What questions did President Lincoln have for General McClellan to justify the peninsula campaign?

Answer 1

President Lincoln did have questions for General B. McClellan, now the chief of all military actions, with the direct command of the Army of the Potomac and in overall charge of the Union's other military forces.

As an aside, it's important to note that for all his good intentions Lincoln made the policy error of inserting himself into direct military planning and action.

When he later did this again in the campaign in the West, the initial results created a break in the chain of command. The answer, as it now seems proper to speak about, involves politics and motives for action. If this is neglected, we can lose much insight to how and why the War was fought and won by the Union.

Also, when I was first asked this question by a student I tutor, I was not sure about the answer. And /or I misunderstood it, so placed it on answers for help. With more research as suggested by my archival badge, here is the background and information needed for the answer to the question:

A. The question pertains to Lincoln's questions to McClellan before the Peninsula Campaign;

B. Lincoln had several problems in the beginnings of the US Civil War:

B1. Lincoln was first a politician, did not possess a military mind. This problem did not exist with his counterpart, Jefferson Davis, who was a graduate of West Point, served in the military during the Mexican War, and whose family had battled in the Revolution & the War of 1812. Jefferson also served a term as Secretary of War. Jefferson also had a 6 year term in which to work with.

B2. As a politician, Lincoln needed the support of what became known as the "radical Republican" wing of the Republican Party. Politics became a vital part of the Emancipation, part of his complaint that Confederate troops were "too far North" in Tennessee, and even played a part of his selection of General Grant to head the leadership of Union forces. ...

Nothing above is meant to discredit Lincoln, it is displayed to show our readers the handicaps he had.

The World of the North

With the capital of the rebellion being in nearby Richmond Virginia, the public, newspaper editors, and politicians saw an easy way to quickly end the rebellion; capture Richmond. For centuries the goal of a military was to capture the enemies capital city & declare victory.

The first attempt by the Union to do this was ill conceived and did not have a trained and substantial army to do so. Thus the Union's first defeat at Bull Run.

The factors in the war all favored the North:

1. A population of 24 million vs the South's 9 million ( 4 million were slaves )

2. An industrialized economic base PLUS farming vs a Southern cotton, tobacco plantation system;

3. A navy with shipyards to build warships out of reach by the South which had no navy;and

4. A Northern standing army from which to build on vs no army organization in the South.

To Lincoln, and to many others, taking Richmond was key to ending the rebellion. Before the military plans & details of McClellan were drawn out, the Union had the power to amass at least 200,000 soldiers to both defend Washington DC and use the rest to mass against Richmond.

Richmond was not captured until April 2, 1865.

The questions from Lincoln:

Lincoln was positive that a frontal and flanking attack on Richmond was the safest & most direct way to end the War by capturing this city. With its massive ability to raise armies, its artillery & Navy, Washington DC would be safe from any counter attacks from the South. Lincoln had the ability to raise more troops and faster than South.

He had appointed McClellan however because of his high military IQ, and would defer to him if McClellan could answer certain types of questions. Should the answers sound reasonable, he would give the go-ahead for the Peninsula Campaign. One thing though, General McDowell would defend Washington DC with about 37,000 troops plus whatever naval forces were necessary.

McClellan was sure his so-called Peninsula campaign against Richmond would succeed.

To Lincoln's satisfaction, McClellan's plan had satisfactorily quieted Lincoln's doubts about McClellan's Peninsula Campaign. Listed below are the questions that doubted the viability of McClellan's strategy:

A. Would the Peninsular campaign cost more money & time than Lincoln's plan for a massive land assault on Richmond, one hundred miles away?

B. What makes the Peninsula campaign more likely to succeed than mine? ( Lincoln's )

C. What makes the Peninsula plan a more valuable victory than mine? ( Lincoln's plan )

D. Doesn't my plan (Lincoln's ) make the Peninsula campaign less valuable in as much as the Peninsula plan will not cut major lines of communications of the Rebels?

E. In case of disaster, would not a retreat using my plan ( Lincoln's ) be less costly?