In his initial plan to end the Southern rebellion, General McClellan outlined a multipronged offensive. The key area of operations would be in Virginia.
Two corps of the Army of the Potomac were under General McClellan's control at Alexandria. They were General Sumner's Second Corps and General Franklin's Sixth Corps. This totaled 25,000 troops. McClellan saw General Pope as incompetent and did not want to waste good troops to save Pope's hopeless situation. General in Chief Henry W. Halleck ordered McClellan to send these troops to reinforce Pope. McClellan held back these troops as long as possible. McClellan also urged General Pope to not engage the Rebel troops and to retreat to the north.
Union General George B. McClellan had a loyal staff of Union army generals. McClellan's chief of staff was his father in law.
In 1862, the two most conservative New York newspapers, the Herald and the World were staunch supporters of Union General George B. McClellan. They assigned blame for the failed Peninsula campaign on Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. Stanton was blamed for withholding the reinforcements McClellan asked for during the campaign and saw McClellan's retreat to Harrison's Landing as a true "Napoleonic " style maneuver. Both newspapers wanted Stanton to be replaced by General Henry Halleck and have the former Democrat General Banks replace Welles as Navy Secretary. This revamped cabinet had to give all troops to McClellan as he required. Both newspapers believed only McClellan could end the war promptly and without violating the US Constitution.
General George B. McClellan's telegraph to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton on June 28, 1862 bordered on treason. When McClellan's telegraph was received by General Dix in Washington DC, Dix omitted McClellan's claim that the Lincoln administration purposely acted to create the Peninsula campaign as a failure.
General George B. McClellan
Lincoln's response to General McClellan's command was that Lincoln relieved McClellan of Command.
Unlike General George B. McClellan's frequent communications to Washington DC during the Peninsula campaign, McClellan was relatively silent concerning his plans for fighting the Confederates in Maryland and the Battle of Antietam. His immediate superior officer, General in Chief Henry W. Halleck was no notified of McClellan's intentions. It appears that all of his orders to his generals were mostly verbal and records of his side of the encounter at Antietam were sparse.
Soon after the Battle of Antietam, General McClellan sought to increase the size of the Army of the Potomac. He was able to increase the number of troops from 70,000 to 100,000. By mid October, his army had grown to 120,000. He also reoccupied Harper's Ferry.
Because Lincoln felt that McClellan lacked the aggressiveness required to successfully defeat the Confederate army. McClellan was very meticulous and patient. He did not chase Confederate General Robert E. Lee after defeating his troops at Antietam. Lincoln got tired of McClellan's patience and decided to replace him with Ambrose Burnside.
Lincoln fired several generals. He fired McClellan twice.
Based on the problems created by Union General George B. McClellan, Halleck was sent to McClellan's headquarters in Eastern Virginia. At his place of retreat, Halleck and Quartermaster General Meigs needed to determine whether the Army of the Potomac needed the 20,000 extra troops McClellan claimed were required to save the Peninsula Campaign. If not, or due some other problem, McClellan would be ordered to return to Northern Virginia.
The main and immediate concern of General Robert E. Lee on September 14, 1862 was to prevent George B. McClellan from smashing through the division of D.H. Hill at Turner's Gap. This placed Confederate General James Longstreet's divisions to be unable to be concentrated for the defense of Boonsboro.
General George B. McClellan
McClellan's Peninsular campaign failed because the Confederate army was defending Richmond better that McClellan anticipated. They retreated, then turned and attacked McClellan, surprising the Union general.
Two corps of the Army of the Potomac were under General McClellan's control at Alexandria. They were General Sumner's Second Corps and General Franklin's Sixth Corps. This totaled 25,000 troops. McClellan saw General Pope as incompetent and did not want to waste good troops to save Pope's hopeless situation. General in Chief Henry W. Halleck ordered McClellan to send these troops to reinforce Pope. McClellan held back these troops as long as possible. McClellan also urged General Pope to not engage the Rebel troops and to retreat to the north.
Union leaders considered the Peninsula Campaign a failure because General McClellan retreated without taking Richmond. Or, at least place the city under siege. Actually is was not much of a decision to make. Everyone, including McClellan saw it as a failure, however, McClellan blamed it all on President Lincoln for not giving him the troops he requested. In fairness, Lincoln had removed to divisions from McClellan to protect Washington DC. Lincoln was over cautious, there was no immediate threat to Washington DC at that time.
Ambrose Burnside