ABSTRACT
Atlanta sits on the southern slope of the Appalachian Piedmont. Here, during the Cambrian period, an underlayment of granitic intrusions into the metamorphic substrata folded the piedmont along a northeast strike of 25 degrees. The watershed of the Chattahoochee, Atlanta's only source of fresh water, is the narrowest of any major river, with its eastern limit only seven miles from the riverbed. In 1828, 50 miles to the northeast of today's Atlanta in what is now White and Lumpkin Counties, gold was discovered on land that was part of the Cherokee Nation. Despite the images made popular by books and movies, Atlanta shared more with western cities than it did with the older cities of Charleston, Savannah, and Richmond. The nature of the city as a transportation hub made it of vital importance; Atlanta would become one of the chief military supply centers for the South, which made it a major target of federal military strategy.
