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McClellan had several advantages going into the Battle of Antietam, notably his numerical superiority with approximately 87,164 Union troops compared to Robert E. Lee's 38,000 Confederate soldiers. Additionally, McClellan received a copy of Lee's battle plans, which provided crucial insights into the Confederate strategy. This intelligence allowed him to prepare more effectively for the engagement, contributing to the Union's tactical advantages during the battle.
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Was the Battle of Antietam the battle where Great Britain stopped helping the Confederacy?
The Battle of Antietam made the British realize that the Confederacy could not win the war. The Union had too much man power and they were industrialized, so they had a huge advantage in the supply arena. Britain knew that the Confederacy could not become a stable, sovereign nation. They were going to be too dependent on the north for industry whether they won the war or not.
In the Battle of Antietam who were the military leaders?
For the Union Major General George B. McClellan, for the Confederacy General Robert E. Lee. The fighting lasted one day, and tactically it was a draw. The next day Lee remained on the battlefield, daring McClellan to renew the battle, which McClellan did not do, despite having at least a two to one edge in manpower over the Rebels. Then Lee withdrew, south over the Potomac River, which was enough to allow northerners to consider the battle a northern victory, since when all was said and done the Union Army remained in possession of the field. McClellan did not try to stop Lee from leaving. A more capable or aggressive commander could probably have destroyed Lee's Army and ended the war on the day of the battle. Lincoln understood this and was immensely frustrated with McClellan, who did not stir from the battlefield for more than six weeks after the battle, even after Lincoln visited him on the battlefield and attempted to goad him into going after the Rebel Army. McClellan still did not move, and after another week, with the midterm elections safely past (McClellan was an important Democrat and Lincoln could not afford to offend northern Democrats) Lincoln fired McClellan. General McClellan never held another command during the war, but did run against Lincoln in the 1864 election as the Democratic candidate.
What role did Union General Ambrose Burnside play in the Battle of Antietam?
General Ambrose Burnside was the commander of Union's IX Corps. About noon he attacked the Confederate right flank and managed to drive back Longstreet's Confederate units to the southern end of Sharpsburg. The battle was decisively going in favor of Union Army. But Confederate division under General Ambrose P. Hill, coming from Harper's Ferry stroke the Federals in the flank driving back them to Antietam Creek, saving Lee's army and ended the battle.
How many people died The Battle of Antietam?
At Antietam the total casualties for both sides in killed, wounded, and captured was around 23,000 men. The Confederates lost approximately 1500 dead. The Federal troops suffered about 2100 killed. It should be remembered that these figures may not reflect the number of troops who died later of their wounds. There were about 18,000 soldiers wounded during the battle.
In what way was the victory at Antietam important to Lincoln?
It was mostly a draw but that was important because it proved that the South was going to have a difficult time winning any battle as it moved towards the North. It was a costly slaughter of human life and the bloodiest day in American history. The battle gave Lincoln an opening for writing his Emancipation Proclamation.
What best describes the positioning of General Lee's troops just before the Battle of Antietam?
Confederate General Robert E. Lee chose to take a defensive position in Sharpsburg in anticipation of the advance of General McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Lee's forces would fight a defensive battle at Antietam. His troop positions formed a four mile arc around the Antietam Valley. The troop alignment gave Lee the advantage of moving his reserves and shifting his troops along interior lines.The distances was far shorter than McClellan would have, especially if he chose to go around the end of one of the arcs. This tactical advantage would help the weakness in his numbers of troops, however, Lee was going to rely on the rapid movements of Stonewall Jackson and the expected poor tactics of McClellan.
What was the cause of the Antietam Maryland battle?
The Battle Happened because the Southerners were going to attack the Northern capital Washington, D.C.
Was the Battle of Antietam the battle where Great Britain stopped helping the Confederacy?
The Battle of Antietam made the British realize that the Confederacy could not win the war. The Union had too much man power and they were industrialized, so they had a huge advantage in the supply arena. Britain knew that the Confederacy could not become a stable, sovereign nation. They were going to be too dependent on the north for industry whether they won the war or not.
