War Yankee - Overland

War Yankee - Overland.00: Trailer   It's May 1864 and the Union has entered its fourth year of war against the Confederacy. President Abraham Lincoln has fired yet another general and is looking for an officer who will take the fight to the rebels. Enter Major General Ulysses S. Grant, the Hero of Vicksburg, and the type of general Lincoln knows will change the direction of the war in favor of the Union.   Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General -- a rank only held in wartime by George Washington -- Lincoln tasks Grant the job of leading all Union troops against the Confederate Army.   Grant wastes no time in forming a new aggressive strategy that will attack the Confederacy from five different directions and take him, the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, into the field to face General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.   Howdy, I am Kyle Bondo, US Navy veteran, resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and amateur civil war history buff, inviting you to join me for my new podcast - War Yankee.   Follow me as I explore the history of the American Civil War beginning with Grant's Overland Campaign of May/June 1864. Why am I starting in the middle of the war? Because I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, were the 40+ days of fighting started only a few miles away from my house at the Battle of the Wilderness, and then tore through my backyard into Spotsylvania Courthouse before concluding 80-miles to the south at Petersburg, Virginia.      To make this podcast, I actually walked the path of destruction from Culpeper to Petersburg, Virginia, and stood where General Grant and the brave soldiers of the Army of the Potomac stood, 156 years ago. I now truly understand what it took the Union Army, in both courage and sacrifice, to end slavery once and for all, and ultimately reunite the United States of America.      War Yankee - Overland is my American Civil War history podcast created by me, Kyle Bondo, and produced by Gagglepod. I hope you can join me as I follow the history hiding in my own backyard.   Find out more at waryankee.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.01: Perspective Kyle Bondo introduces War Yankee and how having a personal and family background in military history developed his Unionist perspective. Overview Greetings! I am Kyle M. Bondo and this War Yankee - Overland, my American Civil War history podcast that follows General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac on its 47-day, 113-mile military campaign south from Culpeper to Petersburg, Virginia. As the first episode in this War Yankee series, I want to begin with setting some expectations. You may be asking yourself: Who is the War Yankee? Why the Overland Campaign? Why are you starting in the middle of the Civil War? Those are great questions! Let me begin with some background about myself that will fill you in on what War Yankee is all about. Quotes "That Grant, he was the only War Yankee Lincoln had that was worth anything." -- Grandpa "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here." -- President Abraham Lincoln, From the Gettysburg Address War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.02: Turning Point Kyle Bondo sets the stage for the Overland Campaign by exploring President Abraham Lincoln's stakes going into 1864. Overview It is March 1864, and President Lincoln is concerned. The first real victory in the East -- The Battle of Gettysburg -- is short-lived when General George Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac, fails to capture General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia before they slip back into the Virginia wilderness. Now political pressure is mounting on Lincoln with Northern Democrats and Copperheads pushing him to make peace with the Confederacy. Combined with the growing number of Union causalities, New York Draft Riots, and a mix of results in the West, Lincoln is faced with the possibility of a divided nation and the continuation of slavery in North America for generations to come. The wartime stakes could never be higher! Quotes "That Grant, he was the only War Yankee Lincoln had that was worth anything." -- Grandpa "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here." -- President Abraham Lincoln, From the Gettysburg Address War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.03: Center of the Storm Kyle Bondo focuses on Ulysses S. Grant, and how his promotion to Commander of the US Army is the shake-up Lincoln hopes will end the war. Overview It is May 1864, and President Lincoln has now promoted Ulysses S. Grant -- the hero of the Western Theater -- to the rank of Lieutenant General -- a rank only held in wartime by George Washington. Grant's task is to now lead the Union army against the Confederate rebels during the most unstable time in United States history. If Grant fails, it could lead to peace with the Confederates and a continuation of slavery in North America for generations to come. The wartime stakes could never be higher! Quotes "Well, I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals." -- President Abraham Lincoln "I can’t spare this man–he fights." -- President Abraham Lincoln War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.04: View From Cincinnati Kyle Bondo focuses on Ulysses S. Grant’s choice to move his command into the field and join General George Meade and the Army of the Potomac in making preparations to enter The Wilderness. Overview It’s March 1864 — Newly promoted Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the newly formed United States Army, has decided to place his command in the