During the Civil War Battle of Peachtree Creek, Confederates attacked Union troops approaching Atlanta from the north. Thousands of men were killed, wounded or captured.
Two different memorials to the July 20, 1864 battle were raised in the early 20th century, on what is now the grounds of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. But if you visit the site today, you won’t see either of them.
Both were moved in the past year or so in advance of the construction of the hospital's new 16-floor Piedmont Atlanta Tower, which will house the Marcus Heart & Vascular Center.
However, the hospital said it plans to reassemble the memorials once the expansion project is complete in 2020. The decision comes at a time when the presence of Confederate commemorations is increasingly controversial.
“We understand the historical significance of these monuments and look forward to having them be part of the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital Tower moving forward,” Dr. Patrick Battey, CEO of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, said in a statement.
The hospital is storing the relic erected by the Atlanta Historical Society in 1944 during construction. Etched into the monument is a dedication to the battle’s participants on “the 80th anniversary of the first of four conflicts for the possession of Atlanta.”
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It will be put back up in a new area close to the entrance off Peachtree Road. The location was “carefully considered based on the functional needs and design of the building,” based on available space, Battey’s statement said.
The other sign, a 1919 stone marker for Captain Evan Howell's battery, is owned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The organization moved the monument into storage last summer.
The hospital has offered UDC the option to return it once construction is complete in an area close to the Battle of Peachtree Creek monument.
Jane Brady, UDC Georgia Division President, confirmed the marker will be returned at that time.
This article has been updated.
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