Antietam (Union Army 1862)

Today is Sept. 17, the 149th anniversary of the bloodiest day in American History. If you thought the Vietnam War was bad, think about having one-half of all the casualties from the 12 years of Vietnam occurring in ONE day. That's what happened at Antietam. Thanks to McClellan's inept and slow handling of his army, this battle was much much worse than it could have been. First of all, Special Order #191. After getting the command of the Army of the Potomac back (after Gen. Pope's disaster at Second Manassas), McClellan camped out in a spot just vacated by the Rebels, where a couple of grunts find a order wrapped around three cigars. They take it to headquarters, and lo and behold!-- an officer just happens to be there to verify that the handwriting was genuine (from a Southern officer whom he served with in the Mexican War), and hey presto!...McClellan is now the beneficiary of the greatest intelligence leak in American military history. He knows that Lee has split his army into three... Read more

Any competent commander would have crushed Lee here. He is exposed, his flank in the air, and his plans of movement and dispositions in the hands of the enemy, who greatly outnumbers him. And McClellan bungles it with his usual style, and creates the bloodiest day of battle on American soil in consequence. He delays, he fritters, he does not scout, he launches unsupported attacks, and although he wins in that Lee withdraws, the best early opportunity for a Union victory dies in the field.