Hey everyone, thanks for downloading Episode 187 of our Civil Warpot

podcast. I'm Rich. And I'm Tracy. Hello y'all. Welcome to the podcast. With the last show,

we wrapped up our look at the Battle of South Mountain and started the transition to our discussion

of the Battle of Antietam. The fighting for control of the South Mountain passes took place on

September 14th, 1862, and then the Battle of Antietam will be on the 17th. So, when last we left

Robert E. Lee, we said that although the Battle of South Mountain was a tactical defeat for the

Confederates, it was actually, if you look at the big picture, a victory for Lee, since the fighting

for the mountain passes would ultimately provide him with the thing he needed most. Time, time to

reunite his divided army. We talked about how in the aftermath of South Mountain and with Harper's

Ferry still holding out, Robert E. Lee had been fully prepared to give up on his campaign and

retreats South. Back across the Potomac River in order to save his divided and vulnerable army.

But then, Lee had temporarily halted the retreat of D.H. Hills and James Long Street's troops

at Sharpsburg in order to give Lafayette McClaude's command the chance to escape from Pleasant Valley

where it was trapped after the Federal breakthrough at Cranpton's gap. As y'all recall,

McClaude's command had been part of the Confederate Force besieging Harper's Ferry,

but they'd been cut off by the Union victory at South Mountain. After that, McClaude was stuck in

Pleasant Valley. He couldn't move forward because the Federal's of William Franklin's sixth

corps blocked his way, and he couldn't go back as long as Harper's Ferry was still holding out.

Exactly, but Lee apparently thought McClaude could still escape so the Confederate commander halted

at Sharpsburg to wait for McClaude to join Hill and Long Street there. Lee was still planning on

withdrawing South of the Potomac, but first he was going to wait for McClaude's.

But then on the morning of Monday, September 15th, Lee received a message from Stonewall Jackson

...