09/02/2026
On this day in 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman finally captured the city of Atlanta after a months-long siege on the city. Atlanta’s mayor at the time, James Calhoun, surrendered to the Union Army after Confederate forces abandoned the city the day prior. The victory is often said to be a pivotal moment in the war, essentially assuring President Lincoln’s re-election that November and a final Confederate defeat in the next year.
Fifteen years later, Sherman returned to the city he had devastated during the war, calling cards like this one in hand. His visit was very different from his time in 1864, receiving a warm welcome from Atlantans who had gathered at the train station to welcome him. During his brief visit, he charmed city and state officials (including the new mayor, James Calhoun’s son William) and only made an occasional sly comment about fire.
Learn more about how Atlanta served as the turning point of the Civil War in our new exhibition, More Perfect Union: The American Civil War Era.
📸: Sherman’s Calling Card, Unidentified printer, circa 1879. Gift of the Calhoun Family, 1939. On display in the Archives Gallery as part of our exhibition, Atlanta in 100 Objects.
📸: Gen. William T. Sherman, 1863. From the U.S. National Archives
📸: Page from "Photographic Views of Sherman’s Campaign” by George N. Barnard, published 1866. This copy, owned by General Sherman, is on display in More Perfect Union
📸: Sherman’s order of evacuation for Atlanta citizens, September 8, 1864, handwritten by Sherman himself. On display in More Perfect Union.
