Booknotes: The Atlanta Campaign - Volume 2

New Arrival:

• The Atlanta Campaign - Volume 2: From the Etowah River to Kennesaw Mountain, May 20 to June 27, 1864 by David A. Powell (Savas Beatie, 2025).

Only a short time ago, David Powell's The Atlanta Campaign - Volume 1: Dalton to Cassville, May 1-19, 1864 (2024) was released to fully justified acclaim from eager readers. It concluded with coverage of the infamous "Cassville Affair" controversy that was fully investigated in Robert Jenkins's study [this] published that very same year and revisited again this year by Dennis Conklin.

The Atlanta Campaign - Volume 2: From the Etowah River to Kennesaw Mountain, May 20 to June 27, 1864 picks up the action after Joe Johnston declined to offer battle at Cassville and withdrew his Confederate Army of Tennessee across the Etowah River, surrendering the campaign initiative yet again to Sherman. From the description: "Sherman opened the second phase of the campaign on May 23 by throwing his army across the Etowah. Instead of moving down the railroad to Allatoona, however, he marched west of Marietta to Dallas. The next five weeks were by some measures the hardest of the entire summer as maneuvering gave way to trench warfare, first along the New Hope Line, then Pine and Lost mountains, along the Mud Creek Line, and finally, atop the imposing slopes of Kennesaw Mountain. The daily grind, punctuated by periodic assaults at New Hope Church, Pickett’s Mill, Gilgal Church, Pigeon Hill, and Cheatham Hill took a terrible toll on both armies."

As the subtitle reveals, Volume 2 ends with the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, the failed Union frontal assaults there convincing Sherman to once again adopt the indirect approach along the path to Atlanta, which was almost in sight. More from the description: "The heavy rain through most of June made life in the field a misery, sick lists spiked, and men and horses broke down or died. Neither side could claim victory as June drew to a close. Sherman remained undaunted. He would return to flanking. And this time Atlanta was a mere dozen miles distant."

Similar in number to the earlier volume, 21 maps from frequent collaborator David Friedrichs support the narrative. There are also orders of battle updated to June 1. I believe I read in an interview online that Powell was already well on his way toward completing the third volume of this planned five-volume series, so it looks like his research and writing pace is showing no signs of slowing down.