ANTIETAM - THE BLOODIEST DAY

I just returned from the battlefield of 
Antietam.  The dead and wounded were 
everywhere -- Confederate and Union alike.  
We alone suffered almost 23,000 dead or wounded 
and the Confederates losses, though less, were  
about 10,400 dead and wounded.  The difference 
in these numbers however is that Lee lost a 
quarter of his Army.  His numbers were very 
depleted at the end of this one horrendous day.  
The terrible carnage brings terrible sadness to 
my heart.  These are the accounts of the battle 
that I found out about when I arrived....

On September 13, I’m told that Lee’s battle plan 
was found wrapped around three cigars on a dirt 
road outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland.  This 
should have been good fortune for us as it told 
General McClelland exactly what General Lee was 
going to do.  General McClellan however did 
nothing for 18 hours.  Lee’s Army was along a 3 
mile ridge that ran along side of a small creek 
named Antietam.

From all accounts of the battle that would ensue, 
I’m told that we could have won the war that day 
had General McClellan moved on the information 
that he was given.  Even General Longstreet is 
quoted as saying that they saw the columns of 
Federal for miles coming down through the 
mountains and had the Federals shown their faces 
that day in full force the war would have been 
over, we would have crushed Lee’s army.

At 6:00 a.m., the first part of the Battle 
Antietam took place near the Dunker Church and 
the cornfield.  The battle raged back and forth 
across that field 15 times leaving death and 
destruction in its wake.  The 12th Massachusetts 
alone loss 224 of 334 men before the fighting 
ceased.  The second part of this horrific battle 
took place at the "Sunken Road" which was the 
center of Lee’s battle line.   I understand from 
reports that fighting raged here for several 
hours and when it ceased the Confederate dead lay 
2-3 men deep along that road.  That road is now 
called "Bloody Lane".  The last part of this 
battle took place at the "Stone Bridge".  General 
Burnside fought hard and long to take that bridge 
only to be turned back again after crossing it 
simply because General McClellan refused to send 
in support as he had promised to do.  General 
McClellan had many men that were held just 
outside of Sharpsburg that he never brought in 
to support those already engaged!  

When all is said and done, the carnage of this 
terrible day may have well ended the war if 
McClellan had moved his support in to help. 

* * * * * * *

It is now the end of October -- it’s been 19 days 
since the battle and McClellan has not moved a 
single man across that bridge to pursue Lee who 
had retreated back across the Potomac and it was 
another 9 days til McClellan finally moved his 
whole army across -- I’m done with him.  

I’m relieving General George B. McClellan as 
Commander of the Army of the Potomac and I will 
appoint a new general soon.....