“SHEDDING NEW LIGHT ON A FAMILIAR EVENT”
Atlanta, Ga., November 7, 2014 – The Georgia Historical society announced today that they will commemorate the beginning of General William T. Sherman’s historic March to the Sea with the dedication of a Historical Marker Wednesday, November 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. on the grounds of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 441 Freedom Pkwy NE, Atlanta.
“This marker is part of the GHS Civil War 150 Historical Marker Project, telling stories around the state that hadn't been told or that shed new light on familiar stories,” said W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. “There are a lot of misconceptions about General Sherman and the March to the Sea that aren't based on historical evidence, and we've tried to correct some of those in this marker, to see a familiar event in a new light.”
Speakers for the event will include, David Stanhope, Deputy Director for the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum; Charlie Crawford, President of the Georgia Battlefields Association, and Dr. W. Todd Groce, President and CEO of the Georgia Historical Society. President Carter has also been invited to attend.
The Marker Reads:
The March to the Sea
On November 15, 1864, during the Civil War, U.S. forces under Gen. William T. Sherman set out from Atlanta on the March to the Sea, a military campaign designed to destroy the Confederacy's ability to wage war and break the will of its people to resist. After destroying Atlanta's industrial and business (but not residential) districts, Sherman's 62,500 men marched over 250 miles, reaching Savannah in mid-December. Contrary to popular myth, Sherman's troops primarily destroyed only property used for waging war - railroads, train depots, factories, cotton gins, and warehouses. Abandoning their supply base, they lived off the land, destroying food they could not consume. They also liberated thousands of enslaved African Americans in their path. Sherman's "hard hand of war" demoralized Confederates, hastening the end of slavery and the reunification of the nation.
Erected for the Civil War 150 commemoration by the Georgia Historical Society and the Georgia Battlefields Association
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ABOUT GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit www.georgiahistory.com
ABOUT THE GEORGIA BATTLEFIELDS ASSOCIATION
Civil War sites in Georgia are being damaged and adversely affected by development. Georgia Battlefields Association is a private, non-profit organization that works with other preservation groups trying to prevent and reduce the damage.
ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Society has administered Georgia’s historical marker program since 1998, erecting over 200 historical markers across Georgia on a wide variety of subjects. Now, online mapping tools allow you to design statewide driving routes based on historical markers, while mobile apps give information about markers nearby. Visit www.georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.