protected
by batteries on the opposite bank, he crossed the Potomac, and on the
20th drove back a Union reconnaissance. The government, impatient with
McClellan's tardiness, urged and almost ordered him to follow up Lee,
but the commander preferred to guard against being followed up himself
by the Army of Northern Virginia. Thus again a golden opportunity
slipped away unimproved.

Naturally each side claimed a victory at Antietam or Sharpsburg, as it
is called in the South, but such a claim in either case is hardly
justifiable. It may be said, on the one hand, that Lee's invasion of the
North was brought to a disastrous end by his check at Antietam, but the
claim of Lee was that his failure to secure the expected recruits from
Maryland, and his distance from the base of supplies, necessitated such
a withdrawal on his part, for it is established that he was opposed to
the northward advance from the first.

On the other hand, he had received a serious check, but his army
remained intact and was as well prepared as ever to contest the campaign
against Richmond, a campaign which had to be pushed to a successful
conclusion before the war could end. The one grand opportunity of
General McClellan's life was presented to him at the close of the battle
of Antietam, and, failing to seize it, it never came again, and his
military career ended with failure.

Antietam was, in comparison to numbers engaged, the bloodiest battle of
the Civil War. The Union loss was 2,108 killed; 9,549 wounded; 753
missing; total, 12,410. The Confederate loss was 1,886 killed; 9,348
wounded; 1,367 captured and missing; total, 12,601.

The government was insistent that McClellan should push his advance
against Richmond, but the favorable autumn wore away and the wet season
arrived before a plan of campaign was formulated. This was to cross the
Blue Ridge Mountains from Harper's Ferry, following the southeastern
side of the range, leaving detachments to guard all the passes, and thus
threaten the Confederate communications in the Shenandoah Valley.

McCLELLAN SUPERSEDED BY BURNSIDE.

Accordingly, on the 25th of October, the Army of the Potomac once more
faced toward the Confederate capital. In the course of a week, it held
the whole region southwest of the Blue Ridge and was near the army of
General Lee, who fell back, cautiously followed at a safe distance by
the Union commander. On the night of November 7th, while McClellan was
talking in his