Tracing his steps

FiremarshalBill

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Joined
Feb 4, 2016
I have the complete service record of my G-G-Grandfather's ACW artillery unit during the war and someday I'd like to do a month long drive and retrace his unit's Civil War route as he traveled from Detroit, MI - to Nashville and Pulaski, TN - to Athens and Huntsville, AL - to Rome, Atlanta and Savannah GA, - to Bentonville, NC, - to the GAR grand review in Washington DC, and all the little towns, camps, and skirmishes in between. I've tried mapping this all out using Map Quest on line but I'm wondering if there isn't a better app or program to do this. Any suggestions for a simple route planner you've used for something similar? Thanks.
 
I've tried mapping this all out using Map Quest on line but I'm wondering if there isn't a better app or program to do this.
I can't say that I have the answer. I have a friend that has done a great job using Google Earth. He inputs position with Date and Unit and Comment for various locations related to WW2.
For me, I want to use a "vintage" map that shows the RailRoads and rivers of the day, as well as some of the towns that no longer exist. Yet, I want it simple--uncluttered.
Since I was making a presentation, I created a PowerPoint slide show that laid out 6-month intervals of the unit's movement. But I began by making larger maps and just cropped out what I needed to discuss each portion of the war. I made these with Paint program which has its limitations. I began with a scanned map to get the basic details and Cut out things that I did not want and added in details that were missing and towns and labels. That took a lot of editing and sometimes Paint will distort and blur the image.

Here is an example. I could not find the original but this is one that I cropped again to post on my FB page.
Note the miles accumulated on this map and the total Miles in my "odometer" icon.

Map sample.jpg

I quickly added the list of towns before I posted this to FB, so you can ignore that part of it.

My friend took that one step further and created his own simple map drawing using the draw features of PowerPoint. It turned out really clear, especially for use in projecting it to an audience. I think that once I got the hang of it, that would be better than Paint program.
 
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I can't say that I have the answer. I have a friend that has done a great job using Google Earth. He inputs position with Date and Unit and Comment for various locations related to WW2.
For me, I want to use a "vintage" map that shows the RailRoads and rivers of the day, as well as some of the towns that no longer exist. Yet, I want it simple--uncluttered.
Since I was making a presentation, I created a PowerPoint slide show that laid out 6-month intervals of the unit's movement. But I began by making larger maps and just cropped out what I needed to discuss each portion of the war. I made these with Paint program which has its limitations. I began with a scanned map to get the basic details and Cut out things that I did not want and added in details that were missing and towns and labels. That took a lot of editing and sometimes Paint will distort and blur the image.

Here is an example. I could not find the original but this is one that I cropped again to post on my FB page.
Note the miles accumulated on this map and the total Miles in my "odometer" icon.

View attachment 323713

My friend took that one step further and created his own simple map drawing using the draw features of PowerPoint. It turned out really clear, especially for use in projecting it to an audience. I think that once I got the hang of it, that would be better than Paint program.

Steve, When I was a senior in high school a buddy and I roamed Fort Pillow a few times (with the land owner's permission). This was in the Spring of 1967 and the whole area was pretty much untouched, but the entrenchments and redoubts were clearly visible. We even managed to find one bullet each. My find was a round ball about 50 yards outside the fort and my buddy's was a mashed Minie' in the trenches.
I can't say that I have the answer. I have a friend that has done a great job using Google Earth. He inputs position with Date and Unit and Comment for various locations related to WW2.
For me, I want to use a "vintage" map that shows the RailRoads and rivers of the day, as well as some of the towns that no longer exist. Yet, I want it simple--uncluttered.
Since I was making a presentation, I created a PowerPoint slide show that laid out 6-month intervals of the unit's movement. But I began by making larger maps and just cropped out what I needed to discuss each portion of the war. I made these with Paint program which has its limitations. I began with a scanned map to get the basic details and Cut out things that I did not want and added in details that were missing and towns and labels. That took a lot of editing and sometimes Paint will distort and blur the image.

