McClellan was equally puzzled.
Lincoln and his Cabinet believed Lee's movement into Maryland a feint to
draw the army from the defense of the Capital, and, when this was
accomplished, by a sudden swoop the Southern Commander would turn and
capture the city.
While McClellan was thus halting in tragic indecision one of the
unforeseen accidents of war occurred which put him in possession of
Lee's plan of campaign and should have led to the annihilation of the
Southern army. A copy of the order directing the movement of the
Confederates from Frederick, Maryland, was thrown to the ground by a
petulant officer to whom it was directed. It fell into the hands of a
Federal soldier who hurried to McClellan's headquarters with the fateful
document.
Jackson's corps had been sent on one of his famous "foot cavalry"
expeditions to sweep the Federal garrison from Martinsburg, surround and
capture Harper's Ferry. McClellan at once moved a division of his army
to crush the small command Lee had stationed at South Mountain to guard
Jackson's movement.
McClellan threw his men against this little division of the Confederates
and attempted to force his way to the relief of Harper's Ferry. The
battle raged with fury until nine o'clock at night.
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