Albemarle Sound in 1775
The detail of the Albemarle Sound region lies in a famous 1775 map of North and South Carolina by Henry Mouzon, Jr. The map was printed in England and also reproduced in a slightly smaller size than the original. It was the map used by American, British, and French forces.
So, in looking at the fragment reproduced here, a person might imagine that he is a General in the Revolutionary War, studying the little towns, the ports, and roads that wander through the country, and trying to understand why a town is where it is, what military importance it has, or how it might be protected or destroyed.
Through Albemarle Sound runs a dotted line indicating the course for ships. It may be seen where they could escape to or enter from the Atlantic through the narrow, hazardous Roanoke Inlet.
To the left near where the Chowan River empties into the Sound, is the town of Edenton. Several roads came together here, and the little black rectangles suggest buildings. There is a church in the town with a tower and steeple in front. Other churches shown elsewhere on the map have exactly the same form as the one at Edenton, so one realizes that this form is not meant to show what a specific church looked like, but is a standard symbol for a church. Incidentally, notice how churches or chapels stand alone in various places in the countryside.
Courthouses, like churches, are shown in towns, and here and there in the country. They are indicated by a symbol which could be described as a letter that is squared rather than rounded. The courthouse at Edenton is difficult to identify on the map, however, following the Perquimans River, the town of Hertford (formerly called Hartford) situated farther to the east is Nixonton, its houses lying along both sides of a single road.
Follow the road to the south and see the farms which lie along Little River. Each farm is marked by a spot representing the house, and carries the name of the owners; viz; Morris, Evans, Ancoup, and so on, can be read. In the north, above this area, is the Great Dismal Swamp.
The estuary of Albemarle Sound is at the confluence of the rivers of Chowan and Roanoke. When one visits this coastal area, it might seem strange to note that the land base is separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The famous Kitty Hawk and its museum is located near the eastern edge of the sound and makes up part of the Outer Banks.
Roanoke Island is situated on the southeastern corner of the sound and is the famous island first visited in 1584 by some English colonists who disappeared from the area and probably went to live among the Croatan Indians in North Carolina.