A Brief History
On September 13, 1862, the Army of Northern Virginia and their commander, Robert E. Lee, suffered a catastrophic blunder when Lee’s battle plans for the upcoming Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg to the Rebels) were found near Frederick, Maryland by Union soldiers.
Digging Deeper
The orders, known as “Special Order 191” were found wrapped around 3 cigars where they had been lost by a Confederate officer, gave the Union forces under George McClellan a tremendous advantage. As it was, Lee had half the forces that the Union had available, and the battle was fought to a stalemate, something the South could not afford. Even though the Union lost 12,000 men to a loss of 10,000 for the Confederates, the Rebels failed to take Maryland and had to retreat back to Virginia. The battle, fought on September 17, 1862, was the deadliest day in American military history, with over 3600 Americans killed in that one day.
What seems on the surface to be an inconclusive battle, was in fact a tremendous victory for an embattled Union Army struggling to avoid losing the war and a strong signal to European countries that the Union forces were still very much in the game. Had the Rebel forces been successful, it is entirely possible if not probable that Britain and perhaps other European countries might have recognized the Confederacy as a legitimate nation and possibly even supported the efforts of the South to secede.
George McClellan, a miserable general by most assessments, failed to act decisively upon gaining the intelligence provided by the discovery of Lee’s battle plans. His slow reaction cost the Union a chance to defeat the Rebels in detail. Additionally, his reluctance to pursue Lee back to Virginia cost another opportunity to destroy Lee’s army, and thus the potential great victory was greatly modified to a tactical draw, though still a strategic victory. Another blunder by McClellan was failing to commit a fourth of his forces, another factor that cost a more decisive victory.
This Union “victory” emboldened President Abraham Lincoln to issue his Emancipation Proclamation 5 days after the battle, freeing the slaves in the Confederacy, making the War a war of liberation and giving the Union the moral high ground. This development was part of the key to avoiding French and British recognition of the Confederacy.
European countries stayed out of the war (though supplying both sides with arms and trade), and the Union went on to victory. Obviously not the only turning point of the war, it is not unreasonable to consider this battle pivotal to the eventual outcome, all because a careless Rebel dropped a set of battle plans.
Question for students (and subscribers): Was Antietam/Sharpsburg the turning point of the US Civil War? Were those lost and found battle plans the single most important event in the course of that war? Tell us what you think, and if you think otherwise, what was the turning point? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Alexander, Ted and Jeffry D. Wert. The Battle of Antietam: The Bloodiest Day (Civil War Series). The History Press, 2011.
Sears, Stephen W. Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam. Mariner Books, 2015.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="12057 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=12057">39 Comments
I think this was a poorly led battle from the Union side. They had the Confederates’ battle plans, and they chose not to act on them. If a football team were to steal the other teams playbook, and end the game tied, nobody would be happy with that. My only thought as to why he didn’t really act on the plans was because maybe he thought they were planted and that he was supposed to find them, and it would end up being a trap.
N.W.
I agree that the battle was completely unorganized and disoriented, but the lost and found battle plans were a very important aspect of the war.
This sounds like a very poor war.
AM
It’s interesting to think that had the Rebel forces been successful, it is entirely possible that Britain and perhaps other European countries might have recognized the Confederacy as a legitimate nation.
Crazy that a single battle changed the much of the war. Because of the Union’s win, England stayed out of the war- which could have been catastrophic. GW
The Union had the battle plans of there enemy and they did nothing about it? Interesting…
I could not even imagine what would have happened if England and France joined the side of the Confederate. Things would be very different
The fact that one lost piece of information could cause such a loss of live and a non-decisive victory for the union.
That officer could be the true reason why the north prevailed and America is that way that it is today.
If Lee didn’t lose his plans, the war could have been completely different and the Union could have lost. I guess you have to be extremely careful when you have vital plans like that.
Interesting that it was technically a draw between the union and confederates but mostly an overall Union success.
it is interesting to think of what could have happened if the french and england joined the confederates
The war could have had a completely different outcome if the
Confederate officer hadn’t lost those plans and they weren’t found by the
Union.
If battle plans were available to the other side, one would think the plans would be used to their complete advantage..
I wonder what would be different then and even today if the Confederacy had been recognized as a nation.
