Posted on 01/16/2019 10:05:36 PM PST by vannrox
Re: “If Lee had won at Antietam, what we know as America might be two separate nations today.”
156 years later, that idea is sounding better and better.
Special Plea - this time, let’s avoid the gunfire and the economic destruction.
I visited the Sharpsburg (Antietam) battlefield in 2010. Interestingly, corn was still being grown at the infamous Cornfield, site of the bloodiest clash of the war.
INTERESTING. Nonetheless, The Battle at Sharpsburg, MD was AT BEST a DRAW, rather than ANY sort of Union victory.
The best that can be truthfully said was that the Union didn’t actually lose the battle. - That’s why Lincoln was able to call it a victory.
ONE thing is undoubtedly TRUE: Sharpsburg was a BLOODBATH & a HORROR SHOW for both sides.
Yours, TMN78247
Thanks vannrox.
Thank you for posting this.
A battle that happened because of three lost cigars.
‘Early on the morning of the 13th, however, Cpl. Barton Mitchell of the 27th Indiana found a bulky envelope on the ground outside a recently vacated Confederate camp, inside of which was an official-looking paper wrapped around three cigars. The document concluded, “By command of General Robert E. Lee” and was signed “R.H. Chilton, Assistant Adjutant General.” The paper was quickly passed up to the corps command, where Staff Col. Samuel Pitman, who knew Chilton from before the war, verified the signature. It was an authentic copy of Special Order 191.
By late morning it was in the hands of General McClellan, who was meeting with a group of local citizens. The general quickly wired President Lincoln: “I have all the Rebel plans and will catch them in their own trap.”
The author is quite wrong in his assessment of the great number of missed shots. Certainly more than 95 percent missed but a great many were fired at long range. Plus there is the concept of suppressive fire so a round does not have to make a hit on flesh to be effective. I’m not sure of the wind speed throughout the day and the atmospheric conditions but black powder weapons in those numbers would often create smoke screens. These were much more experienced armies than the ones that met at First Manassas and the soldiers on both side were able to use their weapons in a capable manner.
Nice camping and swimming nearby at Greenbrier State Park just up the road near Boonsboro MD.
One of my ancestors was there with the 13th Mississippi, at the Dunker Church.
He survived Antietam, but not Gettysburg.
Also called The War of Northern Aggression by southerners.
"...Antietam by the numbers..."
https://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/peter+paul+mary/cruel+war_20107745.html
The Cruel War is raging, Johnny has to fight
I want to be with him from morning to night.
I want to be with him, it grieves my heart so,
Won't you let me go with you?
No, my love, no.
Tomorrow is Sunday, Monday is the day
That your Captain will call you and you must obey.
Your captain will call you it grieves my heart so,
Won't you let me go with you?
No, my love, no.
I'll tie back my hair, men's clothing I'll put on,
I'll pass as your comrade, as we march along.
I'll pass as your comrade, no one will ever know.
Won't you let me go with you?
No, my love, no.
Oh Johnny, oh Johnny, I fear you are unkind
I love you far better than all of mankind.
I love you far better than words can e're express
Won't you let me go with you?
Yes, my love, yes.
There are many versions of this old Civil War song, but this is the one we used to sing this at summer camp.
I knew a certain South Carolina gentleman who referred to it as "the recent unpleasantness."
Very interesting. Thank you for the text and photos. “Trying to kill lest they be killed.” Two brutal options. War is the harmful result of poor diplomatic relations.
Bookmark.
I'm no Civil War expert, but the armies of that era mostly used RIFLES, which were deadly accurate out to as much as 400 yards. That was made possible by the minie ball, a type of bullet that somewhat cleaned out the fouling in the rifling caused by the black powder propellants of the day. Between that and the author's sketchy math on how many bullets were fired and how many casualties were incurred, I sort of lost interest in this post.
I read once that the Civil War was a series of engagements using 18th century tactics and 20th century weapons. Not an entirely correct summation, but close enough to understand I wouldn't have wanted to be in my great grandfather's shoes at Fredricksburg.
From the OP “Joseph Mansfield was one of six major generals killed at the battle.”
General Mansfield, regular army, not sure of his age but way past time to retire had been bugging Lincoln for a field command. He finally received one and Antietam was his first Civil War battle as I think his corps missed the action at South Mountain.
He was deploying his troops quite a ways back from the line at the start of the battle, before it really got going, when a rebel bullet mortally wounded him. So his Civil War time on the battlefield was exceptionally brief.
Yes, it was a draw. The Army of the Potomac was so starved for victories at that point of the war that a draw was as good as a victory for them. Actually, I tend to think of it as more of a Confederate victory. McClellan should have destroyed the Copnfederate army once he found out how dispersed their forces were. The fact that the Rebs escaped destruction was a greater victory IMO than the Union achieving a draw.
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