In the Battle of Antietam who were the military leaders?
For the Union Major General George B. McClellan, for the Confederacy General Robert E. Lee. The fighting lasted one day, and tactically it was a draw. The next day Lee remained on the battlefield, daring McClellan to renew the battle, which McClellan did not do, despite having at least a two to one edge in manpower over the Rebels. Then Lee withdrew, south over the Potomac River, which was enough to allow northerners to consider the battle a northern victory, since when all was said and done the Union Army remained in possession of the field. McClellan did not try to stop Lee from leaving. A more capable or aggressive commander could probably have destroyed Lee's Army and ended the war on the day of the battle. Lincoln understood this and was immensely frustrated with McClellan, who did not stir from the battlefield for more than six weeks after the battle, even after Lincoln visited him on the battlefield and attempted to goad him into going after the Rebel Army. McClellan still did not move, and after another week, with the midterm elections safely past (McClellan was an important Democrat and Lincoln could not afford to offend northern Democrats) Lincoln fired McClellan. General McClellan never held another command during the war, but did run against Lincoln in the 1864 election as the Democratic candidate.
Did the Union or the Confederates win the Battle of Antietam?
The Union won The Battle of Antietam. Jefferson Davis wanted to win that battle to gain the aid of Britain and France but they lost so he didn't get their help. the battle of Antietam is said to be the turning point of the US Civil War. it was the time when people knew that the Union was going to win this war.The Battle of Antietam, aka Sharpsburg, was actually a tactical draw. Although the Confederates withdrew after the battle, they mauled the Union forces there, who heavily outnumbered them.And, the battle was hardly a turning point, as Lee's army won many victories after, including Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville. The issue was in doubt for much, much longer than Antietam.
How did the north find out they were going to be under attack during the Antietam battle?
i believe that a soldier had gotten extremely lucky and had found the south's war plans and passed them on to his commanding officer/general.
How did Robert E. Lee feel about going into the second Battle of Bull Run?
Confident of beating John Pope, whom he rated as just a big talker, as long he as did it quickly, before McClellan's bigger force could reach the battle area.
What role did Union General Ambrose Burnside play in the Battle of Antietam?
General Ambrose Burnside was the commander of Union's IX Corps. About noon he attacked the Confederate right flank and managed to drive back Longstreet's Confederate units to the southern end of Sharpsburg. The battle was decisively going in favor of Union Army. But Confederate division under General Ambrose P. Hill, coming from Harper's Ferry stroke the Federals in the flank driving back them to Antietam Creek, saving Lee's army and ended the battle.
What has caused some historians but not all to cite the Battle of Antietam as the turning point in the US Civil War?
The Battle of Antietam caused heavy casualties on both sides, and some historians believe that the smaller Southern army was not able to recover from their losses. IMPROVEMENT Because the Union strategic victory of Antietam led Lincoln to release the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22,1862, which had a great and favourable impact on the public opinion of the foreign power and made their government, especially those of Great Britain and France, whose governments refrained from more or less openly going along with the cause of the Confederacy as done up to that time.
What are the factors that made the US Civil War Battle of Antietam significant?
The significance of the Battle of Antietam is not the battle itself but the results that became the aftermath. This in no way reduces the value and impact of the battle. The one day massacre of so many Americans, that is greater than any battle both before and afterwards.With that said, a few points should be made. It did not decide whether the British government of Lord Palmerston would or would not recognize the Confederate government. Despite the emancipation proclamation that followed the battle, it did not sway Britain or France in any specific direction. The sometimes heard argument that the British public was against slavery in no way was going to make or influence Britain or France in carrying out foreign policies. At the time, British workers, for the most part were marginalized even from voting. In fact, they saw that the supply of cotton far overshadowed slavery and the British public did not cause the British to abolish slavery.The main significance of Antietam was that afterwards, it transformed the policies and practices of how the war was to be conducted.Before Antietam, it was still possible for the Union to reunite in some sort of manner that would perhaps gradually and by payments to slave owners, ease the ending of slavery.After Antietam however, the only way the war could end was by the defeat of the rebellion, or by the North not wishing to sacrifice any more lives in a battle where each side already hated itself.
