On September 17, 1862, two of America's greatest armies engaged in mortal combat at the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg). Both of these forces were in their infancy. The Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia would go on to greater glories on other fields. But perhaps never again would they face so many structural challenges as in the confusing days of September 1862. A comparison of the armies helps to clarify those challenges and identifies the strengths and weaknesses inherent in each command.
General George B. McClellan was the 35-year-old scion of a noted Pennsylvania medical family with roots dating back to colonial New England and Mayflower. McClellan was well schooled in military matters, ranking second in the famous West Point class of 1846. He had experience both in the Mexican War and as an observer of European armies during the Crimean War. Nevertheless, his frequent caution in combat, coupled with a conservative outlook on how the rebellion should be put down, proved to be his undoing as an army commander. Military successes in western Virginia early in the war brought him favor with the Lincoln administration. This led him back to the seat of government and appointment as commander of the Army of the Potomac, and soon the position of general-in-chief.
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