American Historical Ephemera and Photography Online

Hand-drawn "Map of the Estate of William L. Alexander, Esq., Surveyed Under the Direction of Col. William Allan," ink on vellum, approx. 36 1/4 x 22 1/4 in. (creasing, scattered marks, small losses, portion of map title "William L. Alexander, Esq." removed). Signed at bottom left "Wm. M. Dunlop." Survey map includes multiple tracts of land with identified features such as "Warm Spring Mountain"; the Jackson, James, and Cowpasture Rivers; the "C. & O. R.R."; and many other manmade and topographical landmarks. The property runs from Warm Springs Mountain in the northwest to the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers forming the James River, in the Allegheny mountains.

[With:] Manuscript survey report in multiple parts, approx. 40pp, 8 x 12 1/2 in. ( creasing, toning, wear), the first part constituting a "Report of Survey of Lands of Wm. L. Alexander," addressed to Judge J.K. Edmondson and submitted by William Allan, and with the following pages relating to legal proceedings involving "The petition of the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company," William L. Alexander, and others. Included is a true copy of a deed dated 8 September 1873 between "Howell Fisher and his wife, Charlotte L. Fisher, and the Raleigh Coal and Iron Company" referencing Col. Allan's survey. The final leaf bears the seal and signature of a Virginia notary. The packet likely represents a "file copy" for the Charter Oak Company or other party.

The surveyor responsible for this report is likely Colonel William Allan (1837-1889), a Civil War veteran who served for the entire length of the war, including under Generals Stonewall Jackson, Richard S. Ewell, and Jubal Early. He participated in many battles, including Harpers Ferry, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Allan rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and to the position of Ordnance Officer of the Army of Northern Virginia. Following the war he joined the faculty at Washington College (now Washington and Lee University), authored histories of the Civil War, and opened a private school for impoverished boys near Baltimore. Allan's descriptive survey opens the packet detailing William Alexander's property.