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The
Peace Monument

Located at the 14th Street Entrance
to Piedmont Park, Atlanta, Georgia.

American to American

The winged goddess Peace
announcing the South's
surrender is ordering a
Confederate soldier to lay
down his weapon.

The Peace Monument
Commemorating the historic "Mission of Peace" to the North in 1879 by The Gate City Guard of Atlanta, was unveiled in Piedmont Park with elaborate ceremonies in October of 1911.

History
As the late 1870's arrived, Atlantans looked back on nearly two decades of traumatic experiences. The city lay in ashes at the end of the Civil War, and worse was still to come in the long hard years of military occupation called "Reconstruction". Passions engendered by the war were slow to subside, but, finally, the American sense of fair play and traditions of law and humanity began to reassert themselves. In 1877 President Rutherford Hayes withdrew the last federal troops from the South.

The violent antagonisms which had been aroused were still strong. An enduring peace between the sections seemed to require that some positive steps be taken to bring about a permanent reconciliation of North and South.

The "Friendly Invasion"
In Atlanta, a "Peace Mission" to the Northern states was proposed. Captain J. F. Burke, Commandant of the reactivated Gate City Guard, led the movement. The Guard had been the first military company in Atlanta to volunteer for the war; now it would be the first to volunteer to secure the peace.

To the surprise of some, the Atlantans found a hearty welcome for their "peaceful invasion" of the North. Thousands turned out in major cities to cheer the "best drilled company in the world". The national press followed the Guard's friendship tour closely and it became known to people all over the country. Its mission was pronounced a great success everywhere and described as the first real move to reunite the states.

The Monument
Many more visits between North and South were exchanged over the next decades, including Atlanta's famous Cotton States Exposition of 1895. by 1910 it was decided that a monument to the first "Northern Mission" should be erected in Atlanta. The cost of the monument was quickly raised through private subscription. On October 10, 1911, 75,000 people watched a splendid parade of military units from all over America participate in dedication ceremonies which concluded with the presentation of the monument to the City of Atlanta.

Newspaper accounts of the day confirm that the Peace Monument represented different things to different people: Patriotism, reconciliation, the pledge of friendship and good will, and optimism about America's unfinished history were all sponsors. There is much historical evidence to suggest that it also represented a tribute to a proud people, who, even though defeated, still remained unconquered.

Each year The Old Guard Battalion of the Gate City Guard conducts a brief rededication observance at the monument at 2:00 p.m. on the Saturday nearest October 10th. The public is invited to attend.

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