigating Chesapeake and Delaware bays. This is the third state of this view with the smoke gone from the Bull Run area (which was added for state two). At lower right is the imprint of Charles Magnus with a copyright date of 1864 at lower center. Sheet size measures 32 x 22.5".

Reps concluded that "No finer artist of city views worked in America than John Bachmann. Unfortunately, there is no artist about whom less is known."

References: Reps (Views) p. 160; cf. Stephenson (CW) #2, pp. 30-31; cf. Stephenson & McKee p. 239; cf. Wooldridge p. 262.

Condition: B+

On a bright sheet with one tiny hole at upper right (near Hancock, MD) and an archivally repaired edge tear at bottom that extends 0.75" into the image. A number of other edge tears in the upper and lower margins have also been closed on verso with archival tape.