Little evidence of the Battle of Atlanta remains
The Cyclorama painting, markers and a vivid imagination are a good start. Our experts weigh in on their must-sees
A nice article from the Civil War Pickett. Tourism around Atlanta can be tricky. (and dangerous) Keep situational awareness and remember that though the city paved over the battlefields, it still looks like greater Atlanta has been under siege ever since. Some neighborhoods look as if they were recently shelled and others like they need it. - DD
People often lament Atlanta paved over its Civil War battlefields. But there are some vestiges of the fighting, and you can go to a couple museums and gaze at dozens of roadside markers to get a sense of what happened there.
Tuesday is the anniversary of the July 22, 1864, Battle of Atlanta, which led to the fall of the Southern city weeks later and likely assured the re-election of President Abraham Lincoln.
I asked area historians, tour guides and preservationists to suggest places the interested can go to learn more about the battle and its importance. Among the suggested stops are markers where Union Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson and Confederate Gen. William H.T. Walker, a grizzled Confederate veteran nicknamed “Shot Pouch," were killed in action that day.
The following responses have been edited for context and brevity. A few sections have material from previous Civil War Picket posts.
CHARLIE CRAWFORD, president emeritus of the Georgia Battlefields Association
Obviously, start at the Cyclorama at the Atlanta History Center. Spend at least half a day studying the painting and all the associated displays, including maps at the “War in Our Backyards” kiosk on the main floor, not far from the locomotive Texas display. It would help if you have already read related books by Albert Castel, Steve Davis, Earl Hess and Bill Scaife.
Go thereafter to the Carter Center bus parking lot and note three historical markers there, including the one for…
The ProgreSSive Bolshevik democRats have demonized everything Confederate so that CW Tourism is now Racist. The Confederate Engravings on Stone Mtn. are in danger of demolition.