field with the largest arm of the Union War Machine: The Army of the Potomac. Still encamped outside Culpeper, Virginia, this 120,000 man force has been staring across the Rapidan River at their Confederate adversaries to the South all Winter. Within the next 8 weeks, Grant will launch this army South, directly into the teeth of General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia, and begin the bloodiest military campaign of the Civil War: The Overland Campaign. Quotes “The Army of the Potomac is in splendid condition and evidently feels like whipping somebody; I feel much better with this command than I did before seeing it.” — Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant “Probably no army on earth every before was in better condition in every respect.” — Brig.Gen. Rufus Ingalls, Quartermaster General, Army of the Potomac War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Intelligence (Bonus) Intelligence.01: Terms of Service Kyle Bondo provides you with an intelligence report about how men become soldiers in the Union Army and how long they served. Overview It's May 4th, 1864 — You are a soldier in the Army of the Potomac marching towards the Rapidan River and into The Wilderness -- a 70-mile tract of thickets and dense forest that only a year before had been the location of this same armies defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Before you cross the floating bridge over the Rapidan River that will be later be torn up so that you cannot use it again to retreat... you may ask yourself... How did I get here? Quotes “We talked the matter over and could have settled the war in thirty minutes had it been left to us.” — Unknown Confederate Soldier referencing a meeting he had with a Union soldier between the lines. “To his left he saw the other regiments, men from New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan. Men like these, he thought, just farmers and shopkeepers, and now we are soldiers, and now we are about to die.” — Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals “Rich man’s war and poor man’s fight! — Rallying Cry of New York City Draft Rioters War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.05: Plans Within Plans Kyle Bondo focuses on General Meade's tactical plans to move the Army of the Potomac over the Rapidan River and around the Confederate flank. Overview It's April 1864 -- Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant has placed his command in the field with the largest arm of the Union War Machine -- The Army of the Potomac. With his Headquarters now in Culpeper, Grant begins coordinating with the other forces arrayed around the Confederacy while also inspecting, talking to, and getting to know the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac. It is at this point that Grant has placed his trust in Meade and his senior generals to devise the opening moves of the Overland Campaign in just a few weeks. Quotes "The only point upon which I am now in doubt is whether it will be better to cross the Rapidan above or below him." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant "'Man proposes and God disposes.' There are but few important events in the affairs of men brought about by their own choice." -- Ethan S. Rafuse, U.S. Army's Command and General Staff College, quoting from Ulysses S. Grant's Memoirs War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.06: Sea of Blue Kyle Bondo details how the biggest army ever assembled in North American moves across the Rapidan River and into the fabled Wilderness. Overview It's May 3rd, 1864 -- Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General George Meade plan to move the 120,000 man Army of the Potomac is underway. They will move the Union War Machine under the cover of darkness, cross the Rapidan River far EAST of the Confederate Left Flank and make an end-run around to the Confederate Rear before Lee has a chance to react. It is a good plan except for three faulty assumptions: Assuming they can keep the movements of a massive army a secret, assuming that Lee's troops will take over 30-hours to move out of their defenses, and assuming that they can move their army quickly through the fabled WILDERNESS. Quotes "'Man proposes and God disposes.' There are but few important events in the affairs of men brought about by their own choice." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant "The foe that held his guarded hills -- Must speed to woods afar; For the scheme that was nursed by the Culpepper hearth -- With the slowly-smoked cigar— The scheme that smouldered through winter long -- Now bursts into act—into war— The resolute scheme of a heart as calm -- As the Cyclone’s core." -- Herman Melville: The Armies of the Wilderness - First Appearance in "Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War" (1866), page 107 "Well, the movement so far has been as satisfactory as could be desired." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant "We have succeeded in seizing the fords and crossing the river without loss or delay. Lee must by this time know upon what roads we are advancing, but he may not yet realize the full extent of the movement. We shall probably soon get some indications of to what he intends to do." