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Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 3

Allatoona Pass to Kennesaw Mountain and the Chattahoochee River

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the February 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

Part 2 of this series (the December 2025 history brief) further examined Union General William Sherman’s continued Atlanta Campaign in the wake of General Ulysses Grant’s letter of April 4, 1864, which directed Sherman regarding the rebel Army of Tennessee: “to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” That history brief covered Sherman’s advance against General Joseph Johnston’s retreating Confederate army from Resaca to Allatoona, arriving there on May 20, 1864. A formidable defensive general, Johnston throughout the campaign selected ideal defensive positions, and Allatoona was among the best.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – Illinois

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? Illinois

By David F. Parchem
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: The subject of the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate at the January 2026 Roundtable meeting was: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Four members made presentations on the topic; the article below was one of those four presentations.

“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.”

General George S. Patton

The three most important men for winning the Civil War came from Illinois.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – New York

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? New York

By Don Iannone
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

New York and the Union War System: Men, Money, Movement, and Mind

Before I begin, I want to thank Judge William Vodrey for organizing this debate and the members of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable for hosting it. It’s a privilege to be part of a forum that takes history seriously and argues about it in good faith.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – Virginia

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? Virginia

By Jack Prause
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Good evening, fellow Civil War history enthusiasts. I stand to argue that no state was more pivotal in the American Civil War than Virginia. From its battlefields to its generals, from the halls of Richmond to the farms of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia was the beating heart of the conflict. It was the main battleground, the home of legendary leaders, the arsenal and breadbasket of the Confederacy, and ultimately the place where the war effectively began and ended.

The Most Important State, North or South, during the Civil War Era (Other than Ohio) – South Carolina

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? South Carolina

By Ryan Bailey
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

South Carolina and the Making of the American Civil War: Ideological Leadership, Political Escalation, and the Collapse of Compromise

The Great Debate of 2026: Opening Remarks

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?

By William F.B. Vodrey – debate moderator
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: The subject of the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate at the January 2026 Roundtable meeting was: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Four members made presentations on the topic; the article below was the opening remarks made by the moderator of the debate.

We’re here tonight for the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate, named after my longtime predecessor as moderator, Dick Crews. Dick once told me that the debate got its start as a Roundtable tradition because of the difficulty of finding speakers who were willing to travel to Cleveland in January. In moderating again tonight for, God help us all, my 22nd year, I stand on the shoulders of giants, including Dick.

The Great Debate of 2026

Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?

The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved

The January 2026 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable featured the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate. The topic for debate was the question: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Every state was important in one way or another during the turbulent time of the Civil War era, but some states are considered to be of greater importance. The 2026 Dick Crews Memorial Debate examined the question of which state, other than Ohio, was the most important, at least in the opinion of the debaters. (Ohio was excluded because the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable is located in Ohio.) Four debaters, each of whom chose a different state as the most important, presented arguments in support of their stance on this question. Below are the texts of those four arguments, along with moderator William Vodrey’s opening remarks.

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 2

Resaca to Allatoona Pass

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the December 2025 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

Part 1 of this series examined the start of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign in the wake of General Ulysses S. Grant’s letter of April 4, 1864, which directed Sherman regarding the rebel Army of Tennessee: “to break it up, and to get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can, inflicting all the damage you can against their war resources.” In early May, Sherman instructed his three armies of maneuver to begin operations with John Schofield’s Army of the Ohio on the Union left, George Thomas’s Army of the Cumberland in the center, and James McPherson’s Army of the Tennessee on the right. Sherman endeavored to use his numerical advantage to outflank Confederate defenses on Rocky Face Ridge, and he succeeded in doing so.

Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Part 1

War of Maneuver – Rocky Face Ridge to the Outskirts of Resaca

By Daniel J. Ursu, Roundtable Historian
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025-2026, All Rights Reserved

Editor’s note: This article was the history brief for the November 2025 meeting of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable.

The Roundtable’s 2025 field trip covered the Vicksburg Campaign, and the field trip in 2021 covered the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga. The Union’s ultimate success in these military actions in Confederate territory depended on many Northern generals, but most prominently and importantly on the leadership of General Ulyssess S. Grant. As a result of his successes, Grant was summoned by President Abraham Lincoln to come east, and Grant was put in command over all the Union armies.

Vicksburg Field Trip – September 2025

By Steve Pettyjohn
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2025, All Rights Reserved

Dates: September 25-28, 2025
Location: Vicksburg, Mississippi
Participants: 35 members and guests

Editor’s note: The photographs in this field trip report were generously provided by Jose Esparza and Steve Pettyjohn as indicated for each photograph.

The Trip

The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable conducted its 2025 annual fall field trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi from September 25-28 under the leadership of President Judge Charles Patton with the able assistance of Field Captain and Adjutant Bob Pence. The Vicksburg Campaign is one of the most important military campaigns in U.S. history and demonstrates the generalship of Ulysses S. Grant at its best. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign has been hailed by many military historians as brilliant and worthy of being called Napoleonic. However, due to its geographic location in the Western Theater of the Civil War, the Vicksburg Campaign has always taken second fiddle to Gettysburg in the Eastern Theater.