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.

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An aerial image shows part of John A. White Park taken on Wednesday, July 4, 2025, where the City of Atlanta plans to build new trails as part of the citywide Trails ATL plan. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

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Scott Jackson (right), business service consultant for WorkSource Fulton, helps job seekers with their applications in a mobile career center at a job fair hosted by Goodwill Career Center in Atlanta. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC