Crossroads Of Freedom

2 Pages 620 Words

Crossroads of Freedom

Our generation today has marked September 11, 2001 as the largest disaster of our country but, it is overshadowed greatly by September 17, 1862, “the bloodiest single day in American history”. The numbers of the Union and Confederate soldiers killed and fatally wounded was from 6,300 to 6,500, this was twice the amount of people that perished in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and four times the number of casualties of D-day on the beaches of Normandy. The Union forces were lead mainly by General George B. McClellan and the Confederate army was lead by General Robert E. Lee after he had replaced General Joseph Johnston. The upper hand in the war shifted from side to side as each pushed to win each battle and every territory the opposition controlled. European powers observed the action taking place in America and wanted to step in and help bring upon a truce between the sides. The majority of the Europeans supported the Confederates and was waiting for them to pick up steam and start dominating in order to gain the European backing. Lincoln felt as if he was forced by the pressure of the Confederate forces to enforce an emancipation proclamation that wouldn’t just benefit the slaves but, also benefit the Union and hurt the Confederates. Everything comes to a point where the tides change with great force when the Battle of Antietam ends in a gruesome mess that fuels the Union campaign and morale to continue on and win the war.
In my views I see that McPherson was a bit prejudice against McClellan. He often commented on McClellan’s lack of leadership not only in his own words but, through the letters of soldiers who wrote home. They would tell of how they were sick and tired of ways of commanding. McPherson also showed a bias in the favor of the Confederacy not really by what he said but, by what he did not say. He rarely spoke on the weaknesses or even the strengths in...