George Brinton McClellan was a Union general during the Civil War. He was born December 3, 1826 in Philadelphia, PA. He was also commander of the Army of the Potomac twice, which was the Union’s largest army. He fought as the General-in-Chief of the Union army until 1862, when he was removed by Abraham Lincoln, who thought he was a coward. This was because although he had many more men in his army, he often thought that he was outnumbered. This is a reason why Lincoln fired him. McClellan was a meticulous organizer and was very cautious about his war strategies.
McClellan graduated second in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1846. Right after he graduated, he served in the Mexican war until 1848. He received two brevets for his service. Between 1852-1854, McClellan worked as an Army surveyor in western territories, on the Red River, and on railroad routes. After that, he was sent to observe the Crimean war. In 1857, he resigned from the Army to be chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad, and in January of 1858, McClellan was promoted to vice-president of the railroad company.
On May 22, 1860, McClellan married Ellen Marcy in New York City. A year later he accepted command of Ohio’s militia and reentered the U.S. Army. McClellan became a major general around this time. In July of 1861, Lincoln called McClellan to D.C. to be given command of Union troops. In August, he formed the Army of the Potomac and became its first and best loved commander.
McClellan replaced Winfield Scott as general-in-chief of Union armies in November, and a month later was infected with typhoid fever and at the same time was under pressure to give war plans to Lincoln. In January of 1862, McClellan came up with a plan to take...
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...support of the men he was commanding. He was also good at logistics, tactics, and strategy. His problem was that he had no confidence when facing an enemy. He was unable to deal with his superiors in Washington. People also believe that with more time, he would’ve fixed his flaws, but his ambition, ego, and the fact that Lincoln wanted to find someone who could win quickly, made that impossible to do.
Works Cited
"George B. Mcclellan." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
"George McClellan." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
"George Brinton McClellan Biography." George Brinton McClellan Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "George B. McClellan (United States General)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.
President Abraham Lincoln demanded a decisive victory. He was tired of his military leadership’s inability to decisively engage and defeat Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Allowing the war to drag on was to the Confederacies advantage. Lincoln was so frustrated that he relieved General George B. McClellan for failing to defeat Lee at Antietam, and replaced him with General Ambrose Burnside, who proved to be very conservative in battle against General Lee. Knowing that General Lee was a student of Napoleonic warfare, Burnside feared that Lee always had a large Corps in reserve waiting to flank should he be decisively engaged from the front.
One of the key strengths of this book is the author's first-hand knowledge of the people, places, and events that he is writing about. He also supplemented this first-hand knowledge with extensive interviews. In one example, he elaborated on the "chain of command" in Vietnam, which began with General Paul Harkins (and William C. Westmoreland) to the CINCPAC (Admiral Harry Felt) and from CINCPAC to Washington. "Not once in their four years of mutual agony in Vietnam did Harkins's successor, General Westmoreland, pick up the telephone and call his commander-in-chief, President Lyndon B. Johnson. Westmoreland did not have the authority, he told me."(169) This information came directly from an interview with Westmoreland. There are other anecdotes similar to this with each contributing to the extensive nature of the book's detail.
Each general that was appointed commander of the army in the east had his own plans when it came to defeating the Confederates. Beginning with McDowell, the first general to command a large army in the war, the task seemed insurmountable at first. He had an army of 30,000 men, most of whom were extremely green. Despite Lincoln’s desire that he attack immediately, McDowell knew that he wasn’t ready, and initially had no plans to move against the Confederates during that first summer of the war. Lincoln insisted that he attack at Manassas with the resulting disastrous outcome. Perhaps had McDowell came along later in the war, it might have turned out differently, but that wasn’t a likely outcome.
George Washington was selected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army because of his courage and bravery, his ability to motivate and command respect from his followers, and his strategic ability in battle. His reputation as a daring and successful leader inspired confidence and loyalty in his followers. If it weren't for George Washington, it would be a different America today.
Claremont Education. 18 May 2006. . War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance? 14 February 2006 -. Congressional Research Service Reports -.
