A memoir of civil war atlanta and the old south, ed. Shermans march to the sea was a military campaign of the american civil war conducted through georgia from. Our goal is to perpetuate public awareness of, and stimulate interest in, the historical significance of the period in united states history termed the war between the states or commonly called the american civil war. The fall of atlanta was a critical point in the civil war, giving the north more. By 1852, its population had reached 3,000, including some 500 slaves. Sherman, a large federal force moved out of chattanooga, tennessee towards the georgia capital. Th e fall of a tlanta was a critical p oint i n the ci vil war, giving the north more. The battle of atlanta was the bloodiest and single most important clash in the atlanta campaign of the civil war. The battle of atlanta was fought july 22, 1864, during the american civil war 18611865 and saw union forces under major general william t. Founded in 1837 as a railway center for northwestern georgia, atlanta s original name was terminus.
Mcpherson successfully defended against a confederate offensive from lieutenant general john bell hood on the eastern outskirts of atlanta. Against a backdrop of flames, rhett butler took leave of scarlett ohara as the city of atlanta burned down around them and they reflected on the american civil war. On july 14, 1870, two years after publication of the book, mary was granted a life. Religious rather than political, it appealed to the moral conscience of its readers, urging them to demand immediate freeing of the slaves immediatism. This book, part of a 28volume reference series covering the american civil war that combine the aspects of both a book and an encyclopedia, effectively accomplishes what it is designed to do. It ensured that the confederacy could no longer transport their supplies to their soldiers. Jan 17, 2020 the battle of atlanta was fought july 22, 1864, during the american civil war 18611865 and saw union forces under major general william t.
The liberators civil war was started by the second triumvirate to avenge julius caesars assassination. Where to find civil war battlefields in metro atlanta. During the civil war, union troops took over and used the bricks for a hospital. Included in the book is a cdrom of the complete patient listings of more than 18,000 patients.
Nov, 2014 disunion follows the civil war as it unfolded. Gwinnett county, georgia civil war units research online. Savannah, the ninth book in james reasoners the civil war battle series, concerns itself mainly with the two youngest of the surviving brannon brothers, cory and henry. The locomotive general and its train were stolen here by 20 federal raiders april 12, 1862. At the time of the civil war 186165, atlanta boasted a population of almost 10,000 onefifth of whom were slaves, a substantial manufacturing and mercantile base, and four major railroads connecting the city with all points of the south. Sherman accompanied the last corps of his union army as it left atlanta to begin a virtually uncontested march to the sea, which would end in savannah five weeks later. The city of atlanta, georgi a, in fulton county, was an important rail and commercial center during the ameri can civil war.
A closeup of a section of a cyclorama depicting the battle of atlanta from the american civil war is seen in this undated photograph. The atlanta campaign we are a nonprofit, living history organization based in georgia. A new georgia encyclopedia companion inscoe, john c. Historical newspapers finding newspapers research guides at. Atlanta s role in the civil war atlanta played an important role during the civil war. Civil war newspapers available through houston public library. The atlanta cyclorama has been on display in atlanta since 1893 and is the longest running show in the united states, as well as the largest oil painting in the world. Olympic centennial exhibit nice, but could have used some interactive displays. Georgia was one of the original seven slave states that formed the confederate states of america in february 1861, triggering the u. After the civil war after the war, sherman succeeded grant as commander in chief of the u. Sherman entered georgia, scorching whatever resources that lay in his path.
