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Description

Published for the Inns of Court Regiment--Fighting Lawyers & Judges--By A Future Military Science Expert

Unusual separately published map of the United States, illustrating the "Campaigns of 1861-1865 in America," published by the Court of Rifle Volunteers, a volunteer regiment of British judges and lawyers, whose history dates back to the 14th Century and the Wars of King John and Wars against Robert the Bruce.

The modern history of the regiment began again in 1859, with the formation of the 23rd Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps. In 1881, the unit became a battalion of the Rifle Brigade and was renamed the 14th Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1889.

At the bottom right, several lists of states are shown, including one identified as "States of Doubtful Politics," including Missouri, Kentucky and Maryland.

Also identified on the map is Ft. Pillow in Tennessee, noteworthy as the site of a massacre of mostly African American Union Troops at the conclusion of a battle fought on April 12, 1864. In the words of one Confederate Sargent in a letter written home shortly after the incident:

the poor, deluded negroes would run up to our men, fall upon their knees, and with uplifted hand scream for mercy, but were ordered to their feet and then shot down.

The mapmaker, identified as "T. M. M." is almost certainly T. Miller Maguire, Maguire wrote a number of works on Military History and would go on to become a noteworthy English military expert.

The following quote appeared from Maguire in the San Francisco Call of January 17,1905.

DR T MILLER MAGUIRE, FAMOUS ENGLISH MILITARY EXPERT SAYS THAT WEST POINT IS INCOMPARABLY SUPERIOR TO SANDHURST, WHERE BRITISH CADETS ARE EDUCATED. an inconspicuous back seat.

"In what respect is West Point so far ahead of the great English military schools?" I asked him. .West Point Leads In Everything. "In everything that counts for efficiency," he replied promptly, "and there is not a General in the British army who takes his profession seriously from Lord Roberts down, who Is not aware of it. The course at West Point lasts four years. Instead of three at most as at Sandhurst, and 'the training: Is far more thorough and severe, being based on a profound appreciation of the requirements of modern warfare and the demands it makes on cultivated intelligence. The discipline Is rigid and the penalties for offenses are inflexible. Social distinctions are not tolerated. Rich men's sons and poor men's sons stand on the same level. Each is made to feel equally that shirking of duties and neglect of studies is fatal. From the start the West Point cadet is impressed with the idea that keenness in all things is essential, unless he is thorough and efficient and capable of passing the very high standard demanded at the half-yearly examinations. he Is dismissed. Muddling through is impossible. Accomplishments and courtesy and manly exercises are preferred to silly boorish games.

ACADEMY'S BROAD TRAINING.

It is conceive that a duffer may get into West Point by way of nomination or otherwise, though history and geography are obligatory, but it is absolutely impossible that a duffer can come out if it as an officer In the United States army. Not only Is the training adapted to give him the knowledge necessary for the profession of arms, but what is equally important, to develop the necessary character. It is because these two things are so happily combined at West Point that I rank it even higher than Germany's military training schools for officers, which, as regards efficiency. approach nearest to it. though Baron ???? has given me a full statement of Japanese education that Is startling in its spirit and excellence. Very different, unfortunately, is the state of affairs at Sandhurst, which is practically a preserve for rich men's sons. Its condition was revealed In the report of the Akers-Commission, appointed to consider the education and training of officers of the army. Their report showed that cadets had "little inducement to work at Sandhurst and instructors little inducement to teach." Most of the military textbooks in use were found to be antiquated and obsolete. There was no insistence on a high standard of proficiency. To get through with as little trouble as possible was the dominating idea. Neither as regards knowledge nor character was the training of the kind necessary to produce competent officers. I have had officers come to me for instruction-rich men's sons and former pupils of our much vaunted public schools-who told me they were ashamed of being dependent on others to write their reports for them and show them how to perform their duties. Although the Akers-Douglas report was made over two years ago, things have not improved a bit. In some respects they are even worse than they were then.

Inns of Court Regiment

The Inns of Court Regiment (ICR) was a British Army regiment that existed under that name between May 1832 and May 1961. However, the unit traces its lineage back much further, to at least 1584, and its name lives on within 68 (Inns of Court & City and Yeomanry) Signal Squadron part of 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment.

In the 14th to 16th centuries, judges were called upon to perform functions that, in modern times, would be hardly considered to come within the judicial office, and accordingly, members of the Inns found themselves fighting in the wars of King John or against Robert the Bruce. One such defense was organized in 1381 against Wat Tyler, during the Peasants' Revolt (when the Chief Justice was killed). In 1467, the Chief Justice of the Exchequer, then Recorder of the city of London, was instrumental in defeating a Lancastrian attack on the city of London.

The first organized body formed by the Inns of Court appears to have been in Holborn, London, in 1584. At that time, associations known as trained bands were formed to assist in the defense of the country from the Spanish Armada. The deed itself, associating the members of Lincoln's Inn, is still in existence, having been preserved by its first signatory, Thomas Egerton, then Solicitor-General, and afterwards Lord Chancellor.

The history is ambiguous thereafter, although many lawyers were known to join the Royalists, and their clerks the Parliamentarians, during the English Civil War. Certainly, members of The Inns were called out against the Jacobite rising of 1745 and the Gordon riots of 1780. Indeed, future prime minister William Pitt the Younger served in the Lincoln's Inn Company.

The modern history of the regiment began again in 1859, shortly after Crimea, with the formation of the 23rd Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps. In 1881, the unit became a battalion of the Rifle Brigade and was renamed the 14th Middlesex (Inns of Court) Rifle Volunteer Corps in 1889. The regiment then formed part of the 2nd London Volunteer Brigade and the "Grey Brigade". In 1888, a mounted infantry detachment was formed and subsequently became known as "B" (M.I.) Company, and a contingent of 30 mounted infantry, 19 cyclists and a signaller joined the City Imperial Volunteers for service in South Africa during the Boer War.

Rarity

The map is unrecorded. We find no other examples and no records of its publication.

Condition Description
Several tears at top margin, one extending into the image to about Louisville.
Reference
Foote, Shelby. The Civil War: A Narrative. Vol. 3, Red River to Appomattox. New York: Random House, 1974, p. 109.