Magnus's county map of the US (1861)

Map of the United States, showing the forts, railroads,canals, and navigable waters. On April 15, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the initial raising of 75,000 militia to begin preparations for the upcoming armed conflict between Union and Confederate armies. In the same proclamation, Lincoln called for an extra session of Congress to discuss the war which would meet on July 4, 1861.

The purpose of the extra session was for lawmakers to debate raising troops to defend the Union and to appropriate funds for the prosecution of the war. In the summer of 1861, commercial publishers like Charles Magnus updated existing maps with updated phrases such as “Extra Session of Congress Map” to make their maps appear more relevant to the shifting headlines.