The smaller confederate army led by general joseph e. History and remembrance is a guide for both explorations. The civil war trusts battle summary of the july 22, 1864, battle of atlanta includes history articles and more on the bloodiest battle of the atlanta campaign despite the defeat at peach tree creek, confederate lieut. Thomas discusses the poor crop in clyman that year, and tells of his conversations with will mcclain, a soldier who helped capture confederate spy belle boyd. With the exception of the battle of chickamauga in 1863, the state avoided major military conflict until 1864, when for nine months union general william t. Three miles outside the city, he stopped for a final look back. The civil war battle of decatur, georgia, the untold. Although it was neither georgias capital nor the largest city in the state, atlanta was energetic and thriving, and its strategic importance to the. The map includes the atlanta campaign, shermans march to the sea, and culminates in the capture of confederate president jefferson davis in south georgia. On a flyleaf in the leatherbound book was stamped georgia state library. With an armsbearing population somewhere between 120,000 and,000 white males between the ages of 16 and 60, this resource became an object of a great struggle between joseph brown, governor of georgia, and jefferson davis, president of the. After the confederate surrender and end of the civil war, georgia was. Founded in 1839, the towns mills played an important role in supplying goods such as the roswell grays to the confederacy. You can also find some interesting tidbits from many books from the bookslike advance and retreat john b.
This small book is a good introduction to the civil war in atlanta. The atlanta campaign was a series of battles fought in the western theater of the american civil war throughout northwest georgia and the area around atlanta during the summer of 1864. These 10 historical milestones in atlanta history make the city what it is today. Problems with comparing various published civil war medical data with the present material are examined. Finally, in early september he entered atlanta one day after the confederate army. Hood had the job of stopping this federal onslaught. Ulysses s grant was the supreme union general during the civil war and. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of atlanta, union forces commanded by william tecumseh sherman overwhelmed and defeated confederate forces defending the city under john bell hood.
By the end of 1863, with chattanooga, tennessee, and vicksburg, mississippi. He served as a general in the union army during the american civil war. The battle of atlanta was a battle of the atlanta campaign fought during the american civil war on july 21, 1864, just southeast of atlanta, georgia. Hollywood immortalized it in gone with the wind, the classic 1939 film based on margaret mitchells worldfamous novel of the same name. Civil war maps, available online, atlanta, georgia library of. It was the most decisive campaign of the civil war. Aug 26, 2014 mooc grant, sherman, and total war the civil war and reconstruction, 18611865 2. Atlanta campaign, in the american civil war, an important series of battles in georgia mayseptember 1864 that eventually cut off a main confederate supply centre and influenced the federal presidential election of 1864. Cory, now with general hardees troops, takes part in the long, fruitless struggle to save atlanta from the advancing federal troops under general william tecumseh sherman.
Atlantas civil war history will never be forgotten. Although relatively small in population, the city became a critical point of contention dur ing the a tlanta campaign in 1864 when a powerful union army approached from unionheld tennessee. This is a photograph of a camp for the 2nd massachusetts infantry near the atlanta city hall. Some who welcomed him as a liberator chose to follow his armies. The city of atlanta, georgia, in fulton county, was an important rail and commercial center during the american civil war. Union major generals william tecumseh sherman and james b. Civil war battle in atlanta following the battle of peachtree creek, hood determined to attack major general james b. But its importance as a major railroad hub and center for manufacturing ultimately proved lethal to the confederate stronghold. A newspaper perspective, the liberator, and godeys ladys. Prepared at the coast survey office, washington, d. In december 1864, a large swath of the state from atlanta to savannah was destroyed during general william tecumseh shermans march to the sea. The 1864 civil war battle of atlanta literally revolves in this immense painting in the round, completed in 1886.
Shermans armies from the outskirts of atlanta with an. Newspapers american civil war research guides at university of. This aspect of civil war medicine has not been previously discussed. After the war, the bricks were found to be undamaged and the mill houses were able to be repaired. Civil war tours in atlanta, georgia civil war itinerary. He served in this capacity past the fall of atlanta to the end of the war. He is most known for his campaign through georgia and the carolinas in 1864 where he followed a scorched earth policy including the capture and burning of atlanta. The end of the civil war boundless us history lumen learning. At the beginning of the civil war, georgia ranked third among the confederate states in manpower resources, behind only virginia and tennessee. The camera at war under the command of general william t.
