The Battle Military_operation of Antietam , also known as the Battle Military_operation of Sharpsburg , particularly in the Southern United States , was a battle Military_operation of the American Civil War Military_operation , fought Hostile_encounter on September 17 , 1862 , between Confederate General Robert E. Lee 's Army of Northern Virginia and Union General George B. McClellan 's Army of the Potomac , near Sharpsburg , Maryland and Antietam Creek .

After pursuing Aiming the Confederate general Robert E. Lee into Maryland , Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan of the Union Army launched Process_start attacks Attack against Lee 's army , in defensive positions behind Antietam Creek .

In spite of crippling casualties Death , Lee continued to skirmish Hostile_encounter with McClellan throughout September 18 , while removing Removing his battered army south of the Potomac River .

Despite having superiority of numbers , McClellan 's attacks Attack failed Earnings_and_losses to achieve Achieve force concentration , which allowed Preventing_or_letting Lee to counter Response by shifting Exchange forces and moving Motion along interior lines to meet Response each challenge Confronting_problem .

Therefore , despite ample reserve forces that could have been deployed Arranging to exploit Control localized successes Earnings_and_losses , McClellan failed Earnings_and_losses to destroy Destroying Lee 's army .

McClellan 's persistent but erroneous belief that he was outnumbered contributed Causation to his cautiousness throughout the campaign Military_operation .

McClellan had halted Process_end Lee 's invasion Military_operation of Maryland , but Lee was able to withdraw Escaping his army back to Virginia without interference Hindering from the cautious McClellan .

McClellan had halted Process_end Lee 's invasion Military_operation of Maryland , but Lee was able to withdraw Escaping his army back to Virginia without interference Hindering from the cautious McClellan .

McClellan 's refusal Agree_or_refuse_to_act to pursue Aiming Lee 's army led to Causation his removal Removing from command Control by President Abraham Lincoln in November .

McClellan led them to Dumfries , and there they captured Conquering the local commander , General James Turner , at 5.30 in the morning , still in his nightshirt , in his lodgings on the Whitesands .

McClellan , aided Assistance by Neilson of Corsock , took Bringing the gathering force up to Ayrshire , thence to Lanarkshire , and then to Colinton near Edinburgh , on their way to present Presence their petition to the Parliament .

The Seven Days Battles Hostile_encounter were the climax of the Peninsula Campaign Military_operation , during which McClellan 's Army of the Potomac sailed Self_motion around the Confederate lines , landed Self_motion at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula , southeast of Richmond , and struck Attack inland towards the Confederate capital .

McClellan was not present Presence for the initial exchanges Exchange of the battle Hostile_encounter , having boarded Self_motion the ironclad USS `` Galena '' and sailed Self_motion down the James River to inspect Harrison 's Landing , where he intended to locate Placing the base for his army .

After the battle Hostile_encounter , McClellan and his forces Motion withdrew Escaping from Malvern Hill to Harrison 's Landing , where he remained Temporary_stay until August 16 .

In stark contrast , McClellan was accused Judgment_communication of being absent from the battlefield , a harsh criticism Judgment_communication that haunted Influence him when he ran for president in 1864 .

The Battle Hostile_encounter of Malvern Hill , also known as the Battle Hostile_encounter of Poindexter 's Farm , was fought Hostile_encounter on July 1 , 1862 , between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia , led by Gen. Robert E. Lee , and the Union Army of the Potomac under Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan .

Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston fended Defending off McClellan 's repeated attempts to take Motion the city , slowing Hindering Union progress on the peninsula to a crawl .