It is simple numbers. Lee was outnumbered just over 2 to 1 before Antietam. After the battle, Lee was outnumbered 2.7 to 1. At the relative rates of loss, if the invasion had continued, at the point where McClellan had approx. 43,000 soldiers left, Lee would be down to around 2,000 soldiers. (Obviously, Lee would have been in deep, deep trouble, long before that.)
Lee’s intention with this particular offensive was to inflict enough pain on the Union, and invade deep enough into the North to make fear of such invasion effective enough, that Lincoln would lose political support to the point the Union would not pursue the war. Lee failed.
Yes, I know what the Confederate propaganda of the time said.
PITY that you don’t evidently KNOW (or are IGNORING) that it takes 400-500 “front line troops” to effectively deal with ONE talented, armed guerrilla fighter.
Had GEN Lee NOT been so gentlemanly, he could have DESTROYED the Union army in PA & MD & decimated the civilian areas with numerous fires & explosions.
The Unionists of 1860-65 should be GLAD that there were FEW trained “counter-guerrilla” armed forces members OR experienced “Indian fighters”, who wore the GRAY & who were quite willing to destroy MD & PA by “fire & sword”, using “hit & run” tactics, as Francis Marion did in the AWI & COL Quantrill & other Partisan Rangers did in the Trans-Mississippi Theater..
(IF you know how to fight guerrillas, you can effectively fight AS a guerrilla.)
Yours, TMN78247