Its been often said that "time is money," but, in the case of history, time often means victory. Indeed, for numerous armies throughout history, time is often a valuable resource that the commanders frequently found themselves lacking. One need only consider how both Washington and McDowell felt pressed into launching an attack because the enlistments of their soldiers where almost up. For Washington, this led to the stunning victory at Trenton that helped revitalize the American cause in the revolution, for McDowell is lead to a humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Time pushes people to act, whether its a general with an army, or me cramming the day before a big test. If time is a resource then, the loss (or waste) of time, can be extremely problematic, as was seen in two separate battles in Harpers Ferry.
When Robert E. Lee launched his first invasion of the North, he was faced with the problem of dealing with the substantial US garrison at Harpers Ferry. The soldiers there, who totaled roughly 14,000 men, were too large of a force to leave at the rear of an invading army, so Lee decided to remove them. As described in September Suspense, Lee sent General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson to deal with the garrison, hoping that the presence of the legendary general would be enough to scare the federals away. After Jackson eliminated the garrison, he would rejoin Lee and the entire Army of Northern Virginia would move north into Pennsylvania.
But time proved not to be on Lee's side. A misplaced copy of Lee's orders revealed his plans to the US commander, George McClellan, who began to move with characterized swiftness. To make matters worse, the garrison at Harpers Ferry remained in place. Jackson would have to force them out, which would take valuable time. If McClellan could attack before Jackson rejoined the army, Lee would be in serious trouble. The last thing Jackson could engage in was a lengthy siege.
Unfortunately, for the Union commander, Colonel Dixon Miles, his men were also lacking in time. Jackson's advancing army was made of combat-seasoned veterans, the majority of Miles' men were recent recruits, some had only been in uniform for only three weeks. His men lacked time in uniform, and thus they lacked experience. Ultimately, his men performed well, but he was outmaneuvered by Jackson's veterans, who outflanked the US forced and then forced their surrender, and not a moment too soon. Jackson's men arrived just in time to help save Lee's army from disaster. Had Miles had held out just a little longer, a relief force of US soldiers would have arrived, and Lee might have been annihilated along the banks of the Antietam Creek.
Two years later, in 1864, small delays once again played a role in shaping the coarse of the conflict. A Confederate army was once more moving north, but this time their target was Washington DC. Robert E. Lee, penned in at Petersburg, believed that the US capital, despite having the most fortifications of any city in the world, would be very poorly manned, and thus a small force could capture the city if they took it by surprise. For that reason, he dispatched General Jubal Early to threaten the city. Early's plan involved crossing the Potomac at Harpers Ferry and then moving unto the US Capitol from there. However, the union garrison, instead of trying to hold the town as it did in 1862, this time evacuated the city and moved to Maryland Heights. Early would try and dislodge these troops, but he was ultimately forced to give up. All together, Early would waste four days in Harpers Ferry. He would then go onto fight, and win, the battle at Monocacy, but the constant delays insured that reinforcements reached DC to secure its defenses. Thus, there was no big moment or battle that caused Early to loss the DC campaign, it was a series of small delays that altered the conditions he needed for success.
When we look at the past in hindsight, the importance of time is often diminished. We know that Jackson will join Lee, we know that DC will be saved, but the folks back then do not know this information. In much the same way that we sprint towards the station to try and catch a train, they are sprinting (sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally) to try and fulfill their plans before the conditions change. Sometimes, they catch the train, and sometimes they don't, but they don't know for sure until they arrive at their destination. It is an element of history that is too often forgotten, but it is absolutely essential for effectively understanding the past.
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