Today Union General George Stoneman makes his way south of Atlanta toward Macon, carrying out orders from General William T. Sherman to disrupt Confederate infrastructure and, hopefully, secure the release of Union prisoners in Macon and Andersonville. On both accounts, Stoneman fails. Two days hence, while attempting to withdraw to the safety of Union lines…
Union forces continue pressing Atlanta’s defenders, approaching within viewing distance of Atlanta from atop surrounding hills. For Atlantans, the situation is getting desperate. Yet even in the midst of the throes of their nation’s fortunes rapidly sinking against the onslaught of abolitionist foes (some white Southern Baptists having even gone so far as to call…
Atlanta is not the only thing on Union General William T. Sherman‘s mind. While capturing the strategic city is his uppermost objective, Sherman’s thoughts also drift further southward. In particular, the general is troubled at the reports he is hearing out of Andersonville Prison, an open air prison camp in southwest Georgia housing nearly 30,000…