Civil War: 150 Years Since The Atlanta Campaign (this summer)

[lethalweapon3]

I'm not really a savant when it comes to military history, but as an Atlanta resident I am downright excited over the events that have been, and should be, unfolding around town.

 

 

The so-called Atlanta Campaign stretched from May through September, culminating in the surrender of Atlanta to Union troops just west of Georgia Tech, and preceding Gen. Sherman's famous March to the Sea. The National Park Service offers up decent summaries of the individual battles during the campaign. The sesquicentennial (150th... just practicing my spelling skills here) commemorations of the pivotal Battle of Peachtree Creek and Battle of Atlanta in July 1864 are underway, most notably this weekend and next weekend.

 

Although it's insensitive for me to "take sides" in any bloody affair that resulted in scores of thousands of casualties on both sides, as a Black man free to do virtually whatever the heck I want 150 years later, it suffices to say I'm reasonably pleased with how the whole darn thing turned out. Odds ain't that great for me ever getting to see the "bicentennial" stuff, so this weekend ought to be as good as it gets for me. I'm hoping to come across a reenactment or something, although anybody thinking of running around the 'hood with CSA flags and replica guns really oughta plan ahead.

 

Among other things, I want to visit the "Shoupades" in the Vinings/Smyrna area, go to the Cyclorama in Grant Park (home to what was called "The World's Largest Oil Painting", which skeptically sounds to me like The Varsity calling itself the "World's Largest Drive-In"), and take a trip to Oakland Cemetery just east of downtown, where many Confederate soldiers are buried.

 

Local yokels who are really into this sort of stuff, or otherwise just looking for something educational for their families to do, should find plenty of activities this summer from Buckhead all the way down to Lovejoy.

 

The Atlanta History Center in Buckhead will be spending the upcoming weekends presenting multiple exhibits, readings, and performances, this weekend with a focus on the Battle of Peachtree Creek that went down within roughly a mile south of the museum.

 

The smartypants over at Emory U. put together an interactive website (BattleAtl.org) with a mobile-friendly app that gives viewers a feel for where commanders laid out their tactical plans and where soldiers threw down during the Battle of Atlanta. A slightly hipper "B*ATL" group has events in East Atlanta wrapping up this weekend. There's also a larger statewide site called GaCivilWar.org by the sesquicentennial commission with a bunch of info, while Civil War Traveler keeps a running list of reenactments and related events here and around the country.

 

As I find any more Civil War-related goodies, I'll be sure to share them here.

 

~lw3

[Guest]

Man, wish I could tour around Atlanta to see some of this stuff. Come to think of it, I should be passing through the weekend of August 30th. I might need to plan for a detour.

[Guest]

Good stuff lw3.

[HawkItus]

I'm not really a savant when it comes to military history, but as an Atlanta resident I am downright excited over the events that have been, and should be, unfolding around town.

 

 

 

 

Although it's insensitive for me to "take sides" in any bloody affair that resulted in scores of thousands of casualties on both sides, as a Black man free to do virtually whatever the heck I want 150 years later, it suffices to say I'm reasonably pleased with how the whole darn thing turned out. 

 

 

~lw3

Ain't that the truth........

[NJHAWK]

Ive been to a few of these 150th anniverary deals in Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, New Market etc.  They do a really good job and Im sure Atlanta will as well. John Bell Hood baby !!!!

[lethalweapon3]

Atlanta History Center is "liveblogging", if you will, the events of what went down during the Battle of Peachtree Creek, 100 years ago this afternoon, here:

 

http://atlantahistorycenter.tumblr.com/

 

(start from the bottom and scroll up, for chronological order)

 

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

The Surrender of Atlanta to Union troops was 150 years ago on September 2.

 

 

(image via Phil Gast's Civil War blog: http://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2014/09/surrender-of-atlanta-why-was-it-so.html)

 

NPR (Audio) --The History of Atlanta's Battlefield Preservation, or Lack Thereof: http://wabe.org/post/history-atlantas-battlefield-preservation-or-lack-thereof

 

History Channel: http://www.history.com/news/union-troops-capture-atlanta-150-years-ago

 

 

AJC keeps a running log of Atlanta-area and Georgia events through next month, including reenactments at Tunnel Hill, Hampton (Battle of Atlanta), Andersonville, and Newnan (Battle of Brown's Mill).

 

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/opinion/civil-war-150th-events-calendar-may-3-11/nfmw3/

 

~lw3

Edited September 5, 2014 by lethalweapon3

[Admin]

Hard to believe it's "only" been 150 years.

Great posts in this thread lethal

[ATLJA316]

The Surrender of Atlanta to Union troops was 150 years ago on September 2.

 

 

(image via Phil Gast's Civil War blog: http://civil-war-picket.blogspot.com/2014/09/surrender-of-atlanta-why-was-it-so.html)

 

NPR (Audio) --The History of Atlanta's Battlefield Preservation, or Lack Thereof: http://wabe.org/post/history-atlantas-battlefield-preservation-or-lack-thereof

 

History Channel: http://www.history.com/news/union-troops-capture-atlanta-150-years-ago

 

 

AJC keeps a running log of Atlanta-area and Georgia events through next month, including reenactments at Tunnel Hill, Hampton (Battle of Atlanta), Andersonville, and Newnan (Battle of Brown's Mill).

 

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/opinion/civil-war-150th-events-calendar-may-3-11/nfmw3/

 

~lw3

 

The site of the surrender is very close to my house. Right at the mid-point between my house and Philips arena, in fact.