Existing comment:
Intelligence Ignored: Battle of Antietam
September 17, 1862
Union General McClellan consistently made poor use of intelligence. Days after finding Lee's orders, he received reports that Lee was straying from the battle plan. McClellan dismissed this breaking intelligence -- and lost his chance to catch the divided Confederates by surprise. When he finally engaged Lee at Antietam, his army failed to deliver a crushing blow to the Confederates, who had regrouped. However, it succeeded in stopping Lee's invasion of the North. As a result, both England and France lost faith in the Confederacy, and Lincoln was emboldened to issue a preliminary emancipation proclamation. |