A smaller section of a larger 18 x 18 inch folding map of North Carolina being marked and manufactured as "Colton's North Carolina - 1861 Published by J.H. Colton 172 Williams Street, New York." This war map is from the personal effects of Major Leyden of the 3rd New York Cavalry, who was stationed in New Berne with this regiment. In period ink on the reverse, it is marked "New Bern, North Carolina June 1862." The map shows cities, major roads, railroads, streams, etc. It shows all of North Carolina and its coast, as well as most of the state of South Carolina.

The battles for Roanoke Island and New Berne were important due to the regional control they offered by influencing the flow of goods by water and railroad in the area. By having the Union army controlling this area, it contributed to the regional blockade of nearly 200+ miles of the Northern Coastal zone of North Carolina. New Berne was the only railroad spur line to the coast in this area.

Using the map's scale and New Berne as a reference base, Trenton was a short 20 miles west of New Berne. Plymouth, North Carolina was nearly 55 miles north on Albemarle Sound. The railroad extended down from Goldsboro to New Berne and then a further 30 miles southeast to coastal Moorehead City, with the town of Beaufort, North Carolina being four miles east across Topsail Inlet. This was the military zone that the 25th Mass would help contribute towards patrolling.