During the American Civil War on September 5, 1862, General Robert E. Lee dramatically led his Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River and into the North. The 52,000 ragtag men he commanded were lacking rest, ammunition, and shoes. The Union army that clashed with them at Antietam were superior in size (75,000) and resources. Due to a mistake by one of his soldiers, the Union also had a copy of Lee's battle plan. And yet Lee still nearly won the contest on "foreign" soil. How did this happen?
The difference was in the attitude of leadership. Union general George McClellan was regarded as timid -- ever (errantly) fearful that he was outnumbered and undertrained. President Abraham spoke for many citizens when he diagnosed McClellan with a bad case of the "slows." Lee, on the other hand, was bold and confident. He simply refused to act as if he were beaten. He recognized that winning comes with a price. And as he looked at his resources, he focused upon uses, not excuses.
When we size up our personal Antietam, do we see victory or defeat?
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