George B. McClellan 1826-1885 was a United States Army officer, railroad president, and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War 1861-65. McClellan organized the Army of the Potomac in 1861 and briefly served as general-in-chief of the Union Army. McClellan was well liked by his men but his reluctance to attack the Confederacy with the full force of his Army despite having a significant advantage put him on bad terms with President Abraham Lincoln. In 1862 McClellan failed to decisively defeat Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army at the Battle of Antietam. McClellan had overly cautious tactics and Lincoln decided to remove him from command of the Army of the Potomac in late 1862. McClellan would later run for president
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McClellan had assembled an army of 168,000 troops to defend Washington, D.C. McClellan succeeded General Scott as general-in-chief of the Union Army. Despite having assembled a massive fighting force, McClellan was uneasy about the Confederate Army which he believed to be much stronger than it actually was. His inability to act angered President Abraham Lincoln and newly appointed Secretary of War Stanton. The month of January 1862 the president issued an order instructing the Army of the Potomac to attack Confederate territory. Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief in March of 1862 stating that McClellan needed to focus his full attention on an attack on the South. McClellan put his Peninsula Campaign to action in March 1862 landing over 120,000 men on the coast and proceeding east toward the Confederate capital. The Confederates withdrew toward Richmond and McClellan’s troops fought their way to within only a few miles of the city. Despite his strong position McClellan failed to capitalize on his tactical advantage, once again believing that he might be outnumbered. When General Robert E. Lee took control of Confederate forces on June 1, he launched a series of bold offensives that culminated in the Seven Days Battles. Furious at Lincoln’s refusal to send him reinforcements, McClellan retreated to the base of the James River at which point his army was ordered to return to Washington. Aggravated at what he saw as indecisiveness on the part of McClellan, Lincoln had grown dissatisfied with McClellan. After McClellan’s forces succeeded in breaching the Confederate lines he once again was indecisive. The Battle of Antietam was the single bloodiest day of combat in the Civil War and while it was presented as a Union victory in the Northern press it was in fact a tactical draw. Frustrated that
McClellan had assembled an army of 168,000 troops to defend Washington, D.C. McClellan succeeded General Scott as general-in-chief of the Union Army. Despite having assembled a massive fighting force, McClellan was uneasy about the Confederate Army which he believed to be much stronger than it actually was. His inability to act angered President Abraham Lincoln and newly appointed Secretary of War Stanton. The month of January 1862 the president issued an order instructing the Army of the Potomac to attack Confederate territory. Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief in March of 1862 stating that McClellan needed to focus his full attention on an attack on the South. McClellan put his Peninsula Campaign to action in March 1862 landing over 120,000 men on the coast and proceeding east toward the Confederate capital. The Confederates withdrew toward Richmond and McClellan’s troops fought their way to within only a few miles of the city. Despite his strong position McClellan failed to capitalize on his tactical advantage, once again believing that he might be outnumbered. When General Robert E. Lee took control of Confederate forces on June 1, he launched a series of bold offensives that culminated in the Seven Days Battles. Furious at Lincoln’s refusal to send him reinforcements, McClellan retreated to the base of the James River at which point his army was ordered to return to Washington. Aggravated at what he saw as indecisiveness on the part of McClellan, Lincoln had grown dissatisfied with McClellan. After McClellan’s forces succeeded in breaching the Confederate lines he once again was indecisive. The Battle of Antietam was the single bloodiest day of combat in the Civil War and while it was presented as a Union victory in the Northern press it was in fact a tactical draw. Frustrated that