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Battle of Antietam
Maj. Gen. D. H. Hill was relieved when a trailing Confederate soldier had returned to him Special Order 191 after having found it in the field. On September 17, 1862 the Army of Northern Virginia routed Union General George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac. The Army of the Potomac suffered massive losses as many Union soldiers started to surrender or deserting the battle. The Union suffered even more losses as McClellan ordered a retreat and was being followed by Lee. McClellan started leading his forces towards D.C. at first and Lee realized this and ceased chasing him knowing that no matter much damage he did to the Army of the Potomac without support from the British of French it would be an impossible fight for the Union's capital. Instead he focused his eyes onto a different Union city that could convince them to help, Philadelphia.
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