discovering atlanta

$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

Correspondence from Imogene Hoyle to Amaryllis Bomar,
"Atlanta is very dull now.", June 30, 1863[?], Bomar Family Papers

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While MARBL holds a significant amount of letters to and from soldiers in the Civil War between families and friends, it is also important to note the epistolary conversations that happened between those who stayed at home. A collection of letters in the Bomar Family Papers here in MARBL is a peek inside life for young women during a war that came so close to home.

Amaryllis Bomar was the daughter of Dr. Benjamin F. and Sarah E. Lumpkin Hayne Bomar. Dr. Bomar settled his family in Atlanta when Amaryllis was very young. Upon arriving in Atlanta, Bomar ceased practicing medicine and opened up a general store on Whitehall Street. He was elected a member of the first Atlanta City Council in 1848 and became the city's second mayor in 1849. He also started the Atlanta Intelligencer, one of the city's earliest newspapers. 

Amaryllis was a teenager during the Civil War, and most of the letters in the Bomar Family Papers are addressed to her. Some of the most interesting, which tell of life as a young woman in Atlanta, come from her friend Imogene Hoyle. The Hoyles were another prominent family in the city at this time. Both families refugeed to towns outside of Atlanta during 1864 and some of the letters document this period. 

You can really see the difference a year makes when you view letters from the summer of 1863 alongside those from the fall of 1864. Imogene writes in June, 1863 that "Atlanta is very dull now." She also mentions a young man who "inquired very particularly about [Amaryllis]." This letter is lively and light and talks about the goings on in the city and how "there's plenty of gossip going around."

The mood changes significantly, however, by letters from the summer and fall of 1864. In a letter dated June 28, 1864, Imogene talks about the family's difficult flight from Atlanta. "I had a hard time getting out of Atlanta and had almost come to the conclusion that the Yankees would get me in spite of every thing." Her family ended up refugeeing in Sandersville, GA and a number of her following letters are sent from there. 

There are definite pangs of homesickness in the letters, most significantly in one from November 16, 1864 when Imogene writes, while discussing a newly acquired piano, "Our favorite song is 'Take Me Back to Atlanta' and when I strike that, every one in the place joins in, both black and white. Ama, what do you think!" She also talks about teaching someone to play the piano, most specifially "'Dixie' for the troops to march home by, when peace is declared."

The letters continue on into 1865 as the girls exchange news about wounded soldiers and where their loved ones have been stationed. They continue, though, to retain a somewhat lighthearted air as love interests and gossip are discussed as well. 

Though the collection of letters is small (there are only ten written by Imogene to Amaryllis) they span a significant time period for Atlanta. Their importance, as well, is in the fascinating way they offer a glance inside life for young women in the South during the incredible upheaval of the Civil War.

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.