Columbus in Muscogee County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Freedom Day

Photographed by Daniel Bellware, April 15, 2026

1. Freedom Day Marker

Inscription. April 16, 1865, was Freedom Day for the enslaved people of Columbus who awoke that day as slaves and went to sleep that night free. That evening Union cavalry under Gen. James H. Wilson defeated the Confederate forces of Gen. Howell Cobb in a night battle that ended at the eastern side of the 14th Street bridge. Near here, Frank Bambush, an African-born slave, owned by Randolph Mott, may have seen Confederate Col. C. A. L. Lamar shot from his horse as he rallied the Southern troops. In 1859, Lamar, Mott and others were indicted for illegally importing Africans, including Bambush, on the slave ship Wanderer. Lamar’s death ended the last major military engagement of the Civil War and ushered in a new era for the city.

Erected 2026 by Daniel A. Bellware, Dr. Richard Gardiner, Mr. and Mrs. Arsburn "Oz" Roberts, W. Harold Mayweather and the National Civil War Naval Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Bridges & Viaducts • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 16, 1865.

Location. 32° 28.354′ N, 84° 59.673′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Georgia, in Muscogee County. It is at the intersection of 14th Street and Front Avenue, on the right when

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traveling west on 14th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Columbus GA 31901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Piedmont.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: J.S. Pemberton & the Confederacy / The Formula (a few steps from this marker); Calhoun (within shouting distance of this marker); Griffin (within shouting distance of this marker); Mott (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Battle (within shouting distance of this marker); Mills (within shouting distance of this marker); TSYS (within shouting distance of this marker); Mathews D. Swift Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.

Photographed by Daniel Bellware, April 15, 2026

2. Freedom Day Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2026, by Daniel Bellware of Columbus, Georgia. This page has been viewed 23 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 15, 2026, by Daniel Bellware of Columbus, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.