From American Battlefield Trust "Battle of Shepherdstown" by David A. Norris.
It was after midnight on September 20, 1862, and Gen. Lee was getting some much-needed sleep under an apple tree when he was awakened by a real-life nightmare. Another general reporting the loss of the army's entire rear guard and 44 cannons. That general's name was William Nelson Pendleton, the head of the Army of Northern Virginia's chief of artillery.
"All?" asked Lee.
The shaken Pendleton replied, "Yes, general, I fear all."
First thing you have to wonder about here is why a commanding general would leave his troops and artillery to report something like this. An aide should have been the one speaking to Lee.
After the Battle of Antietam on September 17th, the Confederates had begun to slip across the Potomac River back into Virginia at dusk on the 18th. At dawn on September 19th, Lee had been astride his horse in the middle of the Potomac as the last remnants of his army crossed Boteler's Ford.
He then assigned Pendleton to defend the ford as a rear guard in case the ever-cautious McClellan followed.
Now, it sounded like a disaster had occurred.
--Old Secesh
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