Hello,

It was well done but much too Eastern-centric and did not speak at all of what else was going on in the rest of the war while this raid into Maryland was happening.

During this time the only all-fronts Confederate offensive of the entire war was happening from Arkansas to Maryland and into Kentucky in the center. This was truly the "high water mark" of the Confederacy and Antietam's place in it was not properly assessed. The miralce of this offensive is even more reknowend when you consider that by June, 1862, the Federals wre 7 miles from Richmond, Tennessee had been captured (except portions of East TN), Memphis and Nashville had fallen as had New Orleans and the Federals controlled all but 3 miles of the Mississippi River right in front of Vicksburg. Arkansas had been lost for the most part as well. Had this been a boxing match the Confederates were at 9 on a standing ten count!

That was the biggest failure of this program -to place Antietam into that context.

I also quibble about leaving off the South Mountain battles, which were very important to setting up the bigger battle.

And while Antietam did set up the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, it took a few more Union victories, particularly at Stones River in TN at year's end, to help keep Northern morale high enough to accept this new war aim.
The Confederate retreat from Kentucky also helped (whichs et up Stones River).

Please keep in mind one thing - while the vaunted Army of the Potomac was getting its butt handed to it by Lee from 1862 into 1863, the Union armies of the West were winning victory after victory after victory. The Northen papers covered these victories very well and the Northern people knew that Lincoln was bringing them good new except in the East.

Greg Biggs