Union General George B. McClellan sought to engage the Confederates when he believed he had an overwhelming number of troops compared to a Southern army. Even when he did, however, his opinion was that he lacked enough troops to handle various major situations. This was evident in the infamous Peninsula campaign. Interference by President Lincoln did not help matters. McClellan should have been directed by the general in chief, Henry Halleck, not the president.
George b McClellan was a Union general. All the generals do is command their troops.
Although Major General George B. McClellan was not part of the Second Battle of Bull Run, he estimated that General Lee had 120,000 troops. This was double the actual number of troops that General Lee had at his disposal. McClellan's estimate was based on numerous rumors instead of actual facts. McClellan had consistently over estimated the number of Rebel troops that were operating in Northern Virginia.
As Major General George B. McClellan was following the Confederate army in Maryland, he sent to Washington DC on September 10, 1862, that the Rebel forces numbered 120,000 soldiers. This was a gross error as Lee had less than 50,000 troops. McClellan's source of information on this was from a civilian observer.
General George B. McClellan was constantly fearful of what he believed was the troop strength of the Confederate armies he would face. With that in mind, McClellan believed that the Army of the Potomac would have to have at least 150,000 troops before he would order any offensives against the South.
General McClellan was aware of how President Lincoln had used troops to secure the border slave state of Maryland. McClellan was also aware that the port of Baltimore could be a Confederate target. With that in mind he recommended in 1861 that 5,000 troops should be garrisoned in Baltimore.
During the Peninsula campaign headed by Union General George B. McClellan, he for some unknown reason decided to lay siege to Confederate troops in Yorktown. On May 3, 1862, commanding Confederate General Joseph Johnston decided to evacuate his troops at Yorktown.
General George B. McClellan was a Union general during the American Civil War. He served as the commander of the Army of the Potomac and was known for his organization and training of troops, though he was often criticized for his cautious approach in battle. McClellan later ran for president as the Democratic candidate in 1864, opposing President Abraham Lincoln's policies.
As the actual Battle of Antietam was soon to take place, General McClellan miscalculated the number of troops that Confederate General Robert E. Lee had on September 15, 1862, just two days from the Battle of Antietam.In actuality, Lee had only one half of the troops that General McClellan believed he had. If McClellan had attacked Lee's forces on the 15th of September, by all counts, the Army of Northern Virginia would have lost an overwhelming amount of its troops. As it happened, Lee had only 18,000 troops ready to fight versus McClellan's 40,000 troops. McClellan failed to attack.
By February of 1862, the Union's general in chief, George B. McClellan had amassed a huge army that endangered Confederate Joseph Johnston's army in northern Virginia. McClellan's Army of the Potomac was estimated to have over 150,000 troops. Johnston's army was only one third of McClellan's. Johnston therefore ordered his forces south and to consolidate on the line of the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers.
Famous then and later for over estimating the size of Confederate armies, Major General George B. McClellan was falsely alarmed about the size of Confederate troops that would be soon threatening Washington DC. In mid-August of 1861, he made it clear that his Army of the Potomac, still in a training mode, would soon have to face as many as 170,000 Southern troops. In reality, the Rebel force in northern Virginia at that time had only 45,000 troops. At the same time his army had at least 80,000 men.
Major General George B. McClellan was unaware that President Lincoln wanted to replace him. McClellan and his War Democrat supporters considered McClellan the hero of Antietam. By the end of October 1862, McClellan had rebuilt his Army of the Potomac to 120,000 troops. He had only 70,000 troops at the battle of Antietam.
General George McClellan's mistake in the Battle of Antietam was hesitating and not acting decisively enough to take advantage of his manpower. He held back far too many troops in reserve that he did not use. Technically the battle was a draw. Historians conclude he should have been able to deal a much heavier blow to Confederate forces.