Battle Of Antietam Essay

The Battle of Antietam was considered the bloodiest day in American history killing, injuring, and capturing 23,000 men in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The battle was led by Robert E. Lee of the Army of Northern Virginia and General George McClellan of the Potomac. General McClellan was chosen by President Lincoln over John Pope to lead the Union in this battle. McClellan was very pretentious, and most of the cabinet members choose Pope over McClellan, but Lincoln went against them and choose McClellan. He was questioned on his ability to take on General Lee because he took serious risks to maintain his success during the Civil War.
On September 3rd, 1862 General Lee wrote to the Confederate President Jefferson Davis about suggesting an invasion of the North over various reasons. The Southern public was begging for it,

191, he sent Stonewall Jackson and half of his arm to occupy Harper’s Ferry and seize this giant arsenal of war material and forage. Then, they experienced an unexpected turn in the war. Some confederate soldiers took a copy of Lee’s Special Orders No. 191, and used the paper to roll cigars, but what they didn’t know what that they may have dropped them on their journey. So, Lee’s battle plan was out in the open. Two soldiers of an Indian regiment found them cigars, and the Special Order’s made their way back the McClellan. McClellan knew exactly where Lee was going to be and what he had planned on doing.
On September 14th, 1862 McClellan moved in on Lee as a surprise, but Lee knew that McClellan would be moving towards him sooner than he imagined. Lee sent soldiers to cover the South Mountain. He sent his men to three separate gaps, and tried to hold McClellan and his men off. The fighting went on for five or six hours, and the Army of Potomac, due to the overwhelming number of men that McClellan requested, seized South Mountain. Lee later pulled back to Antietam Creek near