April 4, 1863, The New York Herald
We publish this morning General McClellan’s official report of the battle of Antietam. This report shows, as clearly as the sun at noonday, that if McClellan’s advice in regard to Harper’s Ferry had been followed by the War Department the battle of Antietam would have resulted still more gloriously for the country and disastrously for the rebels. McClellan advised that Harper Ferry should be evacuated, and that Maryland Heights, which command the Ferry, should be strongly fortified and garrisoned. Had this been done, McClellan’s army would have had thirty thousand fewer rebels to fight, and the forces of Lee, defeated at South Mountain and Antietam, and cut off from crossing the Potomac by our forces at Maryland Heights, would have been dispersed and captured. Instead of this, Maryland Heights were deserted by that miserable chap Tom Ford, and Harper’s Ferry was thus given over to Jackson, and the defeated rebels were enabled to retreat. This report will be read by everybody, and is a perfect vindication of Gen. McClellan’s plans. As such it will be received by the public. The abolitionists do well to continue their attacks upon McClellan; for they know that when the full history of his campaigns is published it will be shown that often, as in this case, his best laid plans were thwarted by official jealousies or incompetency. Their only hope, therefore, is to destroy McClellan before this history appears. We are glad to know that even his hope will fail them, and we present the true report of the Harper’s Ferry affair as the foretaste of equally good things to come.