In which we look at Grant's failed attacks on Vicksburg on May 19 & 22, 1863.

In which we look at the decisive clash of the Vicksburg Campaign- the Battle of Champion Hill, which took place on May 16, 1863.

In which we slip in a plug for joining the Strawfoot Brigade while sharing the story of how Benjamin Grierson saved William Tecumseh Sherman's life at Fort Sill in 1871. 

In which the Confederates lose the Battle of Raymond, lose the Mississippi state capital of Jackson, and Pemberton- against his own better judgement- moves out to confront Grant.

In which we see Grant's Army of the Tennessee set out on its epic march into the interior of Mississippi, in order to cut off Vicksburg from supplies & reinforcements.

* This episode of the podcast was sponsored by Simon & Schuster, publishers of "Lincoln's Spies: Their Secret War to Save a Nation" by Douglas Waller. Available wherever you get your books.

In which we look at the Battle of Port Gibson, which took place on May 1, 1863, as Grant advanced inland after landing on the east side of the Mississippi River.

In which we see the Federals marching down the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River... Porter's gunboats get battered at Grand Gulf... and by the end of the show, Grant's army is finally ready to cross over to the east bank below Vicksburg.

In which we turn our attention back to Ulysses S Grant, who makes the fateful decision to march his army down the west side of the Mississippi River and then cross to the east bank below the Confederate strongpoint of Vicksburg.

In which we look at Banks' successful Bayou Teche Campaign in central Louisiana in the spring of 1863.

In which we look at events downriver from Vicksburg, including the appointment of Major General Nathaniel Banks to command the Department of the Gulf and Rear Admiral David Farragut running the the Confederate batteries at Port Hudson.

In which we look at the fate of USS Indianola and talk about the failure of the Yazoo Pass and Steele's Bayou expeditions.

In which we look at the Federal attack on Arkansas Post on January 11, 1863.

In which we look at Sherman's failed assault at Chickasaw Bayou, north of Vicksburg, at the end of December 1862.

In which we start to look at Grant's first attempt to wrest Vicksburg from the Confederates. It didn't go well.

In which we continue to look at the background to the Vicksburg Campaign.

In which we continue to look at the background to the Vicksburg Campaign.

In which start to look at the background to the Vicksburg Campaign.

In which we wrap-up our look at how West Virginia, in the midst of the Civil War, became the thirty-fifth state of the Union.

In which we start to look at the story of how West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state of the Union.

In which we look at the wounding and death of Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863).

In which Hooker retreats, Lee stews, and we wrap-up our discussion of the Chancellorsville Campaign.

In which we see Robert E Lee fail in his attempt to "demolish" Sedgwick on May 4, 1863.

In which we look at the fighting at Salem Church on May 3, 1863.

In which our focus shifts to the fighting east of Chancellorsville, at Fredericksburg and Salem Church.

In which the Confederate forces of Jeb Stuart & Robert E Lee capture the Chancellorsville intersection after furious fighting on the morning of May 3, 1863. 

In which there is fierce fighting on May 3, 1863 as the Confederates fight to reunite their divided forces at Chancellorsville.

In which Stonewall Jackson is wounded by friendly fire on the evening of May 2, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

In which Stonewall Jackson's flank attack on the evening of May 2, 1863 stalls due to his command's increasing disorganization, the onset of night, and stiffening Federal resistance.

In which Stonewall Jackson's flank attack on the evening of May 2, 1863 shatters the Eleventh Corps of the Army of the Potomac.

In which Stonewall Jackson completes his famous flank march and prepares to launch his attack, which took place on the evening of May 2, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

In which we get Stonewall Jackson started on his famous flank march, which took place during the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863.

In which we look at one of the most famous events during the Battle of Chancellorsville- the so-called "Cracker Box Meeting" between Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson the night of May 1/2, 1863.

In which Robert E. Lee moves to counter the threat from the Federal flanking force at Chancellorsville.

In which we see that while the Federal flanking force converges on Chancellorsville, the left wing of Hooker's army crosses the Rappahannock River just below Fredericksburg on April 29, 1863.

In which we see the Army of the Potomac begin to move and open the spring campaign, which will lead to the Battle of Chancellorsville during the first week of May 1863.

In which we begin our coverage of the Battle of Chancellorsville, which took place in Virginia during the first week of May 1863.

In which we finish up with our look at the Federal operations against Charleston, South Carolina during the summer of 1862 and spring of 1863.

In which we look at the Federal operations against Charleston, South Carolina during the summer of 1862 and spring of 1863.

In which we look at the story behind the cavalry fight near Kelly's Ford on the Rappahannock River on March 17, 1863.

In which we look at how the Army of the Potomac came to look at Fighting Joe Hooker as the best thing since sliced bread.

In which we look at how Fighting Joe Hooker came to be given command of the Army of the Potomac in January, 1863.

In which we share a short postscript to our coverage of the Battle of Galveston (Texas), which took place on January 1, 1863.

In which we look at the action during the Battle of Galveston (Texas), which took place on January 1, 1863.

In which we set the stage for the Battle of Galveston (Texas), which took place on January 1, 1863.

In which Rich & Tracy have some fun for the 250th episode of the show by answering your questions about the Civil War, waffles, and just whose idea it was to do this podcast.

In which we wrap-up our look back at what happened during the second year of the Civil War.

In which we continue with our look back at what happened during the second year of the Civil War.

In which we continue with our look back at what happened during the second year of the Civil War.

