What if the federals never found the cigar-wrapping document?

[Mr King]

What if the federals never found the cigar-wrapping document that revealed the confederate's plan? Sharpsburg/Antietam would probably never happened. What do you think would have happened?

[5fish]

I do not think McClellan would have attack Lee but let Lee roam around west MD playing "Maryland My Maryland" with his army bands.

Lee would have had to force a fight with Mcclellan to seek his victory on Northern soil and bring an European power into the war.

There would not have been a Battle of Antietam if those lost orders had not been found by the union.


A few thoughts...

[Elennsar]

McClellan was moving...slowly and with poor information (thanks to Pleasanton's ineptitude at scouting and Stuart's skill at screening), but moving.

So he might well have clashed on similar ground, sooner or latter, regardless. Lee had to reassemble his army before planning any major movements, and that would have eaten up time.

[trice]

Originally Posted by Elennsar

McClellan was moving...slowly and with poor information (thanks to Pleasanton's ineptitude at scouting and Stuart's skill at screening), but moving.

So he might well have clashed on similar ground, sooner or latter, regardless. Lee had to reassemble his army before planning any major movements, and that would have eaten up time.

I think we can figure on the basis that Harpers Ferry falls when it actually did, and that McClellan will be two or three days later in getting to South Mountain. In that case, Lee is probably able to hold the South Mountain passes in greater strength.

Tim

[5fish]

Lee like at Gettysburg committed his entire army at the engagement at Sharpsburg. Like Gettysburg were Pickett' men were bringing up the rear it was Hill's men bringing up the rear at Sharpsburg. Unlike Gettysburg where Pickett's men did not save the day while at Sharpsburg Hill's men do save the day.

A pointless musing.....

[whitworth]

with his army intact. McClellan never took risks where Lee could destroy the Army of the Potomac.

[Baggage Handler #2]

Among the possibilities to be considered...
Lee ends up in Pennsylvania, where some of his units get entangled with a probing force of Union cavalry.

Instead of falling back and regrouping, Lee, now desperately short of supplies, engages the Union Army in an all out effort in this small Pennsylvania town.

Jackson, proposes a night march flanking the Union left, but dawn finds him engaged with a lost and out of position Union corps, and the assault grinds to a halt - the day ending with a stalemate.

Lee, realizing his exposed position and understanding that the whole Union Army is between him and Washington wisely elects to withdraw back south of the Potomac, which is accomplished in a driving rain.

The next attempt confederate dream of a symbolic victory in northern soil will come during the next summer, at a field in front of a small Dunkard church near Sharpsburg Maryland. This battle ends in disaster for the confederates as Pickett attempts to charge a corps over a little stone bridge on the southern end of the battle field.

Little Mac, replaced by Doubleday, the unlikely hero of the battle, goes off to England, where he encourages Karl Marx to become involved in First International and later proofreads and adds valuable edits to Das Capital.

Jackson, unfortunately, does not survive the war, as he is sent west to assist Bragg during Stones River and instead strangles him. Historians continue to debate whether or not Jackson aided the southern cause by this act.
Afterwards, in a moment of reflection, he accidentally chokes on a lime.

Baseball, of course, is never made into a professional sport.

That's what if.

[mt155]

I saw that on an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Rod Serling