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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1288 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for September 20, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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This is off the top of my head based on what I recall from coursework like a decade ago, but if memory serves:

  • Southern troops were exhausted from the battle and the maneuvering leading up to it and not in a condition to pursue
  • Washington, D.C. was likely fortified (I know it was later in the war)
  • Northern troops were falling back in that direction, would benefit from interior lines, and would have a numerical advantage on the defensive

I'd need to do more research to have a really solid opinion, but it strikes me a lot like the people saying Hannibal should have just thrown his army at Rome after Cannae, ignoring that the Romans had the superior numbers.

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