Why was the battle of Antientam considered to be one of the turning points in the war?
Antietam (or Sharpsburg) is considered a turning point of the American Civil War for several reasons. The battle brought to an end the first Confederate campaign north of the Potomac River, whether one considers the movement that brought the Confederate army there an invasion, or a big raid. Another result was the battle and what followed gave Lincoln the excuse to at long last rid himself of General George McClellan. McClellan, despite outnumbering Lee three to one, failed to destroy Lee's army, when Lee was fighting with his back to the River, which was in flood stage, making escape for any part of Lee's army forced to flee from a defeat all but impossible. As Lincoln, untrained in military matters but a very quick learner, said: "He had them in the palm of his hand, and had only to close his hand about them". McClellan failed to get large portions of his army into the battle; two of his seven army corps never fired a shot all day. McClellan basically fought three separate battles, on the north end, the middle, and then the south end of the field, failing to make these efforts simultaneously, allowing Lee to move forces around to meet each individual threat. Thus Lee was able to hang on, though it was a very, very near thing several times. Lee knew his opponent, and the day after the battle remained on the field, daring McClellan to try again, and then, the River having gone down some, was allowed to depart over the River (and a River crossing in the presence of the enemy is extremely dangerous, if that enemy attacks while the army is in the midst of crossing). McClellan then crowed about having "driven" Lee out of Maryland, failing to grasp that he had left intact the Rebel army, to fight again on many more fields. McClellan truly had the chance to end the war that day, and seems not to have understood that whatsoever, so it would take two and one half more years to bring the slaughter to an end. But McClellan was an important Democrat, and Lincoln had to handle him carefully. Weeks after the battle Lincoln visited McClellan and his army, still on the field at Antietam, with no idea where Lee was south of the River, in an effort to nudge McClellan into motion, and get him going after the enemy. But McClellan could not be moved. Lincoln still had to wait until after the midterm elections in early November, 1862, but within a couple of days after those elections, McClellan was relieved of his command, and was never given another command during the rest of the war. Of the half dozen commanders of the Army of the Potomac Lincoln tried before finding Meade and Grant, McClellan lasted the longest, but finally getting rid of him started the long and painful search process, involving many failures, which finally allowed Lincoln to obtain a more competent commander for his main field army. But the most important result of the battle, and perhaps the biggest reason the battle was a pivotal turning point, was the effect overseas. Britain and France had been on the verge of intervening in the war, which would have meant the Confederacy would have achieved its aim, of establishing itself as an independent nation, and so would have basically won the war. Lee had given as one of the reasons for making this move into the north that he hoped "to conquer a peace" there, by winning a big battle on northern soil, thus encouraging Britain and France to intervene on his side. Failing to win, though he did not lose either, this did not happen, and ended the closest flirtation Britain and France had with the idea of intervention. After the battle Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (he had been waiting, for months, for a Union victory to do so), and after that, any foreign intervention would have seemed to be an intervention in favor of slavery. Neither Britain nor France were willing to be seen in that light.
Why was McClellan not a good field commander?
As Admiral Nimitz is purported to have lectured his staff in preparing for the Battle of Midway, "McClellan was a great little organizer, but he couldn't act." Grant, on the other hand, didn't always know for sure where he was going, but he opted for "going"rather than standing still...Lincoln wanted a commander of action; he saw Lee wasn't going to sit around and cede the initiative to the Union; Lincoln needed a general who was going to act decisively, and Grant, for his other failings, was decisive....It may have been also that Robert E. Lee had much to do towards making McClellan a good field commander. That McClennan in a sense was a failure, ( strictly opinion) however the Commander In Chief has to make correct decisions.. Lincoln clearly failed as much as the generals that he chose. As for Grant, a fine general, but his appointment as leader of the Army of the Potomac and his successes had much to do with his superior strength of arms in terms of numbers, his manufacturing advantage thanks to a developed economic system in the North.One has to wonder how Lee would stack up against Grant if they had access to more equal men & equal supplies.
