Map Illustrating the Military Operations in front of Atlanta, Georgia

The extensive siegeworks around Atlanta during the American Civil War.

The city of Atlanta was a vital Confederate hub for transportation, industry, and military supplies during the American Civil War. As a result, it was heavily defended against Union attack and required a significant siege and secondary operations before its final capture by General Sherman’s forces in early September 1864.

This remarkable image attempts to capture the maneuvers and regional battles in the summer leading up to Atlanta’s fall to Union forces. Miles of defensive lines are shown in blue and red for the U.S. and rebel forces, respectively. Relief is shown in hachure and strategic features include railroads, landmarks, and even individual buildings.

Also of interest are the comparative fortification diagrams in the lower corners, with the left showing the Confederate walled defenses of Atlanta versus the Union breastworks, erected post-capture, on the right. The latter shows a much higher degree of engineering expertise – one of the many areas in which U.S. forces had a decided advantage over their rebel counterparts.

The map was compiled by the U.S. War Department Office of the Chief of Engineers, lithographed by Julius Bien & Co., and published by the War Department in 1875.

Example at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee