New Civil War exhibit opens at Atlanta History Center
U.S. Colored Troops Locket Commemorative locket featuring the image of a United States Colored Troops soldier. Photographic images of African American Civil War soldiers are relatively rare and provide a powerful connection to those who served. (Jena P. Jones)
ByAshley Simmons
ATLANTA — A new Civil War exhibit opens July 10 at the Atlanta History Center.
The exhibit, titled “More Perfect Union,” replaces the center’s previous Civil War exhibit, which was on display for nearly 30 years.
Chief Content Officer Pola Changnon said, “In the last 30 years there’s been a lot of additional scholarship around the Civil War, and we wanted to fully leverage that to ensure that we were telling a more complete story.”
Changnon also said, “Our collection just expanded to the point where it was clear we weren’t able to highlight everything that we really wanted to to tell a fuller story.”
The exhibit features never-before-displayed artifacts from the Civil War, including the Confederate flag that flew over Atlanta when the city surrendered. It also includes letters and diaries from soldiers, placing firsthand accounts at the center of the exhibit.
“So that you can understand what it would have felt like at the time, and those voices really resonate,” Changnon said.
A second phase of the exhibit is scheduled to open this winter.
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Freedman’s Camp Flag American flag that flew over a refugee camp for formerly enslaved men, women, and children on Craney Island, Virginia, in 1862-1863. The camp was one of hundreds that provided shelter and support for individuals seeking freedom behind Union lines.
“What to the American Slave is the Fourth of July”, Frederick Douglass Original 1852 printing of Frederick Douglass' famous speech, first given on July 5 that same year, which came to bear the title of its central question: "What to the American Slave is Your Fourth of July?" No one had ever expressed the fundamental contradictions of the American Experiment in clearer terms
1856 Boxford Fremont Club Banner Political banner made in Boxford, Massachusetts supporting Republican presidential candidate John C. Frémont during the 1856 election. The banner reflects growing national tensions over slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War.
1863 Children’s Board Game “The Guerrillas” was an 1863 children's board game. Priced at 50 cents, the game pitted a “Band of Guerillas” against the “Garrison of the Fort.” It was one of many “pleasant home amusements” based on “characters or events of the present war” available in Northern states.
“What to the American Slave is the Fourth of July”, Frederick Douglass Original 1852 printing of Frederick Douglass' famous speech, first given on July 5 that same year, which came to bear the title of its central question: "What to the American Slave is Your Fourth of July?" No one had ever expressed the fundamental contradictions of the American Experiment in clearer terms
Confederate Frock Coat Bloodstained frock coat of Pvt. Benjamin H.G. Schumpert, a young Confederate soldier killed at the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia in 1863. A bullet struck Shumpert in the head, killing him instantly. His cousin recovered the body and the coat
Civil War Lt Uniform (Frock, Pants, Hat) Coat, trousers, and hat worn by 1st Lt. George Young of the 143rd New York Volunteers during the Battle of Peachtree Creek on July 20, 1864. Young was wounded while delivering orders during the battle and suffered complications from the injury that would claim his life in 1909. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
Field Hospital Flag Rare U.S. Army hospital flag used to mark military field hospitals behind the front lines. Flags like this helped medical personnel and ambulance drivers locate treatment areas during some of the war’s bloodiest campaigns. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
Ezra Brooks U.S. Colored Troops Knapsack Knapsack carried by Private Ezra Brooks of the 8th United States Colored Troops. Brooks served from 1863 to 1865 and carried this pack at the Battle of Olustee, Florida, and during the Petersburg-Richmond campaign in Virginia. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
78th Illinois Regiment Drum Hand-painted bass drum carried by New York native William A. McKinzie of the 78th Illinois Infantry during the Atlanta Campaign, including the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. The drum was presented to McKinzie by fellow soldiers in 1864 and is among the rare surviving musical instruments used during the Civil War. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
U.S. Army Shelter tent Shelter half carried by Corporal Charles E. Smith of the 32nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Smith recorded his wartime service directly onto the fabric, creating a unique personal record of his Civil War experience, including service during the Atlanta Campaign. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
127th U.S. Colored Troops Flag Regimental flag associated with the United States Colored Troops. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, nearly 180,000 African American soldiers served in the Union Army, helping secure both Union victory and freedom for millions of enslaved people. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign, George N. Barnard Published by war photographer George N. Barnard, Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign contains scenes of Major General William T. Sherman’s Civil War military operations in Georgia and South Carolina. The 61 prints in the collection capture the aftermath of the siege of Atlanta and follow Sherman’s March to the Sea.
Ezra Brooks U.S. Colored Troops Knapsack Knapsack carried by Private Ezra Brooks of the 8th United States Colored Troops. Brooks served from 1863 to 1865 and carried this pack at the Battle of Olustee, Florida, and during the Petersburg-Richmond campaign in Virginia. (Jack W. Melton Jr.)
U.S. Colored Troops Locket Commemorative locket featuring the image of a United States Colored Troops soldier. Photographic images of African American Civil War soldiers are relatively rare and provide a powerful connection to those who served. (Jena P. Jones)
Ladder Badge (Jena P. Jones)
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.
