On our way to Roanoke we made a short stop at Antietam National Battlefield. This is the site of the Bloodiest Day (September 17, 1862) of the Civil War as a total of 23110 were either killed or wounded.
The battle was basically a draw, Union General George McCellan hailed it as a victory. Shortly after the battle President Lincoln visited McCellan at the battlefield where he learned that McCellan had gotten a little carried away with his victory talk. Lincoln wanted McCellan to press the attach to General Lee, but that was not McCellan's approach. In November Lincoln removed McCellan.
In a way it was a victory for the Union in that the Confederates had a smaller army and could ill afford equal loses.
1 comment:
Good history lesson. See ya in a few days.
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