Civil War States: Georgia

The biggest battle ever fought in Georgia and the last major Confederate victory during the War took place at the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. Union forces hoped to capture the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, which was an important gateway to the rest of the South. The opposing forces met in Chickamauga, where the fighting lasted three days. When it was over, more than 16,000 Union soldiers were dead, injured or missing; the Confederate army sustained over 18,000 casualties. Although the Union Army captured Chattanooga, Confederate forces were considered the victors because Union forces still failed to push into Georgia until the following year. Read more about the fight at the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

In addition to the Chickamauga Battlefield, several other Civil War battle sites dot the landscape across Georgia. This interactive map highlights the location of various military clashes around the state. A summary of each battle is provided, along with a report of the winner.

Andersonville, also known as Camp Sumter, was the deadliest of the Civil War prison camps. At one point, the 26.5 acre facility, which really amounted to a fenced enclosure, held more than 33,000 Union prisoners. Andersonville only operated 15 months, but during that time nearly 13,000 of prisoners died of malnutrition, exposure, and other illnesses. They were buried in a plot nearby. Today, Andersonville is the only National Park in the United States dedicated to all American prisoners of war.

During the Civil War, ironclad ships were developed to protect military strongholds. The world's first naval battle between ironclads took place between the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) in the Chesapeake Bay. The exhibits at the Port Columbus, Georgia Naval Civil War Museum and its Web site tell these stories and more. The unique collection of naval flags at the museum features flags flown on naval ships and even a surrender flag flown at Fort Jackson, Louisiana.

Photographer Mathew Brady’s vivid images of soldiers readying for combat and the effects of the war in Georgia, especially Atlanta, are on view at the Library of Congress Web site.