A Few Thoughts on The Atlanta Campaign, Volume 2

Atlanta Campaign Volume 2 : From the Etowah River to Kennesaw Mountain, May 20 to June 27, 1864
David A. Powell
Copyright 2025
Savas Beatie

In the study of the Civil War, reading books is still a primary way of learning more about it. Some of the many books on the subject deliver exactly what readers want, while others fall short of hopes, and a few even manage to exceed expectations.

This book exceeded what I hoped to read, as it revealed information relevant to my own research, a most pleasant surprise that certainly influences my opinion of this work.

Aside from that personal benefit (which I will discuss more in a later post), this book is just what readers have come to expect from this author. It is a detailed, heavily-researched exploration of not only the battlefield encounters, but also the maneuvering and countermoves of the opposing forces, the decision making, and the mistakes both sides made or opportunities they missed. It recounts what happened and analyzes of this stretch of the campaign. 

One feature that especially grabbed my attention is the heavier-than-usual focus on the formations that companies, regiments, brigades, and divisions employed when moving into battles. Maybe I have overlooked this in past books, but it struck me bluntly in this one, especially when Powell explained what these formations were and their suitability (or lack thereof) for the situation instead of just mentioning them. This really brought home how moving to face the enemy force was more than just heading straight towards it. It also magnified the work that officers did to start these maneuvers and attempt to keep them in order as the men approached the enemy. Terrain features such as woods, thick undergrowth, and waterways, along with man-made obstacles such as fences or felled trees, left these movements even more difficult for the soldiers to perform in the face of the enemy.

The confusion in battle as units tried to overcome these barriers and unfamiliarity with the ground to reach assigned locations or to even to know which company or regiment was next to them in the midst of this chaos comes through clearly on these pages, which even depict a diagram of the "column of division" deployment a regiment would use, right as the text describes this formation.

For those who are not experts on Civil War tactics (I raise my hand) this focus is a welcome discussion.

Powell also pays significant attention to numbers, such as the sizes of the armies and their regiments, brigades, divisions, and corps, especially right before battles. How many men were attacking or defending against how many enemies is obviously crucial information in battle studies and receives much attention on these pages.

The total casualties these units suffered during the fighting is also a frequent topic. Such data is not always easily found, especially on the Confederate side, where reports - if they even existed - were frequently lost to history. Assembling these numbers as accurately as possible was obviously a priority. Due to lack of reports or sources, the author occasionally uses his own estimates of these figures, especially battle losses, but he does provide the basis for his deductions. Analysis of such issues is strength of this book. 

This is, unsurprisingly, a stellar examination of this stretch of the fight for Atlanta, not only looking at the fights and movements, but the leaders as well. William Sherman does not come out of it looking especially good, though part of that is that the book ended at the Federals’ failed attack on Kennesaw Mountain. From his perspective, this book ended on a sour note, leaving a bad final impression.

James B. McPherson comes off as being too tentative, even when Sherman ordered him to attack and he agreed to it.

On the Confederate side, Joseph E Johnston may have missed opportunities to transition from defense to offense and exploit Federal weaknesses, and he and Rebel leaders also had problems communicating clearly and concisely, such as expressing how heavy enemy forces facing them truly were. Attacks sometimes happened or did not happen based on uncertain or incorrect information. 

This book certainly deserves a place on Civil War bookshelves and in the hands of those who enjoy studying the war. It is another high-quality work that examines its subject in great depth, a fine telling of these few weeks of this crucial campaign.