Panoramic view of Chattanooga 1864
SOURCES: National Archives Records Administration,
The Chattanooga Public Library
Rathburn/Nottingham House
July 1864
It is rare that we can pinpoint a date from a 150+ year-old photo. But here we can due to the death of the second highest ranking Union officer killed in combat, Gen. James B. McPherson, whose body lay in state between July 23rd and 25th at the Kennedy/Nottingham house seen draped in an incredibly large American flag.
On July 22, 1864, McPherson's former West Point classmate, Confederate General John Bell Hood, launched an attack against the Union forces in front of Atlanta. During the battle, a line of Confederate skirmishers shot and killed McPherson after he attempted to escape capture on the way to the headquarters of William T. Sherman. Both Sherman and Hood mourned the loss of the general, who was returned to Union forces to receive a proper burial.
General James Birdseye McPherson
'General McPherson was a brave and honorable enemy. Unlinke General Sherman, he always fought the south with the sword, and never with a box of matches.'
The Atlanta Constitution, 14 July 1876
General McPherson was honored on a $2 note in 1890.
