Moving too slowly to exploit his advantage of being able to destroy Lee's divisions, piecemeal, after discovering that they were widely separated..
A Confederate spy in his camp had managed to alert Lee, who quickly concentrated his forces at Antietam Creek.
When General George B. McClellan moved his troops westward up the Virginia peninsula towards Richmond it forced the Confederates to destroy their damaged ironclad the CSS Virginia. This warship had been a possible weapon against the Union during the Peninsula campaign. The ship was too heavy with water to have sailed anywhere. McClellan failed to take advantage of the now defunct threat by shifting his line to the now clear James River. Instead he apparently felt comfortable by continuing to use the York and Pamunkey rivers from which his supply post at White House, which shipped the 600 tons of supplies he needed to maintain his huge 200,000 troop army, cavalry, horses food and ammunition.Lee's idea was to take advantage of this by cutting this supply line and greatly impede the Union campaign. This situation resulted in the Battle of Gaines's Mill, which Lee won. The supply line was saved as the federals were now in retreat and their forward position requiring that supply line became a nonessential factor.
George McClellan
Lincoln was disappointed that General George B. McClellan had allowed Confederate general Lee to escape after the Battle of Antietam. The result of Lincoln's disappointment was the replacement of McClellan by General Burnside.
General George McClellan's mistake in the Battle of Antietam was hesitating and not acting decisively enough to take advantage of his manpower. He held back far too many troops in reserve that he did not use. Technically the battle was a draw. Historians conclude he should have been able to deal a much heavier blow to Confederate forces.
The Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major General George B. McClellan won the battle along Antietam Creek.
The Battle of Antietam, an important battle of the Civiil War, was fought by the Army of the Potomac, part of the Union Army, under the command of General George McClellan, and Confederate forces under the command of General Robert E. Lee on September 17, 1862.
George B. McClellan
George McClellan
George McClellan
George McClellan (Union)
The commander of the Unions Army of the Potomac at Antietam was Major General George B. McClellan.
George Brinton McClellan.
because he "won" the battle of Antietam
Robert E. Lee, AND George McClellan
Major General George B. McClellan was commanding the Federal Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam.
Major General George B. McClellan.
Lincoln was disappointed that General George B. McClellan had allowed Confederate general Lee to escape after the Battle of Antietam. The result of Lincoln's disappointment was the replacement of McClellan by General Burnside.
Major General George B. McClellan was unaware that President Lincoln wanted to replace him. McClellan and his War Democrat supporters considered McClellan the hero of Antietam. By the end of October 1862, McClellan had rebuilt his Army of the Potomac to 120,000 troops. He had only 70,000 troops at the battle of Antietam.