Battle of Sharpsburg
 

144 years ago today, September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland, was a lucky day for the Confederacy. If the Federals had had a more aggressive General at the helm of the Army of the Potomac, The Army of Northern Virginia under R.E. Lee should have been defeated.

But with the North's customary dundering around (at this time) McClellan still did not make proper use of the intellligence found when he discovered through a lost set of orders that Lee would split his army in three.

As usual, McClellan did things wrong and attacked the Confederate lines piece meal instead of a full scale assault to break through and turn rebel flanks. If He had, the North may have won the war a lot earlier............ But then again we wouldn't have Gettysburg or the Overland campaign to talk about either.

At any rate, to this day, this battle remains the bloodiest in American military history with 24,000 men killed, captured and wounded in about 8 hours.

As A. Lincoln put it: "That's not the Army of the Potomac; that's McClellan's bodyguard." ... or words to that effect.

Heck with McClellan, gimme that general who knew his hard drink (though did not partake during battle) US Grant. Now there's a man who knew how to fight.

Grant
 

And, hey, let's not forget how Grant "saved" his wounded after Cold Harbor! :d: