Student Question
Why did the Army of Northern Virginia invade the North twice? Who won the Battle of Antietam?
Quick answer:
The Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North twice during the Civil War, primarily for strategic reasons such as securing food supplies, potentially gaining European support, and pressuring the North into negotiating peace. The invasions aimed to disrupt Northern morale and expectations of a quick victory. The Battle of Antietam in September 1862 ended in a tactical draw, but strategically favored the North as General Lee's goals were unmet, and the South did not gain European support.
Part of the southern strategy in the Civil War was to drag the war out by not invading the North. The goal was to have the Union army chase the Confederate army throughout the South, preventing a quick Union victory. Yet, the Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North on two separate occasions.
There were reasons for these invasions. In the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, General Lee had a few goals. He knew there was more food available in the North. Since most of the fighting was done in the South, the fields were being damaged. By invading the North, General Lee could get food for his hungry soldiers. He also knew that if the South could win in the North, it could lead to the Europeans helping the South in the Civil War. It could also possibly lead to a Confederate victory in the Civil War since...
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northerners expected to the win the war fairly quickly. A southern victory in the North would dash those thoughts.
Unfortunately for the South, General Lee was not successful at Antietam. He was forced to withdraw to the South. However, General McClellan didn’t pursue him, preventing a possible Union victory from occurring. While this battle is considered a draw since neither side gained land from the battle, it could be considered a northern victory because the South was not able to accomplish its goals. The war didn’t end, and the Europeans didn’t provide help to the South.
A second southern invasion of the North occurred at Gettysburg in July 1863. General Lee decided to invade the North for reasons similar to those he had for the Battle of Antietam. Food was even more a concern since the war had gone on for another year, and more farmland was damaged in the South. There also was a growing discontent in the North about the length of the war, and General Lee believed a victory could increase pressure on President Lincoln to negotiate a settlement. A southern victory could also lead to the South getting support from European countries.
While the South had an overall strategy that was different than what was followed at Antietam and at Gettysburg, General Lee believed the risk of invading the North had benefits that were too great to ignore. Thus, his army invaded the North on two separate occasions. Unfortunately for him, he was unsuccessful on both occasions.