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Georgia's Civil War Heritage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Stefanie Paupeck
Georgia Department of Economic Development
404-962-4075
spaupeck@georgia.org

Georgia's Civil War Heritage

Discover the state's Civil War battlefields, driving trails, and history museums

ATLANTA, March 6, 2009 - Well preserved historical attractions from the Civil War era can be found all over Georgia. Visitors journey back in time as they step onto an almost 200-year-old battlefield, enter a museum full of restored artifacts, search for lost confederate gold or strike out on a driving trail. The state's many significant Civil War sites tell the story of the war's impact on Georgia and the country as a whole.

Twenty-seven Civil War battlefields offer captivating cultural and educational experiences for all ages. William T. Sherman's infamous Atlanta campaign started with the Battle of Resaca in May 1864, and the annual reenactment honors the 145^th anniversary of the battle this year in May 2009. Head to Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park containing monuments, historical markers, trails, scenic vistas and welcome centers filled with paintings, exhibits, historical tablets and even a collection of shoulder arms. Chickamauga was the second bloodiest battle of the war, and was followed by the Battle of Chattanooga. Several auto and foot trails take you on tours all over the site. Or, make your way to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, site of some of the heaviest fighting of the Atlanta campaign. Union and Confederate earthworks are preserved for inspection, as are cannon emplacements and monuments that serve to remind us of the 5,350 lives lost there. In Dallas, the curious voyager will find Pickett's Mill Battlefield Historic Site. One of the best preserved Civil War battlefields in the entire nation, visitors can travel the same roads, crouch behind the same earthworks and venture into the same ravine that blue and gray troops did so many years ago. Four miles of hiking trails, an educational visitor center with films, artifacts and exhibits and outdoor games make this a great daytrip destination for the family.

Preserved Civil War sites connect modern Americans with the memorable moments in history played out by our forebears. Stop by the Andersonville National Historic Site, location of Camp Sumter. One of the largest military prisons established by the Confederacy, 45,000 Union soldiers walked through its gates in the 14 months it was in operation. Today, the site showcases the old prison, Andersonville National Cemetery, and the National Prisoner of War Museum. Also in Andersonville, a unique collection of authentic Civil War uniforms tells the stories of the men that wore them at the Drummer Boy Museum. In Georgia's first city, history buffs will want to see Fort Pulaski National Monument. This Savannah landmark proved a turning point in military history when rifled cannons battered down the fort's walls, ending the use of masonry fortifications. The site is rich with wildlife, scenic trails, guided tours and interpretive programs such as musket and cannon firings. Enjoy seeing Marietta's many civil war sites including the Confederate and National Cemeteries, representing every major conflict in America's history. Hike on a one mile trail around Cheatham Hill, site of the worst fighting on the Kennesaw Mountain Line. Travel in the footsteps of Sherman as he marched down Marietta Square. Or, take a ride on the Marietta Trolley's Civil War Tour and see these sites and others while hearing from experts about Marietta's participation in the War Between the States. Be sure to visit Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Fitzgerald, site of Davis' arrest by the Union Army in 1865. The Robert Toombs Historic Site in Washington is also a compelling destination. Toombs was a legislator and Secretary of State for the Confederate States of America who left a lasting mark on the state, helping to create Georgia's Constitution of 1877. After looking over the exhibits, displays, and the immaculately restored antebellum home, try your hand at searching for the notorious lost confederate gold. In 1865, the remaining Confederate treasury went missing. Its last known location was the Chennault Plantation in Washington, Georgia. It has been widely speculated by both locals and outsiders that the gold is still buried somewhere in or around the city.

Acclaimed exhibits, artifacts and interpretations of the Civil War are found in enriching museums around the state. Discover the naval history of the Civil War at the National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus. Marvel at an impressive collection of ships that includes the CSS Chattahoochee, the only Confederate Navy gunboat to survive the war, the CSS Albemarle, complete with battle theater to recreate the experience of Civil War naval combat, and a full scale replica of the USS Monitor, the famous Federal ironclad that engaged the CSS Virginia in the world's first battle between ironclad ships. Visit the Atlanta History Center's Turning Point: The American Civil War exhibit, one of the nation's largest and most complete. The 9,200-square-foot gallery displays over 1,500 Union and Confederate artifacts, including cannons, uniforms and medical equipment. Curious visitors will also find such highlights as the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of its surrender, a Union supply wagon used by Sherman's army, General Patrick Cleburne's sword, a Medal of Honor won by the United States Colored Troops and the logbooks of the C.S.S. Shenandoah. Free audio tours, dioramas, videos and interactive exhibits add a technological touch to hundreds of years of history.

An 1845 hotel and cotton warehouse is now home to the Marietta Museum of History. Serving as a makeshift hospital and morgue during the war, this fascinating building has been featured on CNN, PBS and The History Channel. Tour The Civil War Gallery and hear tales about the South's version of West Point once located in Marietta, the Georgia Military Institute, or the Union spies who stayed in the museum while plotting to steal "The General" in the episode now known as The Great Locomotive Chase. At the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, learn even more about this famous 1862 episode where Union raiders stole "The General" in an effort to disrupt the train line between Atlanta at Chattanooga. These Union participants were later among the first recipients of the Medal of Honor, and Sgt. Scott's medal is on display at the museum. Glimpse into the lives of soldiers and their families by exploring the museum's collections full of weapons, uniforms, leather goods, bibles, musical instruments and personal items, and learn about the crucial role that railroads played in troop movement, hospital care and supplies delivery.

Hop in your car and drive along the Blue and Gray Trail in North Georgia, featuring Atlanta, Chattanooga, Chickamauga and Fort Oglethorpe. Or, ride along the Antebellum Trail that includes Athens, Macon, Milledgeville, Watkinsville, Madison, Eatonton and Old Clinton. The 25th anniversary of the trail will be celebrated this year, a milestone marked by the first-ever Antebellum Trail Pilgrimage. From antebellum homes to battle sites, intriguing museums to antique shopping, this great trail promises to be especially remarkable this year. Journey in the wake of Sherman's Atlanta Campaign or March to the Sea on Georgia's Civil War Heritage Trail, where thousands of trailblazer signs mark the way for more than 130 interpretive markers. Travelers will enjoy things such as taking in the old Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, the largest factory ever built by the Confederacy, or seeking out Crawfish Spring, where soldiers from both sides thirstily drank during the Battle of Chickamauga and site of a reunion held in 1889.

Rich in blue and gray history, Georgia's historical attractions offer a level of engagement and authenticity found nowhere else. Travelers enjoy everything from driving adventures to long-lost treasure hunts, personal encounters at famous cemeteries to in-depth explorations of conserved battle sites. Whether you are a history buff or just a curious explorer, plan your Civil War heritage experience today at www.exploregeorgia.org or call 1-800-VISIT GA.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.

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Andersonville National Historic Site – www.nps.gov/ande

Antebellum Trail – http://www.historicgeorgia.com/trails/index.cfm?action=showTrail&trailID=2

Atlanta History Center – www.atlantahistorycenter.com

Blue and Gray Trail – www.blueandgraytrail.com

Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park – www.nps.gov/chch

Drummer Boy Museum – http://www.andersonvillegeorgia.com/Drummer_Boy_Museum.htm

Fort Pulaski National Monument – www.nps.gov/fopu

Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails – www.gcwht.org

Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site – http://gastateparks.org/info/jeffd

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park – www.nps.gov/kemo

Marietta Confederate Cemetery – http://www.mariettaga.gov/departments/parks_rec/docs/cemeteries/CemeteryBrochure.pdf