In 1827, he published his second book, A Practical Treatise on Topographical Surveying and Drawing, which was dedicated to his commander-in-chief Sir George Murray.
The replies to the circular he sent out and the subsequent correspondence amount to the largest single collection of primary source material on the subject ever assembled.
The final total cost was around £3,000, which Siborne had considerable difficulty in recovering, as the exhibitor of its first public display in London cheated him of much of his share of the revenues.
The main model was purchased by the Royal United Service Institution after his death, and is now in the Conflict In Europe gallery at the National Army Museum, London.
Siborne made use of the considerable amount of material he assembled to write his third book, a history of the Waterloo Campaign.
As he was exhausted by his efforts, his friends in the army obtained a sinecure for him as Secretary and Adjutant of the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea, a post which he took up in November 1843 and remained in until his death.