#526- THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN (Part the Twenty-fifth)

This episode of The Civil War & Reconstruction podcast examines the pivotal decision-making phase following the failed Union assault on Kennesaw Mountain on June 27, 1864. Hosts Rich and Tracy detail how General William Tecumseh Sherman, after a costly frontal attack that resulted in 3,000 Union casualties versus just 700 Confederate losses, shifted strategy to outflank Confederate forces under Joe Johnston. The plan centered on Schofield’s Army of the Ohio moving south along Sandtown Road to exploit the terrain and threaten Johnston’s rear, forcing him to abandon his fortified position. Sherman coordinated complex logistics, including stockpiling 10 days of supplies and relocating wounded to Rome, Georgia, while securing approval from Washington through Grant’s green light. The episode also highlights the grim human toll of the battle, with vivid accounts of wounded soldiers crawling through no man’s land, Confederate soldiers aiding Union wounded, and the tragic death of Major John Yeager. Meanwhile, Confederate efforts to disrupt Union supply lines via cavalry raids were thwarted by lack of available troops, underscoring Johnston’s strategic isolation. The episode concludes with a book recommendation for Echoes of Glory, an illustrated atlas of the Civil War, and a reminder of the podcast’s Patreon support program.