civil war

$5 Bill from the Confederate States of America,
Confederate Miscellany Collection

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Many aspects of the Civil War which didn't necessarily occur directly in Atlanta or even in Georgia, had a direct impact on Atlanta's citizens. When the South seceded from the Union, it almost immediately fell into a financial crisis. Problems of inflation plagued the Confederacy throughout the war. There was not a great deal of control over or organization of currency production, with states, banks and even private companies issuing their own paper money as haphazardly as the federal government.

MARBL has a number of issues of Confederate currency in its collections in various denominations. In Atlanta, we can imagine that the citizens of the city were using both federal notes as well as those which were printed nearby in Milledgeville. Both of these issues, as well as those from banks and other states can be found in several collections in MARBL.

$500 Bill Issued by the Confederate State of Georgia,
Confederate Miscellany Collection

The south made a number of fatal mistakes when it came to its financial state, not the least of which was the creation of currency without funding to back it up. However, it was a strong Union blockade on Confederate exportation and Europe's declining reliance on Southern cotton that lessened the South's monetary intake. As well, Northerners were contributing to the currency problems by circulating counterfeit bills. The South did not have its own printing press for money, nor did it have the same level of engravers or quality of paper as the North. As a result, Confederate currency was highly susceptible to being duplicated fraudulently.

With the overabundance of currency printed, inflation was rampant in the Confederacy. Items, which immediately prior to the war would have been worth reasonable amounts, rose exponentially in price during the early 1860s. The value of a Confederate dollar declined steadily over the course of the war. In the summer of 1863, the worth of the dollar slipped to 8 cents and by the time of Lee's surrender, it was down to 1.5 cents. By 1865, Confederate money was considered worthless and was only kept as a war souvenir or play money. (Heidler & Heidler)

Confederate currency did not become a true collector's item until the centennial in the 1960s. After that, prices soared and today some of the more rare items are valued in the $10,000s, a far cry from its worth in 1865.

References:

Current, R.N. (Ed.). (1993). Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. New York: Simon and Schuster

Heidler, D.S., Heidler, J.T. (Eds.). (2000). Encyclopedia of the American
Civil War: a political, social and military history. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO

The Southern Confederacy, October 5, 1861

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The Southern Confederacy was a newspaper published in Atlanta during the Civil War from 1861-1865. It was strongly Southern Democrat and functioned during the War as one of the main newspaper outlets in Atlanta, with the other being the Daily Intelligencer. 

The original version of the Southern Confederacy was first published in 1859 by James P. Hambleton. Franklin Garrett mentions the highly talked about newspaper in Atlanta and Its Environs by stating that Hambleton "was a fire-eater, and his editorials were highly intemperate in tone." (Garrett, p.454) Hambleton was a strong voice in a city which was growing rapidly, in a country which was heading towards war. In May, 1861, Hambleton joined the Confederate Army and the title for the paper was transferred to C.R. Hanleiter and George W. Adair who at the time were publishers of the Gate City Guardian. The papers merged and retained the name Southern Confederacy. You can find Hanleiter's diary from 1861-1865 on microfilm in MARBL.

MARBL has a bound volume of the Southern Confederacy from August 13, 1861-February 11, 1862. Though this doesn't cover the bulk of the war and the Battle of Atlanta, it is a fascinating look at how Atlanta reported on the war when it wasn't right on the city's doorstep.

The cost for the paper was $5.00 a year for a daily subscription or $2.00 a year to get the paper weekly. It was made up largely of advertisements and classifieds including this one for W.F. Herring and Co. selling military goods for cash only.  Railroad schedules and ticket prices were listed on the front page as well as a Fraternal Record which included local lodges and meeting information.

The articles written brought news of the war and also of the newly-formed Confederate government including the unopposed Jefferson Davis electoral ticket for President. Other news included articles about a new postage act enacted by the Confederate Congress, as well as opinion pieces about how Atlanta and Georgia should be involving themselves in the war effort.

Though the Southern Confederacy did not survive the war, it is a solid record of Atlanta during a period of tremendous unrest and upheaval. It is a study in not only how the war was being relayed to the people of Atlanta, but also of the daily functions of a young, Southern city in the early 1860s.

Reference:
Garrett, F. (1954). Atlanta and environs: A chronicle of its people and events, vol. 1. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc.