McClellan, Sumner and the second army corps in the Maryland campaign of September 1862 /

Abstract

The subject of this dissertation is the Maryland Campaign of September 1862. The focus of the study is Major General George B. McClellan, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General Edwin V. Sumner, the commander of the Second Army Corps, and the Second Army Corps itself.

Standard interpretations of the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam in particular have always been critical of the performance of McClellan and Sumner, and have always portrayed the role of the Second Army Corps at Antietam as critical to the outcome of the battle. By examining the interrelationship of the command decisions made by McClellan and Sumner, and how those decisions were carried out within the Second Corps, this study provides new detail and insight into the conduct of the Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam. While this study does not dispel criticism of McClellan's conduct of the campaign and battle, it does reevaluate the role of Sumner, and reexamines in exacting detail how Sumner's decisions were carried out within the Second Corps, and how those decisions contributed to the final outcome of the battle and the campaign.*.

*This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation). The CD requires the following system requirements: Adobe Acrobat; Microsoft Office; QuickTime.