Telegram from Major General George McClellan Regarding General Robert E. Lee's Lost Order
9/13/1862
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In September 1862, Union soldiers found an official Confederate document on the battlefield and sent it up the chain of command. It turned out to be an order from Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee, which came to be known as his "lost order" or Special Order No. 191. Major General George McClellan sent this telegram to General Major Henry W. Halleck conveying the discovery of the order.
The order fell into Union commander General McClellan's hands a few days before the Battle of Antietam and provided the Union army with information about the location and movement of Lee's army. Lee had dispersed his army to capture the Union garrison and supplies at Harpers Ferry. The discovery of the lost order enabled the normally cautious McClellan to attack Lee before he could reassemble his forces. After Antietam, the withdrawal of the Confederate army back to Virginia paved the way for President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
The order fell into Union commander General McClellan's hands a few days before the Battle of Antietam and provided the Union army with information about the location and movement of Lee's army. Lee had dispersed his army to capture the Union garrison and supplies at Harpers Ferry. The discovery of the lost order enabled the normally cautious McClellan to attack Lee before he could reassemble his forces. After Antietam, the withdrawal of the Confederate army back to Virginia paved the way for President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of War.
National Archives Identifier: 5752157
Full Citation: Telegram from Major General George McClellan to General Major Henry W. Halleck Regarding General Robert E. Lee's Special Order No. 191, the Lost Order; 9/13/1862; Telegrams Sent and Received By The War Department Central Telegraph Office., 1861 - 1882; Records of the Office of the Secretary of War, Record Group 107; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/mcclellan-halleck-lost-order, March 28, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.