on  the  old  battlefield  of  Bull  Run.  Here  a  terrible  struggle  took  place,
ending  in  the  disastrous  defeat  of  Pope.  In  this  bloody  battle  the  Unionists
lost  25,000  men,  of  whom  9,000  were  made  prisoners.  The  Confederates
lost  about  15,000.  As  the  defeated  army  had  fallen  back  on  Washington,
that  city  was  safe  against  assault,  and  on  September  4th,  with  another  of
his  brilliant  and  rapid  movements,  Lee  marched  his  army  into  Maryland,
hoping  that  this  State  would  rise  in  his  support.
He  was  disappointed  in  this ;  the  M arylanders  proved  staunch  for  the
Union  ;  but  one  great  advantage  was  gained  in  the  capture  of  Harper's
Ferry  by  Stonewall  Jackson,  with  nearly  12,000  prisoners  and  immense
quantities  of  munitions  of  war.  It  was  a  bloodless  victory,  as  valuable  in  its
results  for  the  Confederacy  as  had  been  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Bull  Run.
A  few  days  later,  on  September  iyth,  the  two  late  opponents,  McClellan  and
Lee,  met  in  conflict  at  Antietam,  in  the  most  bloody  battle,  for
STnd  Antietam"  t^e  numDers  engaged,  of  the  war.  Lee  had  taken  a  dangerous
risk  in  weakening  his  army  to  despatch  Jackson  against
Harper's  Ferry.  But  the  alert  Jackson  was  back  again,  and  the  Confederates
had  70,000  men  to  oppose  to  the  80,000  under  McClellan.  The  result  was  in
a  measure  a  drawn  battle,  but  Lee  was  so  severely  handled  that  he  did  not
deem  it  safe  to  wait  for  a  renewal  of  the  conflict,  and  withdrew  across  the
Potomac.  The  failure  of  McClellan  to  pursue  with  energy  brought  his
career  to  an  end.  He  was  removed  from  command  by  the  government  and
replaced  by  General  Burnside.
It  cannot  be  said  that  the  change  of  commanders  was  a  successful  one.
