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Union General George B. McClellan had estimated that 19,000 troops were needed to man Washington DC's defense as he proceeded to Fort Monroe. The fort was his safe launching pad for his Peninsula campaign. Somehow, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton concluded that 30,000 troops were needed. The term of "somehow" is used as there seems to have been no military officer involved in establishing this number. President Lincoln was given this information. Lincoln was also under pressure from the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. Lincoln himself feared a problem if Washington DC was light on defenses. This resulted in removing General McDowell's corps from McClellan's army.

McClellan was seething over this "political" decision. He later wrote that this move was the most infamous thing that history ever recorded.

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