- Title: Preliminary Chart of Savannah River Georgia
- Author: A. D. Bache
- Date: 1855
- Medium: Engraving
- Condition: Good - age toning, wear and discoloration along two vertical and one horizontal folds
- Inches: 34 1/4 x 22 [Paper]
- Centimeters: 87 x 55.88 [Paper]
- Product ID: 317062
(E. No 6)
Preliminary Chart of
From a Trigonometrical Survey
under the direction of A.D. Bache Superintendent of the
Survey of the Coast of the United States
Triangulation by E.O. Cord Capt. U.S.A., C.O. Boutelle, C.P. Bolles & D.T. Van Buren Lt. U.S.A. Assts.
Topography by H.L. Whiting Assistant
Hydrography by the party
under the command of Lieut. J.N. Maffit U.S. N. Assist.
Map depicting the Savannah River beginning at the city of Savannah, Georgia and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean north of Tybee Island. Contains an inset to the lower left titled 'Continuation from Savannah to Head of Argyle Island.' Map also features data concerning currents, tides, and winds, as well as instructions for sailors.
Surveyor, scientist, and pioneering oceanographer A. D. Bache (1806-1867) served as the 6th Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey. Born in Philadelphia, he came from a prominent political family, and was the great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin. Under his leadership, the Coast Survey’s operations grew significantly, expanding from nine to seventeen states as it surveyed the Gulf and West Coasts. Bache ran meticulous studies relating to ocean currents, tides, and the earth’s magnetic field, endeavors which provided in-depth knowledge about U.S. coastal geography. Thanks to Bache, the Coast Survey evolved into an immense resource for the U.S. government and one of the foremost scientific institutions in the country leading up to the Civil War.