Its interesting that such a small blunder as that, the loss of one set of plans, changed the outcome of our nation forever and of that war in particular.
I am surprised they were not careful enough to keep track of the plans. It seems as though an ordinary soldier should not have access to these. A different outcome would have definitely come about had these plans not been lost.
I can’t believe the rebels were so careless to have dropped their war plans. It’s crazy that this battle is the most deadly in American history killing over 3000 men! I don’t think many Americans realize how tragic the civil war was the the United States and the tremendous tole it took on the country’s especially the south.
With as much blood shed in the Civil War on the US ground it was a ground shattering war that allowed Abraham Lincoln to free slaves. The sacrifice of so many lives allows us today live the lives we live even though there are race issues today but none nearly as worse before the Civil War.
I do believe that the Battle of Antietam was the turning point during the Civil War. I had not realized that Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued just five days after this battle. Had the Rebel forces came out of this battle victorious and subsequently gained support from Europe, the Civil War would certainly have had a different result.
If the South had been victorious in the Battle of Antietam, then both France and Britain would have recognized the Confederacy as a separate country. Without the victory at Antietam, the North may have lost the war and the United States and the Confederacy would be two separate countries today.
You’d think something so trivial such as a lost set of plans wouldn’t have decided such a major outcome as the fate of the civil war. It’s happenings like this that allow for so much organization and secrecy involved in war today.
Makes me scratch my head that someone managed to lose the war plans. Something like that as we can see was detrimental to their plans in the war, it weakened the Confederates the moment the Union found it.
Knowing that someone lost the battle plans makes me wonder if that person ever came forward and admitted to losing them. If that person had told Lee about the loss of the plans they might have been able to come up with a new plan and not had it foiled by the Union Army. I’m not saying I wish this would have happened as this battle was a pivotal turning point in the Civil War for Union forces, but the deaths of this battle might have been able to be avoided.
McClellan’s indecisiveness really put the Union at a disadvantage. While the battle may be considered a victory for the Union, this battle had the potential to end the war is more aggressive measures were taken against the South.
What would have happened if McClellan did not find those battle plans? They would not have had the big victory that they did. Maybe if the leader was McClellan the Union would have had a different relit as well.
What are the odds someone loses the plans for battle and a soldier for the opposing army finds them? You would think that if you are the one carrying these plans you would make sure they’re safe and in the right hands.
It was huge for the Union to capitalize on the found battle plans. Although it was not an absolute victory, a draw was all the union needed. This was definitely a pivotal point in the civil war because had the confederate won, France and Britain would have supported the succession of the Confederacy.
I am surprised the Confederates were not more protective of their war plans. What a careless act. I do believe the Battle of Antietam/Sharpsburg was a turning point in the US Civil War. If the rebels were victorious and gained Europe’s support, the Civil War would have most likely had a different ending to it.
It seems like if the battle plans were not found, the Union may have been defeated at that battle. Like it says in the article, if the Confederacy won in the battle they may have been recognized by other European nations. I believe this would have crippled the Union forces.
If the European countries would have got involved in the war then it possibly would have turned out differently and the slaves probably would not have been freed. Also, McClellan defiantly had some bad fails with not acting fast and making a costly victory.
So odd that battle plans could be lost and then miraculously found by another army. Also it was interesting to read that this battle was one of the deadliest days in American history with 3600 men being killed in just one day.
European countries getting involved in the Revolutionary War turned the tide, so I wonder how actual troop involvement in the Civil War would have made things different, back then and even today.
If tables were turned, I wonder what would have happened if the others lost their battle plans and one of our troops found them…
It is crazy that someone lost battle plans and they were picked up by another army. What are the odds of something like that happening. I have never heard of this happening! The person who lost these plans should have told Lee that he lost the plans so that he could change their plans.
Discovering the lost battle plans certainly helpd the Union, but it could only help so much since the commander was incompetent. Thus, I do not believe that the misplaced plan was the single reason that the Union won.
Find it crazy this battle was one of deadliest days in American History with 3600 dying
It is definitely a good question to ask. With McClellan being a bad general, I do not think the plans helped enough to make it a deciding event. A different general could have, in my opinion, planned better for Antietam, suffered less losses, and followed the retreating Confederate army into Virginia.
It is interesting to read about the battle that led to President Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation.