Composed in 1863 by William H. Wilcox—an officer on the staff of General Gouverneur K. Warren—this finely observed battle plan captures the second day at Gettysburg with a soldier’s eye for ground and maneuver. At an approximate scale of 1:13,100, the map condenses the complex actions of July 2 into a clear tactical portrait, rendering Union and Confederate dispositions, artillery placements, and the named Confederate corps with uncommon immediacy. Hachures articulate the battlefield’s rises and declivities, while a restrained color palette distinguishes natural and human-made features. The cartouche credits, careful delineation of relief, and precise plotting of division commanders lend the piece both authority and intimacy, making it a compelling record of a pivotal day in a turning-point battle.

The map’s military grammar reads crisply: the Union “fishhook” line arcs from Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill along Cemetery Ridge to Little and Big Round Top, while Confederate formations mass opposite, poised for the evening’s fierce assaults. It renders the critical sectors of Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard, where Longstreet’s strikes collided with forward Union positions along the Emmitsburg Road. Kershaw’s Brigade appears at its jumping-off ground, and lines of engagement are sketched with care. Union breastworks, stone walls, and cavalry positions are annotated to show a defensive network improvising under pressure, with artillery crowned on commanding ridges. The map thus preserves the moment when shifting lines and hard terrain conspired to decide the day.

Topography—so decisive at Gettysburg—emerges as a protagonist in Wilcox’s drawing. Hachures sculpt the double heights of Little and Big Round Top and the boulder-strewn pocket of Devil’s Den, explaining how elevation and broken ground channeled movement and magnified firepower. Drainage and vegetation patterns near Spangler’s Spring and along Rock Creek are traced to reveal concealed approaches, while McPherson Ridge and Cemetery Ridge are modeled as elongated spines controlling fields of fire. Cultivated plots and woodlots are shaded to show where units could mask movement or form under cover. In this, Wilcox’s map is a study in how terrain dictated tactics—and why certain positions proved untakable.

Equally striking is the portrait of a civilian landscape caught in war’s path. Gettysburg’s prominent streets, churches, and cemeteries are fixed in relation to the Baltimore Pike, Taneytown Road, and Emmitsburg Road, with the railroad spurs and local byways that funneled men and materiel onto the field. Landmarks such as Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill, and Black Horse Tavern sit among named avenues—including Reynolds, Slocum, and Sickles—while houses and farmsteads punctuate the margins of combat. Stone walls mark defensive seams amid orchards and fields, underscoring how everyday boundaries became hardened lines of resistance. This interweaving of infrastructure and combat delivers a rare, ground-level context for the fighting.

Historically, the map preserves the turning of the war’s tide. Gettysburg ended the Confederate thrust into the North and set the strategic stage for Union ascendancy; the dispositions Wilcox traced illuminate the command decisions that made that outcome possible. By naming Confederate corps and identifying Union division commanders, it clarifies chains of responsibility in moments of crisis, from Warren’s swift recognition of Little Round Top’s importance to the fraught Union salient at the Peach Orchard. Scholars and collectors prize such immediate visual testimony, where terrain, troop placement, and civilian geography meet—an indispensable guide to understanding July 2, 1863, and the broader meaning of the campaign.

Places on this map

• Gettysburg, PA (central city)
• Cemetery Hill
• Little Round Top
• Big Round Top
• Devil's Den
• Cemetery Ridge
• Emmitsburg Road
• Taneytown Road
• Black Horse Tavern
• McPherson Ridge
• Spangler's Spring
• Culp's Hill
• Wheatfield
• Peach Orchard
• Baltimore Pike
• Reynolds Avenue
• Slocum Avenue
• Kershaw's Brigade positioning
• Howard's Division positioning
• Sickles Avenue

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Union and Confederate troop positions
• Artillery placements
• Named Confederate corps
• Union division commanders
• Union breastworks
• Cavalry positions
• Roads and railroads
• Topographic features shown using hachures
• Vegetation and drainage patterns
• Locations of houses and churches
• Stone walls indicating defense lines
• Cemeteries
• Cultivated areas
• Relief features represented visually
• Key geographical markers and landmarks
• Lines indicating engagement areas/scenarios
• Cartouche detailing map credits
• Indication of prominent streets in Gettysburg

Historical and design context

• Title: The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863, showing line of battle on July 2nd
• Scale: Approximately 1:13,100
• Mapmaker: William H. Wilcox, created in 1863
• Historical significance: The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War, marking a significant victory for Union forces and halting the Confederate invasion of the North.
• Themes shown:
• Military positions: Detail of Union and Confederate troop positions, artillery locations, and division commanders.
• Topography: Representation of land features using hachures to indicate elevation and terrain.
• Infrastructure: Roads, railroads, houses, churches, and cemeteries depicted, giving context to civilian life during the war.
• Regions depicted: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, particularly focusing on the battlefield area and surrounding structures.
• Design style: Historically informative thematic map; uses detailed cartographic techniques such as hachures for topography, and a color palette that conveys both natural and human-made features.
• Mapmaker's context: Wilcox served in the Union Army and was part of the staff for General Gouverneur K. Warren. His experience lent credibility and insight into the military strategies illustrated on the map.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.