Produced in 1864, this map of Georgia is a unique depiction of not only where battles occurred in the Civil War, but also of the fixtures such as rail stations and post offices that existed before the war breaking out in 1861. 1864 was a decisive year in the Civil War and especially in Georgia, with the Atlanta Campaign being carried out by Union forces. The campaign led by Union General William Sherman started in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and ravaged Georgia as it marched towards Atlanta. Sherman successfully seized control of Atlanta on September 2, 1864, and he started his final journey to the sea, which hastened the end of the brutal conflict. Georgia had been relatively free from the conflict until this time, with a majority of the battles being fought in its northern neighbor South Carolina. This, however, had changed by 1864, and Georgia’s resources were dwindling. The Union blockade inhibited the export of cotton, and transportation systems were disrupted throughout the South, challenging the exchange of goods. Georgia was host to what is widely considered the last battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Columbus, on the Georgia-Alabama border in April of 1865. James Lloyd hand-colored the battle sites on this map in red and produced many other notable maps, later becoming a US Congressman who would serve from 1897-1917, representing Missouri. The distinctive aesthetic of this map immediately transports the viewer back in time and is an authentic piece of cartographical history.