Here is an example. I could not find the original but this is one that I cropped again to post on my FB page.
Note the miles accumulated on this map and the total Miles in my "odometer" icon.

View attachment 323713
I quickly added the list of towns before I posted this to FB, so you can ignore that part of it.

My friend took that one step further and created his own simple map drawing using the draw features of PowerPoint. It turned out really clear, especially for use in projecting it to an audience. I think that once I got the hang of it, that would be better than Paint program.
Steve, When I was a senior in high school a buddy and I roamed Fort Pillow a few times (with the land owner's permission). This was in the Spring of 1967 and the whole area was pretty much untouched, but the entrenchments and redoubts were clearly visible. We even managed to find one bullet each. My find was a round ball about 50 yards outside the fort and my buddy's was a mashed Minie' found in the trenches.

IMG_2746.jpeg
 
Steve, When I was a senior in high school a buddy and I roamed Fort Pillow a few times (with the land owner's permission). This was in the Spring of 1967 and the whole area was pretty much untouched, but the entrenchments and redoubts were clearly visible. We even managed to find one bullet each. My find was a round ball about 50 yards outside the fort and my buddy's was a mashed Minie' found in the trenches.
That is super fine!!!
You didn't by any chance take photos? When you refer to the "fort", are you referring to the Inner Fort? I wonder what it actually looked like in 1967. They sent some university students there to dig and then they built the replica fort. I would like to see the "before" photos. Back in February, the park rangers lead a hike to the remains of one of the water batteries that was high enough to avoid being washed out by the Mississippi.

When ever you think about selling it, please contact me.

BTW, sometime during the 150th Anniversary, I tossed a replica .58 Minie' into the gully. Someday, I plan to permanently mark one with my gr-gr-grandfather's name and toss it over the battle field.
 
Sounds like an intersting trip. My gg grandfather died in the War. A couple of years ago I drove with in 35 miles of his grave twitch and thought about stopping to look at his grave, but opted not to.
 
My gg grandfather died in the War. A couple of years ago I drove with in 35 miles of his grave twitch and thought about stopping to look at his grave, but opted not to.
I haven't found his grave. Have not found any documentation of what General Forrest did with his KIA's.
 
I've tried mapping this all out using Map Quest on line but

Here is that map made in PowerPoint. This has been reduced and the water-mark added by Paint.
Some of the images, such as Regiment symbols were created much like Paint and grouped as one entity. Then they were simply replicated. Other symbols were clip-art imported from a database he had.

Sorry for inserting the water-mark but you know how some steal your hard work.

Map Example.jpg
 
Sounds like an intersting trip. My gg grandfather died in the War. A couple of years ago I drove with in 35 miles of his grave twitch and thought about stopping to look at his grave, but opted not to.
Bill, one of my G-G-Grandfathers is buried in Hudsonville, MI and another in Manton, MI. Both ACW vets, one from MI and one from NY.
 
That is super fine!!!
You didn't by any chance take photos? When you refer to the "fort", are you referring to the Inner Fort? I wonder what it actually looked like in 1967. They sent some university students there to dig and then they built the replica fort. I would like to see the "before" photos. Back in February, the park rangers lead a hike to the remains of one of the water batteries that was high enough to avoid being washed out by the Mississippi.

When ever you think about selling it, please contact me.

BTW, sometime during the 150th Anniversary, I tossed a replica .58 Minie' into the gully. Someday, I plan to permanently mark one with my gr-gr-grandfather's name and toss it over the battle field.

Somewhere I've got a couple of photos of the inner fort. I'll see if I can find them and post. I remember the whole fort was kind of in a broadleaf forest with 8-10 inch diameter trees growing all around with only a small glimpse or two of the Mississippi river through the trees, but the ditches and redoubts were clearly defined. We didn't make it down closer to the river.
 
