 Ramba uchiverenga ndima iyi - Mumazuva okupedzisira aAugust 1862, Gen. Lee akarova mauto eUnion, achivaparadza paManassas Junction muHondo Yechipiri yeBull Run, panguva ino, vachirwa naMaj. Gen. Pope neuto rake reVirginia. Vanhu vanoverengeka, kubatanidza Maj. Gen. Halleck uye Munyori Stanton, vakafunga kuti Lee aizoisa ngwariro yake paWashington. Panzvimbo pezvo, Lee akatanga Hondo yeMaryland. Hondo yacho yakatanga nokurwisana paMile Hill musi waSeptember 4, kuchiteverwa nokurwisana kukuru paHarpers Ferry. Lincoln, asina kubvunza Stanton, zvichida achiziva kuti Stanton aizopikisa, akabatanidza Hondo yaPope yeVirginia muHondo yaMcClellan yePotomac. Navarume zviuru makumi mapfumbamwe, McClellan akatanga hondo yake muhondo yeropa yeAntietam, uye akabuda achikunda, achidzosera Hondo yeNorthern Virginia kuVirginia, uye nekugumisa zvinobudirira kurwisa kwaLee kweMaryland. Kubudirira kwaMcClellan paAntietam Creek kwakamupa ushingi hwokurayira kuti Lincoln nehurumende yake varege kuvhiringidza zvirongwa zvake, Halleck naStanton vabviswe, uye iye agadzwe kuva mukuru mukuru wemauto eUnion. Munguva iyi, akaramba kuita zvechisimba kuna Lee neuto reNorthern Virginia, iro raive richienda kuRichmond. Zvikumbiro zvisina mufungo zvaMcClellan zvakapfuurira, sezvakaita usimbe hwake, uye kushivirira kwaLincoln kwaari nokukurumidza kwakaderera. Lincoln akamubvisa pakuva mutungamiriri weArmy of the Potomac musi waNovember 5. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside akatsiva McClellan mazuva akazotevera. 