SEPTEMBER 19, 1862:
The
Battle of Shepherdstown (The Battle of Boteler’s Ford).
Lee’s troops continue
the withdrawal they had begun the night before from their position near Antietam Creek. A small contingent of Federal
troops have crossed the Potomac into Virginia, and they clash with elements of
Lee’s forces when those forces cross the river at Boteler’s Ford. The
ensuing battle stretches into the next day.
The Union troops are
battered in the engagement (due to a confusion of orders) and withdraw across
the river with heavy losses. The Confederate commander sends word to
Lee that the Union has invaded Virginia, but has been repulsed. Despite this heartening news, Lee decides to fall back to Winchester, rather than resume the offensive.
The
irony is that other than this small engagement, McClellan does nothing to stop
Lee’s movements back into Virginia. In a greater irony, despite an apparent tactical victory, Lee’s army is so broken that it runs
from a minor engagement. Compared to
the bloodbath of Antietam, total casualties for both sides at Shepherdstown are less than 700.
On this same day, the Battle of Iuka, Mississippi results in
Confederate forces abandoning the town. Union casualties are 800 total.
Confederate casualties are about 1,500. After the battle, Major General William
Rosecrans accuses Ulysses S. Grant of drunkenness for failing to send reserves
from nearby Corinth. It is later proven that an acoustical shadow caused Grant
in Corinth not to hear the artillery at Iuka. The two men remain bitter toward
each other for years thereafter.
A very inaccurate account of the Battle of Shepherdstown.
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you. If you can write a better one, I'll gladly post it.
DeleteSorry, didn't mean to be hurtful here. Maybe my terse comment may have been misinterpreted in tone. But there are a number of factual errors here Konrei.
ReplyDelete1. Lee began withdrawing on the evening of the 18th and not the 19th
2. It's Boteler's Ford (not Boetler's)
3. The contingent of Federal troops crossed after most of Lee's army was across & was certainly not "unknown" to Lee as his official correspondence and reports show.
4. On Sep. 20 McClellan sent four brigades of infantry across the Potomac and ordered his cavalry to pursue Lee and inflict as much damage as possible (see official records -correspondence -Vol. 19 I believe) - It was only after the severe clash at Shepherdstown that he became reluctant to pursue Lee into Virginia.
5. Lee didn't so much retreat to Winchester for safety, as he had established a strong picket guard along the Potomac. He also did not receive word that day that the Union army had invaded Virginia - rather he was informed that the enemy had been decidedly repulsed. But the more profound consequence of this engagement was that Lee aborted his plans to reenter Maryland and continue the campaign. Thus it was this battle that effectively ended the Maryland Campaign.
6. Casualties based on thorough studies are most likely closer to 700.
Again, I didn't mean this post to be malicious in any way. I love the blog but noticed a number of statements in this particular post are not supported by the historical evidence. (Please see the Official Records) I really appreciate the dialogue though - Thanks!
After a long delay, much reading, and some thought, I've amended the post. However, it's still unclear to me just why Lee decided to withdraw instead of fight. I can only assume (as I've surmised from my readings, and I've written, that the AONV was so battered after Antietam that Lee feared to press the issue. Many people lionize Lee, and for some good reasons (not least of all his efforts to reunify the country in 1865), though he has always seemed to me to be less daring than careful and perhaps overcautious---his earlier nicknames of "King of Spades" and "Ole Granny Lee" come to mind. Anyway, thank you for the feedback. I strive for accuracy and interest, and I wish more people corresponded.
ReplyDelete