gress iveness ▁to ▁move ▁his ▁army ▁to ▁Maryland . ▁" There ▁can ▁be ▁no ▁sort ▁of ▁doubt ▁that ▁Lee ▁under est im ated ▁the ▁exhaust ion ▁of ▁his ▁army ▁after ▁Second ▁Man ass as . ▁That ▁is , ▁in ▁reality , ▁the ▁major ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁Maryland ▁operation : ▁he ▁carried ▁worn - out ▁men ▁across ▁the ▁Pot om ac ." ▁His ▁men ▁were ▁also ▁under ar med ▁and ▁under f ed , ▁so ▁the ▁journey ▁to ▁Maryland ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁overall ▁exhaust ion . ▁Once ▁Lee ▁arrived ▁in ▁Maryland ▁and ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁Anti et am , ▁he ▁made ▁another ▁controvers ial ▁decision . ▁Again st ▁the ▁advice ▁from ▁General ▁Long street ▁and ▁Jackson , ▁Lee ▁split ▁his ▁troops ▁into ▁four ▁parts ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁Union ▁from ▁different ▁front s . ▁Clear ly ▁out number ed ▁and ▁opposed ▁to ▁Lee ' s ▁plan , ▁Long street ▁stated , ▁" General , ▁I ▁wish ▁we ▁could ▁stand ▁still ▁and ▁let ▁the ▁dam ned ▁Yan ke es ▁come ▁to ▁us !" ▁As ▁the ▁fighting ▁played ▁out ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁blood iest ▁single - day ▁battle ▁in ▁American ▁history , ▁the ▁batt les ▁at ▁D unker ▁Church ▁and ▁Burn side ' s ▁Bridge ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁too ▁much ▁for ▁Lee ▁and ▁his ▁Confeder ate ▁army . ▁L uck ily ▁for ▁Lee , ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁A . P . ▁Hill ' s ▁troops ▁and ▁the ▁mixture ▁of ▁McC le ll an '