Edward Porter Alexander, Military memoirs of a Confederate: a critical narrative

[249] victory here on a field more remote from a safe place of refuge for the enemy than his victories of the Seven Days and of 2d Manassas had been. The hope would have been reasonable had his army been larger and his armament better, but under all the circumstances and conditions it was as improbable of realization as the chance of an earthquake would have been. He did, indeed, win a complete victory over all the infantry which the enemy engaged, but their position was more favorable to prevent his making a counter-stroke than was his to resist their attack. Their heavy guns across the Antietam gave him protection, just as at Fredericksburg the Federal artillery on the Stafford heights, afterward in two battles, safely covered the Federal infantry on the opposite shore.

Briefly, Lee took a great risk for no chance of gain except the killing of some thousands of his enemy with the loss of, perhaps, two-thirds as many of his own men. That was a losing game for the Confederacy. Its supply of men was limited; that of the enemy was not. That was not war! Yet now, who would have it otherwise? History must be history and could not afford to lose this battle from its records. For the nation is immortal and will forever prize and cherish the record made that day by both sides, as actors in the boldest and the bloodiest battle ever fought upon this continent.

Longstreet and D. H. Hill, after their night march from Boonsboro, took line of battle in front of Sharpsburg early on the morning of Sept. 15. During the morning the news of the surrender of Harper's Ferry was received, and gave a different complexion to the whole situation. Until that time Lee had contemplated crossing the river at Shepherdstown, and he had directed Jackson to move to that vicinity to cover the crossing; but Jackson replied that he could bring his divisions over to Sharpsburg, upon which he was ordered to do so.¹

On the morning of the 15th McClellan in person started in pursuit of Lee from Turner's Gap with four corps, — the 1st, 2d, 5th, and 12th, — comprising 33 brigades of infantry. After a march of about seven miles he found Lee, with the 14 brigades under Longstreet and D. H. Hill, in line of battle in front of