October 19, 1862 (Sunday): McClellan Burns Bridges Over A Bridge

Harper's Ferry Bridge 1865, (Library of Congress)

HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Washington, October 19, 1862.
    This project of extensively fortifying Harper's Ferry, and constructing a permanent bridge at that point, involves a very considerable expenditure of money, a larger garrison, and a long delay, perhaps extending into winter, before Harper's Ferry can be made a prepared base for, at best, an exterior line of operations upon our proper objective point-Staunton, Lynchburg, or Richmond. Either of these points may be re surely reached by an interior line of operations behind and east of the Blue Ridge, at the same time covering Washington, our proper base, and threatening the enemy's communications, compelling him thus to evacuate the vicinity of Herper's Ferry; in which event field defenses, with a moderate garrison, would suffice to hold that point against any probable attack to be made upon it; and the permanent railroad bridge, now being built, would suffice for all our wants, without the one proposed to be erected by General McClellan about 1 1/2 miles above.


H. W. HALLECK,
General-in-Chief.

OCTOBER 20.

Submitted to the Secretary of War, and approved by him.

H. W. HALLECK.

Series I., Vol. 19, Part 2, Page 443.

The administration wanted to see plans for a forward movement by the Army of the Potomac.  What they got was McClellan's repeated requests to build a bridge at Harper's Ferry.  The town had already proven indefensible during the Antietam campaign, and Halleck and the administration suspected the request was one more delaying tactic.  At a time when a definite plan of action might have saved his command, McClellan was fixated on a bridge which was not essential to his mission.