A set of Lee's orders fell into his hands, which had been dropped in the field by a Confederate officer. It revealed that Lee's divisions were widely separated, and could be destroyed piecemeal.
On September 16, 1862, one day before the historic Battle of Antietam, Major General George B. McClellan lost his best opportunity to defeat General Lee's army in detail in Maryland. McClellan was slow to assemble his forces in and around the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. McClellan was unaware that he substantially outnumbers Lee's army and postpones an attack on the Confederates. Instead he waits another day until his reserve forces joins his main army. Theoretically, if McClellan conducted an assault on September 16, the Battle of Antietam would have been a smashing Union victory.
The Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862, before the battle of Fredricksburg which was fought on December 13, 1862.
It was just one Confederate officer who had dropped a set of Lee's orders in the field. By an extraordinary chance, these were found and shown to McClellan, who realised that Lee's divisions were widely separated, and that he could destroy them piecemeal. Unfortunately there was a Confederate spy in the camp, who was able to alert Lee, and McClellan did not achieve total victory. Still, the Confederates did retreat back to Virginia, and it was recognised as an important Union win.
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Antietam did not swing on any crucial decisions. It happened because McClellan had discovered by chance that Lee's divisions were widely separated, and believed he could destroy them piecemeal. Lee then had to concentrate his forces, and fight before he was ready. If you're asking what would have happened if Lee had won, the answer is that Britain would have granted official recognition to the Confederacy and sent military aid. History might then have been very different.
McClellan was overly cautious. He waited four days before he attacked the Confederates, which let Lee gather most of his forces together near Sharpsburg, Maryland, along the Antietam Creek.
McClellan was overly cautious. He waited four days before he attacked the Confederates, which let Lee gather most of his forces together near Sharpsburg, Maryland, along the Antietam Creek.
A Confederate officer had dropped a set of Lee's orders in the field, where they were found by Northern troops and brought to the attention of McClellan. By chance, one of McClellan's aides was able to recognise the handwriting of the Confederate General who had signed the orders, confirming that they were genuine. McClellan was sure he could destroy Lee's widely scattered divisions, one by one. Unfortunately, a Confederate spy in the camp was able to alert Lee, and McClellan did not move quickly enough to prevent Lee concentrating his forces at Antietam Creek. The battle was Northern victory, but not the full knock-out blow it should have been.
On September 16, 1862, one day before the historic Battle of Antietam, Major General George B. McClellan lost his best opportunity to defeat General Lee's army in detail in Maryland. McClellan was slow to assemble his forces in and around the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. McClellan was unaware that he substantially outnumbers Lee's army and postpones an attack on the Confederates. Instead he waits another day until his reserve forces joins his main army. Theoretically, if McClellan conducted an assault on September 16, the Battle of Antietam would have been a smashing Union victory.
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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.
The Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862, before the battle of Fredricksburg which was fought on December 13, 1862.
The movement of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia north over the Potomac River into Maryland, was a protracted march that left many opportunities for the Union to slip by towards totally defeating Lee's army. On the morning of September 16, 1862, McClellan had almost all of his forces within striking distance of Lee's forces near the Antietam Creek. Lee's army was still divided. McClellan's estimates of Lee's strength was wrong. The day earlier, he believed that Lee had at least 30,000 troops at Sharpsburg and 45,000 troops at Harper's Ferry.
When Confederate General Lee's lost order, General Order No. 191 fell into Major General McClellan's hands, Lee's army was in dire straits. McClellan became aware of the division in the Rebel army and if he could move fast enough, he could defeat Lee before there ever was a battle at Antietam. If the Union army could relieve Union forces at Harper's Ferry, it would be able to cut Lee's supply line from the Shenandoah Valley. This was an opportunity to not only save Harper's Ferry, but place McClellan's forces between Richmond and the bulk of Lee's army in Maryland.This would place the tactical advantage squarely in McClellan's hands. Lee would be forced to either attack the over-sized Army of the Potomac, or attempt a desperate march of escape through the West Virginia mountains to move around the Union's flank.
Before. Antietam was the unexpected Northern victory that gave Lincoln the credibility to issue the Proclamation without making it sound like a desperate measure.
He was fired after the Battle of Antietam. Lincoln decided McClellan was too slow to attack the enemy and he let General Lee slip away after the big battle. McClellan did prove to be a great organizer of the army and established some good principal on training.
During the American Civil War, the Battle of Antietam, which took place on September 17, 1862, involved Northern forces commanded by Major General George McClellan and Southern forces commanded by General Robert E. Lee. The battle was in many ways a draw; however, it can be considered a Union victory since it served as a check to the Southern invasion of the North that had begun before the battle took place.