Author Alex Rossino on George McClellan, Lost Order

The Antietam and Beyond Podcast

In Episode 3 of "The Antietam and Beyond Podcast," historian and author Alex Rossino joins co-hosts Tom McMillan and John Banks for an in-depth discussion of Special Order 191, the (in)famous and controversial "Lost Order." U.S. Army soldiers discovered the orders — issued by Army of Northern Virginia commander Robert E. Lee on Sept. 9, 1862, during the Maryland Campaign — wrapped in an envelope with cigars near Frederick, Md.

Of course, no discussion of Special Order 191 is complete without a look at George McClellan's generalship during the campaign, which culminated with battles at Antietam and Shepherdstown. We discuss "Little Mac" and go deep into Civil War "nerd-om" with Rossino, who tells us where he believes the U.S. soldiers discovered the orders. Plus, restaurant reviews and much more!

Rossino is author of three non-fiction books on the Maryland Campaign, The Tale Untwisted, Calamity At Frederick and Their Maryland. (Read his recently launched Campaign Minutes blog.)

PURCHASE ROSSINO'S BOOKS FROM SAVAS BEATIE: The Tale Untwisted: George McClellan and the Discovery of Lee's Lost Orders (co-authored with Gene Thorp) | Calamity At Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam | Their Maryland: The Army of Northern Virginia From the Potomac Crossing to Sharpsburg in September 1862

The podcast is sponsored by Civil War Trails, which since 1994 has connected visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states.

Join McMillan and Banks for regular podcasts about Antietam, the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War — the most compelling period in American history.

McMillan is author of the recently released Our Flag Was Still There. Banks is author of the recently released A Civil War Road Trip Of A Lifetime. Find them on Facebook at Author Tom McMillan and John Banks' Civil War Blog. Banks' popular Civil War blog is here.