When the public envisions Atlanta during the Civil War, two primary images—of two unparalleled individuals—dominate: William Tecumseh Sherman and Scarlett O'Hara; however, there is more to the city's Civil War heritage than a frowning general and a wily gentlewoman. Within the pages of Atlanta: A Portrait of the Civil War, discover the old city streets, period homes, and military fortifications of Atlanta in a number of rarely reproduced Civil War photographs. Taken from the Atlanta History Center's visual arts collection, the images in this volume tell the story of the city as it was up to and during the Civil War. View the ruins of the Ponder House, the destruction of the rail lines, and the demolition of General Hood's ordnance train. Informative captions complement this engaging collection of images, and include excerpts from diaries, letters, and memoirs regarding life in Atlanta during the war. Many of the photographs were taken by George N. Barnard and his staff during the Federal occupation of Atlanta in the fall of 1864, and again in 1866 as he planned a publication of war views. Atlanta: A Portrait of the Civil War offers a comprehensive view of the city during a war that continues to fascinate both professional and amateur historians alike.
