Antietam

In the summer of 1862, the confederates found themselves as the aggressors. In the Eastern Theater, Lee’s army of Northern Virginia had driven the Union Armies away from the Confederate capital, Richmond and was preparing to invade Maryland. In the western theater, the confederate armies were also moving strong, into Kentucky. Due to the war France and Britain were feeling the strain as cotton from the southern states was starting to diminish.

President Lincoln was thinking of taking a risky step to seal victory. At this point in time he came to the realization that he needed to move in a different direction. The strategic goal to restore the Union was not a good enough reason to keep the Northern states interested and behind the war. Lincoln decided to offer the North a new reason to stay in the fight and the British to stay out of the war, however he needed a good victory under his belt to use for this change in strategic planning. The problem was how to break the news of this change in strategy before the Confederates tore through the union on the battlefield and effected his troops morale.

A month prior Generals Lee and Jackson were crossing guns with Pope at Manassas#. Lee moved his army across the Potomac River into Maryland on September 4, 1862. At this point in time his objective was to claim Harrisburg.# On his way he spread his troops around Maryland to show everyone his strength, gathering supplies#, rounding up volunteers and he also managed to threaten Baltimore, Washington and even Philadelphia. Lee’s plan was that McClellan would eventually come out of Washington to fight him and he would have plenty of time to choose the ground that he wanted to fight on and secure the southern victory.

Lee choose the Shenandoah Valley as his supply route. Unfortunately the Union controlled Harpers ferry at the northern opening of the valley. This Union force could cut off the confederate supply route of wagon trains loaded with ammunition, which could not be obtained locally. Lee decided that harpers ferry would have to be taken in order to continue on. Lee ordered Jackson to lead three columns to capture Harpers Ferry. Once Jackson was finished in Harpers Ferry he would move back to rejoin the rest of the army.

September 2, 1862 was also the day in which McClellan again regained control and command of the union forces in Virginia and Washington. The next day General Halleck told McClellan that with Pope’s army wiped out from Manasas and Lee on his way that he should expect the Confederates to take advantage of this and capture Maryland and maybe even Pennsylvania. He was instructed to hurry.

Hurrying was not a trait that McClellan was known for. McClellan took his time and began to draw out on paper how this battle would be won. He then began moving troops around, combining armies from all regions. As McClellan was doing this President Lincoln became inpatient and ordered McClellan to move.

Lee had outlined his whole strategy and told of the troubles the confederacy was having in Special Order 191, he copied and sent it out to all commanders. Lee also sent these orders to one of his division commanders that had been detached. On September 13, 1862 a Union corporal found these orders wrapped in three cigars at an abandoned Confederate camp near Frederick. These orders were quickly delivered to McClellan and this gave him a unique opportunity. Despite this knowledge McClellan still believed that Lee’s troops outnumbered his own. Word of this reached Lee and he dispatched the long street corps to perform damage control at south mountain. Lee ordered the remainder of his troops to concentrate near the Potomac on a little crossroads on Antietam Creek, In the town of Sharpsburg#.

McClellan’s men were ordered to cross over south mountain and quickly found that Lee had fortified this area. McClellan pushed through and took this area as a victory. Since Lee knew of McClellan’s fortune in finding the 191 orders he quickly began executing changes. McClellan not moving as quickly as Lincoln wanted could sense that the orders were no good anymore.

Lee received word from Jackson that he had taken Harpers Ferry# Lee immediately ordered Jackson and his men to Antietam creek. These 41,000 added to the 19,000 men that Lee currently held there. Lee held a 4 mile ridgeline with the creek between them and the Union. However the Potomac was to