In which we use a couple of episodes to take a look back at what happened during the second year of the Civil War.

In which we wrap-up our discussion of the Battle of Stones River, which took place outside Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.

In which we continue telling the story of the Battle of Stones River, which took place outside of Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.

In which we continue to tell the story of the Battle of Stones River, which took place outside of Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.

In which we look at the start of the Confederate attack on the morning of December 31, 1862 at the Battle of Stones River. 

In which we continue to set the stage for the Battle of Stones River, which took place outside Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.

In which we start to set the stage for the Battle of Stones River, which took place outside of Murfreesboro, Tennessee from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863.

In which we look at how Burnside's January offensive succumbed to the Virginia mud.

In which we look at the political and military fallout after the Federal defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.

In which we wrap-up our discussion of the Battle of Fredericksburg, which took place on December 13, 1862.

In which we look at the series of increasingly futile assaults the Federals launched against Marye's Heights at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862.

In which we switch our focus to the action on the northern part of the battlefield on December 13, 1862, as the Federals begin to launch a series of bloody, futile assaults against Marye's Heights.

In which we look at the action on the southern portion of the Fredericksburg battlefield on December 13, 1862 as Meade's and Gibbon's divisions assaulted the Confederate line.

In which we say this is Episode #234, but it's really Episode #233.

In which we set the stage for Franklin's attack on the southern portion of the Confederate line on December 13, 1862.

In which the Federals make a successful river crossing under fire, finish their bridges, fight through the streets of Fredericksburg, and then proceed to thoroughly ransack the town.

In which, under the category "better late than never," we finally get this episode released. 

In which Burnside's campaign starts to fall apart for lack of pontoons. Plus, Fighting Joe Hooker sends a friend request to Edwin Stanton.

In which we look at Abraham Lincoln's need for a military victory to sustain emancipation as a war aim, and how that led to Burnside's winter offensive and the Battle of Fredericksburg (Virginia).

In which we look at Ambrose Burnside's decision to accept command of the Army of the Potomac in early November, 1862. Plus, bloopers!

In which we look at the story behind President Abraham Lincoln relieving Major General George B. McClellan from command of the Army of the Potomac in November, 1862.

In which we look at the action at the Battle of Prairie Grove (Arkansas), which took place on December 7, 1862.

In which we look at the maneuvering that brought the armies to Prairie Grove, including the epic march of the Missouri Divisions to the battlefield.

In which we continue to set the stage for Prairie Grove- by looking at the Battle of Cane Hill (Arkansas), which took place on November 28, 1862. 

In which we begin to set the stage for the Battle of Prairie Grove, which took place in northwest Arkansas on December 7, 1862.

In which we look at the action at the Battle of Davis Bridge (Tennessee), which took place on October 5, 1862 in the aftermath of the Confederate defeat at Corinth.

In which we look at the action at the Battle of Corinth (Mississippi), which took place on October 3 & 4, 1862.

In which one of us continues to set the stage for the Battle of Corinth (Mississippi), which took place on October 3 & 4, 1862.

In which we discuss the action at the Battle of Iuka (Mississippi), which took place on September 19, 1862.

In which we set the stage for the battles of Iuka and Corinth, which took place back in northern Mississippi while Braxton Bragg was up in Kentucky.

In which we wrap-up our discussion of the Battle of Perryville (Kentucky), which took place on October 8, 1862.

In which we continue our discussion of the Battle of Perryville (Kentucky), which took place on October 8, 1862.

In which we continue telling the story of the Battle of Perryville (Kentucky), which took place on October 8, 1862.

In which the first shots of the Battle of Perryville (Kentucky) are fired early on the morning of October 8, 1862.

In which we set the stage for the Battle of Perryville, which took place in Kentucky on October 8, 1862.

In which Rich & Tracy, with scratchy throats and failing voices, power through the episode to share the story of the epic march of the Federal garrison that evacuated Cumberland Gap during the 1862 Kentucky Campaign.

In which we look at Braxton Bragg's capture of Munfordville, Kentucky on September 17, 1862.

In which we look at the fighting at the Battle of Richmond (Kentucky), which took place on August 30, 1862.

In which we continue our march toward Perryville.  In this episode we set the stage for the Battle of Richmond (Kentucky), which was one of the most lop-sided victories of the Civil War.

In which we start to set the stage for the Battle of Perryville, which took place in Kentucky on October 8, 1862.

In which we turn our attention back to the western theater of the war...

In which Rich flies solo (Tracy is visiting family), but manages to wrap-up our discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In which we discuss Abraham Lincoln's release of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.

In which we continue setting the stage for Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

In which we begin to trace the evolution of the federal government's ideas & policies about slavery & emancipation during the Civil War.

In which we look at the aftermath of the 1862 Maryland Campaign, and we also set the stage for our discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation.

In which we wrap-up our discussion of the Battle of Antietam, which took place on September 17, 1862.

In which we look at the aftermath of the Federal assault on the Sunken Road, and also the Ninth Corps' capture of Burnside Bridge.

In which we look at Round 2 of the fight for the Sunken Road, aka Bloody Lane, at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.

In which we look at Round 1 in the fight for the Sunken Road, aka Bloody Lane, at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.

In which we look at the final major combat on the northern part of the battlefield, as Greene's Federals gain a foothold in the West Woods near the Dunker Church.  Next week, the action shifts to the Sunken Road.

In which we look at the ill-fated attack into the West Woods by John Sedgwick's division of Sumner's Second Corps at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.