Excerpt from Civil War and Miscellaneous Papers, Vol. 14
The battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, and the enemy retreated across the Antietam Creek, without making any attempt to stop or delay pursuit, except that McLaws' division remained to occupy and cover Maryland Heights.
McClellan reached the ground on the east of the Antietam on the 15th about noon, and the whole army (except Franklin's command) was there in the course of the night; the distance from South Mountain was some six or seven miles. The troops certainly could have been all on the ground before midnight.
McLaws remained in Pleasant Valley till the afternoon of September 16, so that Franklin could not have quitted his position there.
The rest of the army was or could have been in position to attack on the morning of the 16th. At that time it was certain that a large body of the enemy was detached from the main army at or near Harper's Ferry, and could not reach it during the 16th. This more than made up for the absence of Franklin.
There seems no sufficient reason why an attack was not made on September 16. There was plenty of time to reconnoitre the ground. The other reasons given by General McClellan were that the troops were not well supplied with rations, and had expended some ammunition, but these reasons he does not seem to allege with any great strength.
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