Breaking: Spain highlights Atlanta’s World Cup matches
News
News

South officially surrendered 150 years ago today

"Capture of De Gress' Battery by the Confederates" during the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. Illustration from "The Mountain Campaigns in Georgia, or War Scenes on the W&A," 1886, Atlanta.

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

"Capture of De Gress' Battery by the Confederates" during the Battle of Atlanta, July 22, 1864. Illustration from "The Mountain Campaigns in Georgia, or War Scenes on the W&A," 1886, Atlanta.
By Staff reports
June 2, 2015

It was 150 years ago today that Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith signed the surrender terms offered by Union negotiators, bringing a formal end to the bloodiest four years in U.S. history.

The war began on April 12, 1861, and more than 600,000 Americans died before it was over.

The war truly hit home for Georgians at the end of 1864. From Nov. 15 to Dec. 21, Union Gen. William T. Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah. The purpose of this "March to the Sea" was to frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause.

Check out the AJC's special report on the "war in our backyards."

Click here to read more on Sherman's legacy.

Interested in exploring metro Atlanta's Civil War battlefields? Click here.

About the Author

Staff reports
More Stories

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

MLK Day, Juneteenth cut from national parks’ free days; Trump’s birthday added

The Trump administration has altered which days national parks will allow free entry for residents and citizens next year.

2h ago
LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’ podcast: Holy Booty: The Weight of Beauty Standards

Listen and subscribe to our podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also tell your smart speaker to “play ‘It’s UATL’” podcast.

More of the AJC’s in-depth coverage of Atlanta’s plans for international event

The Latest

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

MLK Day, Juneteenth cut from national parks’ free days; Trump’s birthday added

2h ago

Sweet Tea: To care is human

LISTEN

‘It’s UATL’ podcast: Holy Booty: The Weight of Beauty Standards

Featured

Former Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman talks to her daughter, Wandrea ArShaye "Shaye" Moss, a former Georgia election worker, after she testified before the U.S. House Select Committee at its fourth hearing on its Jan. 6 investigation on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS)

Credit: TNS

OPINION

The 2020 election interference case is gone, but it can’t be forgotten

The decision by a Georgia prosecutor not to pursue the massive Trump election interference case leaves some bad deeds unpunished.

Officials to install opioid reversal kits in Georgia’s public schools

The kits will contain Narcan, which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and restore breathing.

Odom-led comeback nets Conference USA championship for Kennesaw State

The Owls continue to be one of the most intriguing stories of the season, going from a two-win season to a conference title and beating the defending league champions.