Cecily Zander

And he still fails to bring the battle to any kind of great substantial victory.

After the end of the day of fighting on September 17th, 1862, yes, McClellan's army occupies the battlefield.

But the next day he decides not to pursue Lee, not to pursue a very wounded Confederate army.

He lets Lee escape across the river.

Abraham Lincoln is telegraphing him saying, what's going on?

He says, the horses are tired.

We can't really move.

We can't do anything.

Lincoln is saying, what made the horses so tired?

He simply doesn't understand.

He's trying to prompt McClellan to push McClellan to move.

But even with his enemy's battle plans and enough of an occupation of the battlefield to consider himself having won a victory, he doesn't follow up.

He fails to pursue Lee.

He lets the great Confederate commander get away.

It's really important to understand where McClellan is coming from here.

He's only 35 years old when he's placed in command of the most important Union army.

I mean, it's pretty remarkable his rise through the ranks.

He'd been, again, a West Point graduate.

He'd had experience in Mexico, like many of these officers.

He had gotten out of the army and into civil life.