General Lee said, to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good general you must be prepared to order the death of the thing you love, and therein lies the great trap of soldiering. When you attack you must hold nothing back." Thomas J. Jackson was both a good soldier and a good general. In the Mexican War he fought with all his heart for his country. When the Civil War came, he was a general. He never hesitated to send his men forward. He held nothing back. George McClellan also fought with all his heart for his country in the Mexican War. When the time came to send his men forward in the Civil War, he couldn’t do it. He loved the army to much to order its death.
Davis, William. "General Douglas MacArthur "Duty, Honor, Country"." American Rhetoric. American Rhetoric, 2011. Web. 2 Jan 2012. .
After the second Battle of Manassas, the Army of the Potomac was demoralized and President Lincoln needed someone that could reorganize it. President Lincoln liked General McClellan personally and admired his strengths as an administrator, organizer, and drillmaster. Lincoln was aware that the soldiers loved General McClellan and had nicknamed him “Little Mac.” Knowing this, President Lincoln ordered General McClellan to “assume command of Washington, its defenses and all forces in the immediate vicinity.”1 This was not a field command but intended for General McClellan to take the returning demoralized Army and the new soldiers coming into Washington and make them a fighting force, nothing more. Lincoln knew as well that although Ge...
...rned the essential plans that a leader would need to lead him troops. He also had the morale and spirits to keep the troops ready to fight for the freedom they wanted, as well as his ability to command such troops in placement and tactics.
General. He tried to continue with Johnston’s plan, but failed to stop the advance of Union troops. He
Leahy, Stephen M. "The Historical Battle over Dispatching American Troops." USA Today (Farmingdale). July 1999: 10-12. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 07 May. 2014.
Abraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasn't scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United States from splintering during the devastating times of the Civil War. As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization, and he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that changed the war into a battle for freedom and declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy. That November, Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address, which stated how a country must be dedicated to human freedom in order to survive. He dedicated the battlefield to the soldiers who had perished, and called on the living to finish the task the dead soldiers had begun. (Donald, 1995) Lincoln believed that democracy could be a lasting form of government. He showed a nobility of character that had worldwide appeal, and he was a man of great integrity. However, Lincoln was not only the 16th president of the United States, he was an American hero. Lincoln was a well-rounded individual and he had numerous outstanding qualities. However, it is important to remember that Lincoln also led a private life, complete with close friends and family.
Once again, he doubted the Generals resolve by calling a council of war to assess the generals plan. The Urbana Plan was nullified however when Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew from his position south of Washington and moved south of the Rappahannock. With this move McClellan revised his strategy and had his troops come ashore at Fort Monroe in order to advance up the Virginia Peninsula enroute to Richmond, this became known as the Peninsula Campaign. The savior general once again came under severe criticism when Congress learned that General Johnston had used Quaker guns to ward off attacks by the Army of the Potomac. These painted trees to replicate cannons kept the Union Army at bay for longer than the President liked. Added to this a Confederate ironclad, the CSS Virginia, emerged and caused a panic in Washington. As a response to this Congress’s introduced a resolution to dismiss McClellan from his position as General-in-Chief of the Union Army, and was barely
In the military, McClellan stood with the Union against the Confederates though he simultaneously kept desire and faith in the institutions of slavery. The skillful McClellan was revealed in his ability to form and mold an army into an organized, equipped and spirited group of men (New World Encyclopedia 2014). This pre-battle competency failed to extend further to the command of the Union Army while in the field. The Fall of 1862 observed McClellan’s stubborn refusal to move the Army of the Potomac across the Potomac River, and towards Virginia to gain on the Confederate Army (Abraham Lincoln’s Classroom). Direct encouragement for movement and action from President Lincoln himself could not inspire hastiness in McClellan (Pagles
GEN McClellan may not have been a great war time General but he excelled at training Soldiers, getting his men ready to fight and raising the morale of the Armies he commanded. Multiple historians and various political leaders agreed on this point about McClellan. In a statement, President Lincoln told John Hayes,” There is no man in the army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops into shape half as well as he” . As it can be seen from a statement from a prominent figure such as the President during the war, GEN McClellan was a Soldiers General, but the ability to get political leaders on his side was another story. His cautious attitude towards war soured his reputation with both congress. McClellan’s biggest political obstacle was Edward Stanton, the Secretary of War. He started to work on a petition that would end McClellan’s career.