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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.

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12y ago
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7y ago

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.

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Q: What mistake did George McClellan made at the Battle of Antietam?
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Related questions

Who was the general of the Battle of Antietam?

George B. McClellan


Who was the union commander of the Antietam battle?

George McClellan


Who led the troops in the Battle of Antietam?

George McClellan


Which general won the Battle of Antietam?

George McClellan (Union)


Who was the leader of the union in the Battle of Antietam?

The commander of the Unions Army of the Potomac at Antietam was Major General George B. McClellan.


Who was in charge of the union army on the Battle of Antietam?

George Brinton McClellan.


Why was George B. McClellan important?

because he "won" the battle of Antietam


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Robert E. Lee, AND George McClellan


Who was the northern general in the Battle of Antietam?

Major General George B. McClellan was commanding the Federal Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Antietam.


Who was the union general of Antietam battle?

Major General George B. McClellan.


What battle did the battle of Antietam do to Lincoln?

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.


What actions did Major General George B. McClellan take to increase the size of his army after the Battle of Antietam?

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.