The following is an attempt to establish the course of this route from the headquarters at Copenhill, to the monument, at McPherson avenue and Monument avenue.

Of course, McPherson would want to take the most direct route consistent with rapid traveling. The country was wooded, somewhat rough, and the cultivated fields were obstructed by fences. The front line of the federals crossed the railroad at DeGress avenue, and southward, the line was generally along the present Moreland avenue, though there was no Moreland avenue there then. Northward of the railroad, the line traversed Inman park, crossing Euclid near Alta, and crossing Highland, just east of Copenhill avenue, where it ascended the western slope of Copenhill. Obviously, McPherson’s route would be east of this line, and far enough to the rear to be safe.

In 1864 Highland avenue, coming from the north, did not touch Copenhill as it does now. It swung southeastward at the present North avenue, where it crossed Williams Mill road near its present intersection. This carried “Highland avenue” across the present P. H. Snook property (at Seminole and Cleburne) and, as Cleburne Avenue, it went on southeastward to Little Five Points. The east and west section of Cleburne Avenue was non-existent then, but was probably represented by a field road up to the Augustus Hurt house.

Still southeastward, it crossed the present five intersections and traversed the elevated grade in the blocks bounded by Moreland, McLendon, DeKalb and Candler. Between Candler and Elmira, it crossed the railroad, and La France street carried it eastward to a point between Hutchinson and Mayson. Here a road led an irregular course due south. It was east of Hutchinson, and west of the streamline, which is one of the many branches of Sugar creek.

This stretch of the roadway is no longer visible in places, but the grassy sward west of the stream is occasionally scored by wheel tracks, and the area, being mostly low ground, is still unimproved. Hardee street was to cross just east of Hutchinson, and threaded a diagonal course through woods still standing, to the present intersection of Boulevard drive and Montgomery street. This point was just east of Blair’s headquarters, which were on the hill northeast of the Whitefoord school. The trace of the old road is still visible here. Montgomery street is an unimproved section of the route, south of Boulevard drive, but it stops at the south Decatur car line.

In 1864, the road continued across the valley of the east and west branch of the stream – climbing the steep hill to Fair street. Here it passed between the present houses at 1458 and 1462 Fair street, S.E. Here East Side street carried the route southward, over the eastern slope of the hill where Murphy Junior High school is located – but East Side street and Fair street are at present sunk within deep cuts made in the hill. In ’64, East Side street was at grade level and from the forward slope of the hill, McPherson and Strong stopped to watch the combat over to the southeast, where Walker and Bate were assaulting Sweeny’s division of the 16th corps, in the valley as described. On the hill slope, the roadway left the course of East Side street and swung a little southeast to the present intersection of an unimproved street called Park street and the terminus of McPherson avenue.

The house at 1485 McPherson avenue, S.E. – at present the last house on the street, occupies a lot that is bounded on the north by McPherson avenue, and on the south by a narrow roadway, cinder-paved. This is referred to in old deeds as the “Old McPherson Road,” and it is the trace of the old route we are describing. The present section of McPherson avenue, east of the monument, is no part of the original road. The cinder road mentioned is a section of the old road, and McPherson turned sharply to the right or westward here and followed the course to the present East Side street. Here the road trended a little north of west, and joined the paved section of the avenue at the monument. Here McPherson was killed. The road forked near the monument: the right or north fork is McPherson avenue, the south fork ran southwest and no longer exists. It was visible as late as 1909, where the writer traversed its partly wooded course tot eh intersection of Glenwood and Flat Shoals. This fork was likely the one McPherson would have taken, for it led to the left of his line. The north fork – now paved – is part of the battlefield road to Leggett’s Hill.

Shortly after the war, an army engineer located the tall pine tree under which McPherson was killed. He established the location through personal knowledge of events, and the testimony of others, equally conversant with the facts. A photograph was made of the site. The engineer scored the tree-trunk with distinguishing marks and ran lines up to the Georgia railroad, establishing certain station points there. His survey was used when the monument was placed where we now behold it, and its proper location has never been questioned. Mr. J. W. McWilliams, still residing in East Atlanta, states that the monument was erected about 1870.

The marble block under the big gun, so McWilliams states – is hollow and contains a metal box filled with papers, like a corner stone. The original railing around the monument was composed of gun barrels set vertically in two iron rails, the gun barrels being tipped by metal spearheads. All these gun barrels were wrenched loose and purloined by visitors, and when they were gone, pine cones from the big tree were at a premium. Monument avenue was cut through the woods in recent years and today the monument site sits midway the width of Monument avenue, and at the south border of McPherson avenue.

The route, as given, is compiled from old war maps and the reports of federal officers who were engaged in the fighting at and near the terminus of McPherson’s last ride.

Source: McPherson's Last Ride by Wilbur G. Kurtz (1930)