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Notable Sources Union Army Movements Map (May 3-4, 1864) Library of Congress Germanna Ford, Rapidan River, Va. Artillery crossing pontoon bridges Blue and Gray Magazine Historic Crossings of the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers (Volume 32 #3) Spotsylvania Civil War Blog Grant’s Army, Crossing the Rapidan – Then and Now War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Update Overview of New Episodes Kyle Bondo gives you a brief update on what is coming up on War Yankee - Overland and an introduction to the Bonus Series starting on November 1st called War Yankee - Intelligence. About War Yankee - Overland An American Civil War history podcast hosted by Kyle M. Bondo that follows the Overland Campaign led by General Ulysses S. Grant has he drives the Army of the Potomac on its 47-day, 113-mile military campaign South against the Confederacy in 1864. About War Yankee - Intelligence A War Yankee bonus series hosted by Kyle M. Bondo that explores the footnotes that surround the daily lives of the soldiers of the Army of the Potomac as they battle against the Confederacy in 1864. Quotes "Well, the movement so far has been as satisfactory as could be desired." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE War Yankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Intelligence (Bonus) Intelligence.02: An American Army Kyle Bondo continues to explore the multi-national and multi-racial backgrounds of those that joined and served in the Union Army. Overview It's May 4th, 1864 — You are a soldier in the Army of the Potomac marching towards the Rapidan River and into The Wilderness -- a 70-mile tract of thickets and dense forest that only a year before had been the location of this same armies defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Before you cross the floating bridge over the Rapidan River that will be later be torn up so that you cannot use it again to retreat... you may ask yourself... How did I get here? Quotes “I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.” — President Abraham Lincoln War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Intelligence (Bonus) Intelligence.03: Rifleman First Kyle Bondo explores the military jobs, specialties, and occupations that you would most likely have after enlisting in the Union Army. Overview It's May 4th, 1864 — You are a soldier in the Army of the Potomac marching towards the Rapidan River and into The Wilderness -- a 70-mile tract of thickets and dense forest that only a year before had been the location of this same armies defeat at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Before you cross the floating bridge over the Rapidan River that will be later be torn up so that you cannot use it again to retreat... you may ask yourself... How did I get here? Quotes “It's just like shooting squirrels, only these squirrels have guns.” — Federal Veteran instructing Recruits in Rifleman Skills, America Goes to War by Bruce Catton War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland Gagglepod - Once Told, Shared Forever War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Intelligence (Bonus) Intelligence.04: Ring Knockers Kyle Bondo explores the Union Army officers and how they were selected for leadership positions within Grant’s Army of the Potomac. Overview It's May 1864, You are an officer in the Army of the Potomac during the first week of the Overland Campaign leading men into The Wilderness against the Confederacy. As you struggle to maneuver your soldiers in a straight enough line to engage the rebels within this 70-square-mile tract of thickets and dense forest... you may ask yourself... How did I get here? Quotes "Let no man be so rash as to suppose that in donning a general’s uniform, he is forthwith competent to perform a general’s functions." — Prof. Dennis Hart Mahan, USMA (1824-1871) "[I] hail the day [I] left public office as the happiest of my life, except possibly the day I left West Point, a place I felt I had been at always and that my stay had no end." — Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (1871) "I was always a friend of southern rights but an enemy of southern wrongs." — Maj.Gen. Benjamin Butler (1861) War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland Gagglepod - Once Told, Shared Forever War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.07: Clouded Yankee Minds Kyle Bondo details the Army of the Potomac's first night in The Wilderness and how clouded judgments will lead to trouble in the morning. Overview It's May 4th, 1864 -- Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant and Major General George Meade have moved the vast Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River and into the fabled Wilderness. Now at the end of their first day, the Union Army believes they are miles away from any real danger. When they wake on the morning of May 5th, 1864, they will soon discover a very different and dangerous situation that has emerged from the mystifying woods of Northern Virginia. Quotes "There was something about the Wilderness that seemed to cloud 'Yankee Minds'." -- Gordon Rhea, The Battle of the Wilderness War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland Gagglepod - Once Told, Shared Forever War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.08: We Will Fight Here Kyle Bondo explores the unforeseen events that transpire in The Wilderness during the early morning hours of May 5th, 1864. Overview It's dawn on May 5th, 1864 -- Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, Major General George Meade, and the Army of the Potomac have spent the night in the fabled WILDERNESS. Now, as the morning sun rises on a new day, what started as an easy march out of the thickets quickly spins out of control after a series of unexpected enemy surprises. Quotes "My pickets report nothing new from the enemy this morning." -- Brig.Gen. Wilson's Scouting Report Regarding Orange Plank Road from Parker's Store sent to Maj.Gen. Meade at 5:00 AM, May 5th, 1864   "An unconfirmed report placed enemy soldiers on the Orange Turnpike. Concluding that Griffin probably faced an inconsequential rebel diversionary force. [...] I have no intention of modifying my corps' movements." -- Maj.Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, Commander, US Army V Corps   "If they want to fight here, then we will fight here!" -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant "What had begun as a hopeful morning's march was rapidly taking an ugly, familiar turn. Once again, the Union high command had underestimated Lee's audacity." -- Gordon Rhea, Battle of the Wilderness War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland Gagglepod - Once Told, Shared Forever War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Overland Overland.09: Defiant Blue Knot Kyle Bondo starts to explore the first critical events of the Battle of the Wilderness as the Army of the Potomac discovers rebel forces that threaten to cut their army in half. Overview It's the mid-morning of May 5th, 1864 -- The Army of the Potomac has now discovered two massive rebel forces forming on both sides of Warren's 5th Corps still stung out over 5-miles within the tangles of The Wilderness. Now, as new intelligence arrives, they are becoming painfully aware that General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia has launched a counter-crossing attack along the Orange Turnpike AND the Orange Plank Roads. As Meade falls back into his old Eastern Army habits by going on defense, will Grant be able to finally push the Army of the Potomac into an aggressive Federal position? Quotes "What had begun as a hopeful morning's march was rapidly taking an ugly, familiar turn. Once again, the Union high command had underestimated Lee's audacity." -- Gordon Rhea, Battle of the Wilderness "If [this] is what Meade meant by attacking 'at once', as he said he would at 7:30 AM [it's now after 10:00 AM] no wonder Lee was running circles around him." -- Gordon Rhea, Battle of the Wilderness "Double-Quick!" -- Maj.Gen. George Getty, Running to Brock Road Intersection, May 5th, 1864 "We must hold this point at any risk -- Our men will soon be up!" -- Maj.Gen. George Getty, Arriving at the Brock Road Intersection, May 5th, 1864 War Yankee Supports American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it actually took place and has worked to become the only one national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today and discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org. War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE waryankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ Good Maps: Union Army Actions in The Wilderness (May 5th, 1864) All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland Gagglepod - Once Told, Shared Forever War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

War Yankee - Update More Episodes Coming in January 2021 Kyle Bondo wishes you a Happy New Year and gives you a brief update on what is coming up on War Yankee - Overland in January 2021. About War Yankee - Overland An American Civil War history podcast hosted by Kyle M. Bondo that follows the Overland Campaign led by General Ulysses S. Grant has he drives the Army of the Potomac on its 47-day, 113-mile military campaign South against the Confederacy in 1864. Quotes "Whatever happens, there will be no turning back." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant War Yankee Telegraph Department Email Us: THE War Yankee AT GMAIL DOT com All our Show Notes: waryankee.com Notable Resources: waryankee.com/resources/ All our Episodes: waryankee.libsyn.com War Yankee - Overland! Gagglepod - Until Every Story is Told! War Yankee is a Gagglepod Production. Learn more at gagglepod.com.

It's May 1864 and the Union has entered its fourth year of war against the Confederacy. President Abraham Lincoln has fired yet another general and is looking for an officer who will take the fight to the rebels. Enter Major General Ulysses S. Grant, the Hero of Vicksburg, and the type of general Lincoln knows will change the direction of the war in favor of the Union.Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General -- a rank only held in wartime by George Washington -- Lincoln tasks Grant with the job of leading all Union troops against the Confederate Army.Grant wasted no time in forming a new aggressive strategy that will attack the Confederacy from five different directions and take him, the new commander of the Army of the Potomac, into the field to face General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.Howdy, I am Kyle Bondo, a US Navy veteran, resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and amateur civil war history buff, inviting you to join me for my new podcast - War Yankee.Follow me as I explore the history of the American Civil War beginning with Grant's Overland Campaign of May/June 1864. Why am I starting in the middle of the war? Because I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where the 40+ days of fighting started only a few miles away from my house at the Battle of the Wilderness, and then tore through my backyard into Spotsylvania Courthouse before concluding 80 miles to the south at Petersburg, Virginia.To make this podcast, I actually walked the path of destruction from Culpeper to Petersburg, Virginia, and stood where General Grant and the brave soldiers of the Army of the Potomac stood, 156 years ago. I now truly understand what it took the Union Army, in both courage and sacrifice, to end slavery once and for all, and ultimately reunite the United States of America.War Yankee - Overland is my American Civil War history podcast created by me, Kyle Bondo, and produced by Gagglepod. I hope you can join me as I follow the history hiding in my own backyard.

