Georgia, like several other southern states, played a key role in the civil war. Georgia witnessed some of most brutal battles of the civil war. Georgia was used as a center of transportation for the confederacy during the civil war. A huge number of people fought in the civil war from the Georgian side. This paper intends to discuss the role of Georgia in the American civil war along with discussing major battles, events and major participants of the civil war related to Georgia.
The division between union states and confederate states took place on the issue of slavery. Southern states did not agree to abolish slavery form their states. They were in favor of continuation of slavery while northern states wanted to abolish the slavery practices. The issue divided the United States of America in union states and confederate states. When Abraham Lincoln came to power after the presidential election in the year 1961, seven southern states refused to be a part of the union and they announced their secession. These states believed that President Lincoln was unable to secure their interests as he believed in abolishing the slavery. These states formed a confederacy and created their army to fight the union.
Georgia was one of these states that announced its disaffiliation with the union in the January 1861 and became a part of the confederacy. Union as well as confederacy tried their best to keep Georgia with them due to its strategic location and importance. Having Georgia was very important for the confederacy because Georgia was a crucial state from transportation point of view. Georgia was also very important because the state had various industries and was very rich in terms of agriculture (Inscoe).
Georgia sent thousands of its men in the civil war but was comparatively unaffected by the effects of war in initial two years of war. Georgia witnessed hundreds of battles on its soil but almost all of them were fought in the last two years of the civil war. The battle of Chickamauga was a major battle that was fought in the year 1863 between the union and confederate states. Confederates won this battle and this win proved to be their last battle in the west against the union states (Fowler & Parker).
William T. Sherman, the army general of Union states waged “The Atlanta Campaign” in the year 1864 and attacked Georgia. Joseph E. Johnson was a general of confederation who tried to defend Georgia and fought a number of battles on the behalf of confederacy. He also fought the battle of kennesaw Mountain which was one of the largest battle on the georgian soil. Another confederate general, John Bell Hood also tried to defend georgia in the battle of Peachtree Creak, as well as, in the Battle of Attlanta but could not face the attack of union states and Sherman successfully captured Atlanta in the year 1863 (Walker).
William Sherman ravaged georgia after his victory in Atlanta campaign. After Atlanta campaign, Shrman further launched a new expedition, “march to sea.” He instructed his men to burn down buildings and plantations. His men also damaged stockhouses, railway lines and roads. Atlanta Campaign proved to be very devastating for Georgia. Sherman himself stimated that his Atlanta Campaign cost millions of dollars. Thousands of Georgians were killed in this expedition.
William Sherman won Georgia completely after the Battle of Columbus in the year 1865. This battle was the last battle that was fought between union and confederate states. Georgia was ravaged completely. Thousnds of people were dead and economy of the state was in a sporadic condition. The state remained in a state of poverty untill its re-admission in union states in the year 1870.
Georgia was the last confederate state that was re-admitted in the union states. After its re-admission the process of restructuring was commenced and Georgia again gained its earlier status. The civil war left Georgia devastated but re-admission in the union states helped Georgia in standing once again. Georgia had to accept all the terms and conditions while its readmission in the union states. All Georgian slaves were liberated and slavery was officially abolished from the state.
Having observed an overview of the abovementioned subject, this paper concludes that Georgia had a very important role in the American Civil War. Georgia gave some braveheart soldiers to the confederate army who fought several battles against union states. Thousands of people lost their lives and the state was left ravaged completely after the war. The state took a long time in recovering and gaining its earlier position.
Works Cited
Fowler, J.D., & Parker, D.B. Breaking the Heartland: The Civil War in Georgia. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 2011.
Inscoe, John C. The Civil War in Georgia: A New Georgia Encyclopedia Companion. USA: University of Georgia Press, 2011.
Walker, Scott. Hell's Broke Loose in Georgia: Survival in a Civil War Regiment. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2005.