Somewhere I've got a couple of photos of the inner fort. I'll see if I can find them and post. I remember the whole fort was kind of in a broadleaf forest with 8-10 inch diameter trees growing all around with only a small glimpse or two of the Mississippi river through the trees, but the ditches and redoubts were clearly defined. We didn't make it down closer to the river.
That does sound like the Inner Fort you see now except they cleared the tangled brush in "front" of it in 2014. The water battery wasn't down near the river. It was still 30 or 40 feet higher---that is why it has survived.
Would love to see any photos from 1960's but I hope that I can get my bearings. I have plenty of photos of the area now. My first trip there was 20 years ago in 1986 and I do have a few photos from that trip.
 
I have the complete service record of my G-G-Grandfather's ACW artillery unit during the war and someday I'd like to do a month long drive and retrace his unit's Civil War route as he traveled from Detroit, MI - to Nashville and Pulaski, TN - to Athens and Huntsville, AL - to Rome, Atlanta and Savannah GA, - to Bentonville, NC, - to the GAR grand review in Washington DC, and all the little towns, camps, and skirmishes in between. I've tried mapping this all out using Map Quest on line but I'm wondering if there isn't a better app or program to do this. Any suggestions for a simple route planner you've used for something similar? Thanks.
You could use Google TourBuilder. It gives you the options to pin locations on maps, insert photos or videos, give dates (even in the past), and notes for each spot. I've used it with my classes before.
 
@FiremarshalBill
Here are examples of maps created by my friend using Google Earth. The objective was to pinpoint exact positions of various units at different times based upon official Army documents. He said he could not (or did not try) to sketch a Route with GE. The main reason is he was tracking a Tank Battalion which moved around a lot. They could be in one position for 3 or 4 days and then move 20 miles away over night. Also he was tracking so many---i.e., Company A, B & C and the infantry battalions/companies they were supporting. GE is good if you want more precise locations. It is also great because you can "see" the terrain which was important for the mountains of Italy. I haven't tried but I suppose it would work just as well for the mountains of Tennessee.

He first started out by finding the GPS Coordinates. For his Tank Battalion, he used the Army documents and had to convert the Army 6-digit grid coordinates into GPS coordinates. (I have a link that does this conversion for any WW2 Army map coordinates.) You can find the coordinates by placing a Pin on the Google Earth map (or even on a Google Map) and clicking to obtain the coordinates.
Then he created a spreadsheet with all the data and the comments for a pop-up window. The spreadsheet is imported into the GE program and it creates a map that you can maneuver around and view from various positions.

This 1st map shows the result after plotting just a few points. Each point is labeled which can also be color-coded. The Yellow label has a 6-digit number which is the Army grid coordinate; this is followed by the Date. The pop-up note gives details such as unit, the time of arrival or departure, etc.
In September 1944, Company C of 752nd Tank Battalion, in support of the 338th Regiment, fought some hard battles here in Northern Italy against well fortified German positions at Sambuco and Caburrccia. This shows how he plotted various coordinates over a few days, and it also shows the contents of a pop-up note.
Map GE.JPG


Google Earth has some other great features. You can rotate and tilt the view so you can see the topography as the soldier would see it from his position. Or if you want to check the topography, you can plot it.

This 2nd map shows two positions held by the Germans on the GUSTAV Line called Hill 66 and Hill 69, which by its designation says one is 3 Meters higher than the other. This height elevation plot shows these two hills were the same height.
The Red Line traces the path along which a height elevation diagram was constructed.
Map GE Elevation.JPG



EDITED TO ADD

This is how I have used Google Earth to view the terrain. You may want to use this method to highlight details that you can't visualize on a 2-D map. I simply captured a screen image from GE and edited it with Paint.

This shows how the 337th Regiment was advancing along Hiway #7 on the West coast of Italy. They rode into an ambush just below Terracina. They had to deploy over the hill and fought the Jerry in an old cemetery. My Dad's 328FA set up position on top of that hill and shelled North towards Anzio.
Map Teracina.jpg
 
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