In This EpisodeIntroducing War Yankee - Overland, my American Civil War history podcast that follows General Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac on its 47-day, 113-mile military campaign south from Culpeper to Petersburg, Virginia.This is the first episode in this War Yankee series and begins by setting some expectations. You may be asking yourself: - Who is the War Yankee, why the Overland Campaign, and why are you starting in the middle of the Civil War? To answer these questions, I begin with some background about myself and my family history, which will provide context for my perspective on the American Civil War and the focus of War Yankee.Notable Quotes"That Grant, he was the only War Yankee Lincoln had that was worth anything."-- Grandpa"The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here."-- President Abraham Lincoln, From the Gettysburg AddressSupport the War Yankee PodcastEvery episode is a work of passion that requires a lot of coffee. I research, read, visit, host, mix, edit, and produce every episode myself. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do two things for me: First, COFFEE! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting the show by buying me a cup of coffee (or two)! Second, FEEDBACK! Please give this podcast a rating and review to let me know what you liked, what I can improve on, or that you're enjoying the show. Meanwhile, thank you for taking the time to listen. You are appreciated!War Yankee Supports ABTAmerican Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it took place and has worked to become the only national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today. Discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org.

In This Episode It is March 1864, and President Lincoln is concerned. The first real victory in the East -- The Battle of Gettysburg -- is short-lived when General George Meade, Commander of the Army of the Potomac, fails to capture General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia before they slip back into the Virginia wilderness. Now political pressure is mounting on Lincoln with Northern Democrats and Copperheads pushing him to make peace with the Confederacy. Combined with the growing number of Union causalities, New York Draft Riots, and a mix of results in the West, Lincoln is faced with the possibility of a divided nation and the continuation of slavery in North America for generations to come. The wartime stakes could never be higher!Notable Quotes "I can't spare this man–he fights." -- President Abraham Lincoln after Grant falters during the first day of the Battle of Shiloh, April 1862"My personal relations with him were as close and intimate as the nature of our respective duties would permit... [To] know him personally was to love and respect him for his great qualities of heart and head, and for his patience and patriotism." -- Lt.Gen. Ulysses S. Grant on being a "Lincoln Man""I think it was Grant’s aggressive, fighting spirit that endeared him to Lincoln. Too many of Lincoln’s generals were quick to scapegoat him for their failures, whereas Grant, as a matter of both pride and honesty, never blamed the president.” --Ron Chernow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of GrantSupport the War Yankee PodcastEvery episode is a work of passion that requires a lot of coffee. I research, read, visit, host, mix, edit, and produce every episode myself. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do two things for me: First, COFFEE! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting the show by buying me a cup of coffee (or two)! Second, FEEDBACK! Please give this podcast a rating and review to let me know what you liked, what I can improve on, or that you're enjoying the show. Meanwhile, thank you for taking the time to listen. You are appreciated!War Yankee Supports ABTAmerican Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it took place and has worked to become the only national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today. Discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org.

In This Episode It is May 1864, and President Lincoln has now promoted Ulysses S. Grant -- the hero of the Western Theater -- to the rank of Lieutenant General -- a rank only held in wartime by George Washington. Grant's task is to now lead the Union army against the Confederate rebels during the most unstable time in United States history. If Grant fails, it could lead to peace with the Confederates and a continuation of slavery in North America for generations to come. The wartime stakes could never be higher!Notable Quotes "Well, I wish some of you would tell me the brand of whiskey that Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals." -- President Abraham Lincoln"All [President Lincoln] wanted or had ever wanted was someone who would take the responsibility and act, and call on him for all the assistance needed, pledging himself to use all the power of government in rendering such assistance." -- Ulysses S. Grant, from his memoir recalling the first private interview with President LincolnSupport the War Yankee PodcastEvery episode is a work of passion that requires a lot of coffee. I research, read, visit, host, mix, edit, and produce every episode myself. I would greatly appreciate it if you could do two things for me: First, COFFEE! If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting the show by buying me a cup of coffee (or two)! Second, FEEDBACK! Please give this podcast a rating and review to let me know what you liked, what I can improve on, or that you're enjoying the show. Meanwhile, thank you for taking the time to listen. You are appreciated!War Yankee Supports ABTAmerican Battlefield Trust knows that there is no substitute for experiencing history in the places where it took place and has worked to become the only national organization working to save America's historic battlefields today. Discover how you can help preserve American history forever. Join me in the fight to save our nation's historic battlefields by visiting the American Battlefield Trust website at battlefields.org.