The Atlanta Campaign of 1864: The Camera at War

The Atlanta Campaign was one of the final nails in the coffin for the American Civil War. General Sherman and his band of Union soldiers destroyed the railroad hub that was Atlanta, nicknamed Terminus, which crippled the Confederacy. These photos document fortifications and other structures that were built in or around Atlanta, just before the Battle of Atlanta took place back in 1864. These photos show just how important the city of Atlanta was to the Confederacy’s success. Once Sherman burned Atlanta and every other major city between there and Savannah, the South’s bid to win the Civil War was all but over. The city of Atlanta was vital to the South’s success thus far into the war because it was the only major way that the Confederacy could mass transport war necessities to other parts of the South, such as guns, ammunition, food, and other essentials. The Union soldiers were well prepared to fight in the South, making the Confederate troops retreat and build new forts at almost every turn. Not only did demolishing Atlanta hurt the South, it was also a major morale boost for the North. Once Atlanta was conquered, there were no more major Confederate armies to confront Sherman and his band of soldiers. Sherman brought the heat of the war right into the homes of Southern civilians, taking whatever he and his soldiers needed, while also making sure that there was nothing that allowed the civilians to band together and try to take down the Northern army.

Source: Railroad yards. Possibly at Atlanta, ca. 1860 - ca. 1865 National Archives Identifier 529282 / Local Identifier 111-B-5177 Item from Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer