Confederate defensive works around Atlanta, Georgia', 1864

Confederate defensive works around Atlanta, Georgia', 1864. Albumen print by G N Barnard (1819-1902) of a Confederate artillery battery defending the city of Atlanta. The Union Army besieged Atlanta from July 1864, finally capturing it in September despite formidable defences. The siege was part of the bitter campaign fought by General Sherman known as the March to the Sea. Fought between 1860 and 1865, the American Civil War saw the Northern Union or Federal forces fighting successfully to prevent the Southern Confederacy from leaving the United States to form their own country. Over half a million soldiers were killed in America's bloodiest war. This photograph is from an album entitled 'Canada and the United States.1867' by John Downes Rochfort, who toured Canada and America in 1867. ©SSPL/National Media Museum