The reality of atlanta civil war history was equally dramatic, though not nearly as romantic. Battle of atlanta july 22, 1864, american civil war engagement that was part of the unions atlanta campaign. At cold harbor the following week, grant lost another,000 soldiers. Georgians, like all americans, experienced the civil war in a variety of ways. And opening this fall, come see the cyclorama wing displaying the battle of atlanta cyclorama painting, the texas locomotive and more civil war artifacts.
William tecumseh sherman invaded georgia from the vicinity of chattanooga, tennessee, beginning in may 1864, opposed by the confederate general. But many white union troops proved to be reluctant liberators. At the start of the civil war in 1861, atlanta was a city vital to southern commerce and transportation. After three and a half months of incessant maneuvering and much hard fighting, sherman forced hood to abandon the munitions center of the confederacy. Selected civil war photographs, 18611865, library of congress. The war was fought by the forces of mark antony and octavian the second triumvirate members against the forces of caesars assassins marcus junius brutus and gaius cassius longinus in 42 bc. During the atlanta campaign of mayseptember 1864, general sherman opposed black enlistment with word and deed. Sherman remained there, resting his warworn men and. Union generals devised a strategy to bring the war to an end, starting with a navel. Antebellum roswell was a new englandstyle village centered around the cotton and woolen mills of the roswell manufacturing company. Today, the bricks serve as home of the roswell founders club, the social, cultural, and business entertainment center of the roswell, north atlanta area. Brown, wanted locally raised troops to be used only for the defence of georgia, in defiance of confederate president jefferson davis, who wanted to deploy them on other battlefronts. The civil war in georgia is an animated map that displays u. New book argues civil wars secondary battle in georgia was over.
The former site of fort x, aka fort hood, one of the 36 forts that defended atlanta during the civil war it is currently owned by georgia tech history atlanta 2014 the old loomis facility at fort x, aka fort hood, offers an old loomis facility it is currently owned by georgia tech history atlanta 2014 portrait of brig. It describes the actions during the conflict as well as locations around the metro that you can still visit. Civil war defences of atlanta, georgia 1865 the big map blog. Key personalities of the civil war american history. An avowed white supremacist and a reluctant liberator at best, sherman made no effort to conceal his contempt for blacks or to disguise the racist dogma behind his opposition to black soldiers.
These photographs are of sherman in atlanta, septembernovember, 1864. After reading most books on the atlanta campign for many years, i come to my conclusion that albert castel, decision in the west accounts for the best overall book of the entire affair. The atlanta cyclorama has been on display in atlanta since 1893 and is the longest running show in the. The atlanta campaign this union victory captured a key railroad city. Sep 15, 2015 enjoyed all the exhibits in the center including bobby jones and golf in georgia, civil war, folk art of the south. Sherman, who is credited with the phrase war is hell.
Today it is hard to imagine two massive armies maneuvering and clashing in the area that is now atlanta. Atlanta and proclaimed sherman as a great liberator. The second in a series of battles around the city, the fighting centered on a confederate attempt to defeat major general james b. Black troops in civil war georgia new georgia encyclopedia. Sherpa guides civil war atlanta area roswell roswell. Shermans troops moved across georgia to devastating effect, pushing slowly and painfully toward atlanta, and then more rapidly toward savannah and the coast. With the 150th anniversary here, interest in the war has never been higher here. Atlanta intelligencer office by the railroad depot 1 negative 2 plates.
The liberators civil war was started by the second triumvirate to avenge julius caesar s assassination. In early 1861, georgia joined the confederacy and became a major theater of the civil war. What was life like for the common soldier during the civil war. The timeline begins in may 1864 and runs through may 1865. Johnny reb and billy yank the most famous of the allafrican american units was the massachusetts 54th regiment, commanded by colonel robert gould shaw. Big shanty during the civil war was the site of a large confederate training camp in early 1862. In short, anything in atlanta that could aid the confederate war effort was leveled.
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