Kennesaw Mountain staff confirmed names of mountains on a map. Now, the Library of Congress is crediting drawing to Theodore Davis, rather than Alfred Waud

A map of the Kennesaw Mountain battlefield shows Rebel guns (Library of Congress)

An effort by the Library of Congress to identify mountains in a sketch depicting Confederate artillery positions at the Kennesaw Mountain battlefield has concluded with the institution changing the attribution for the drawing from Alfred R. Waud to Theodore R. Davis.

The unsigned and undated map of the Georgia battlefield was among many Civil War drawings donated to the library more than a century ago by the estate of famed financier J.P. Morgan. It was long attributed to Waud, the legendary artist-journalist who followed the Army of the Potomac in Virginia.

But the LOC’s Kara Chittenden, senior cataloging specialist with the Prints & Photographs Division, and Sara Duke, curator of Popular and Applied Graphics, told the Picket that the library is changing the catalog reference to the map as likely belonging to Davis (right), another famous Civil War illustrator.

Waud was in Virginia in June and July 1864, creating dramatic scenes from Cold Harbor and Petersburg while Davis was with Sherman’s armies during much of the Atlanta Campaign, including the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain on June 27, 1864. His employer, Harper’s Weekly, did not publish the sketch, according to the LOC.

Waud did travel to Georgia after the Civil War to make illustrations for a book and other publications. He died in nearby Marietta in 1891.

Chittenden in mid-November reached out to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park with a question. An outside researcher wanted an addition to the sketch’s catalog, but the federal library needed to verify that information.

Box of index cards showing locations of units at Kennesaw (Jake Boling/NPS)

“The researcher believes that the map depicts Kennesaw Mountain battlefield, with Pigeon Hill on the left, Little Kennesaw Mtn in the center and Big Kennesaw Mtn on the right. Unfortunately, there is very little information on the map to confirm this. Would you be able to verify this information?” Chittenden wrote to the park.

The inquiry was picked up by Jake Boling, a park ranger and education coordinator at the park.

Boling used valuable old-school technology to confirm the location of the mountains: Emmet Nichols, a ranger at Kennesaw Mountain in the 1970s and 1980s, worked from official records to pinpoint the locations of Union and Confederate positions, including those brimming with artillery. Nichols put the information on large index cards. The folders, which included the names of units on each mountain, have been kept in a large box.

These names in the park's archives are shown on the LOC map (Jake Boling/NPS)

While the Library of Congress drawing itself does not label the mountains, the artillery positions are labeled with the names of their commanders.

“Working here as long as I have, I recognized these names,” Boling said in a recent phone call.

The batteries were under the command of Confederate Maj. George S. Storrs.

At left, on Pigeon Hill, are Parrott guns of J.A. Hoskins’ Mississippi battery. Deployed at Little Kennesaw are more Hoskins Parrotts and Napoleon guns belonging to Capt. John Ward’s Alabama battery and Capt. Henry Guibor’s Missouri battery. At far right of the sketch are siege guns.

Detail from the Library of Congress map of Pigeon Hill (left) and Little Kennesaw

“The guns did move. I don’t think all of these were in these positions all at once,” Boling said.

The drawing shows the profile of mountains as they would be seen from Marietta, just to the southeast.

Boling says Confederate Maj. Gen. William Loring, who commanded a corps during the Atlanta Campaign, may have been consulted for the battery locations. When that occurred is uncertain.

Chittenden added the names of the mountains to the catalog and said the library will now be attributing the map and a few other Kennesaw Mountain sketches to Davis.

“The former attribution to Alfred Waud (left) is unlikely because Waud was not at this battle,” the updated catalog will say of the mountains drawing, which it says was created in 1864.

It’s impossible, without a signature, to know for sure who made the map. But there can be clues.

“I’m afraid there isn’t enough evidence on the map to know that Davis drew it and not a soldier or other eyewitness who drew it and gave it to him,” said Duke of the Library of Congress. “As you can see, modern databases have made it easier for us to change attribution of art and learn the whereabouts of the artists who recorded the Civil War for illustrated weeklies."

Duke told the Picket when she looked at copies of Harper’s Weekly for Kennesaw, the only artist represented was Davis.

“When I cataloged the collection in 1991, I worked with a pencil, sheets of paper and bound editions of Harper’s Weekly, Frank Leslie’s, and the New York Illustrated News. Almost all of the drawings were attributed to Waud when I arrived. I was able to verify attributions to other artists using the bound volumes. What I could not do in the time allotted, was track dates and movements with a pencil and paper. Now, it is easier to see how artists moved with the armies. As databases improve, it takes much less time to verify information, but a lot more time to change the cataloging.”

The Picket reached out to Boling about the new Davis attribution, but he was away from the office.

When asked for comment, Kennesaw Mountain park ranger Ray Hamel said: "If you feel the new information is reflective of accurate scholarship, I think it's safe to say the credit can go to Davis."

Folders in the park's collection show Storrs' batteries (Jake Boling/NPS)

The Picket learned about the drawing from a Facebook post by the park about the collaboration with the Library of Congress. The post said the sketch “matches up almost perfectly with the park's own records.” (At the time of our call, Boling and I understood the drawing to have been done by Waud.)

Chittenden said the public -- should they want to propose changes or additions to an image description -- can reach out to the Library of Congress’ Prints and Photographs page via its “Ask a Librarian” form. “Once we receive a request to update a catalog record, we try to verify the information before making any changes.”

Boling said he and fellow park staffers try to be transparent to the public about where they get their information. He points out that most of the visitors to the popular site come for recreation and do not realize the park also tells the history of the area.

“We try to set the standard for accurate, unbiased information, and research opportunities and resources.”