Major General Henry W. Halleck was placed in charge of the Western Theater of the US iCvil War. After the near defeat at the Battle of Shiloh, Halleck left his headquarters in St. Louis to personally command the armies now at Shiloh. He formed a 100,000 man army by adding the troops of General Pope to his own. The major problem was that Halleck had never commanded a force larger than a platoon. His objective was to confront the Rebel forces of PT Beauregard, who had escaped from Shiloh and was headed to Corinth, Mississippi.
US President Lincoln had promoted General Henry Halleck to be the Union's general in chief. His first major decision was in the Summer of 1862 when he ordered General McClellan to retreat from the Peninsula and return with his army to Washington.
On July 25, 1862, General in Chief Henry W. Halleck, accompanied by Major General Ambrose Burnside visited Harrison's Landing to confer with General McClellan. Halleck's purpose is to pressure McClellan to do "something". Halleck orders McClellan to advance against Richmond or withdraw from the Peninsula and send troops to join Major General Pope's Army of Virginia. McClellan commits to nothing. He is placing himself and General Pope's mission in jeopardy.
Although President Lincoln had appointed Major General Henry W. Halleck to command Union forces in the West, Halleck had never personally commanded a large army. Halleck's major strength was that of a tactician. After the Union victory at the Battle of Shiloh, Halleck lost confidence in General Grant. Immediately after the Battle of Shiloh, he left his headquarters in St. Louis to command the armies of generals Grant, Buell and Pope. Halleck was then personally in command of a force of over 100,000 troops.
Major General Henry Wager Halleck was one of the key Union generals during the US Civil War. At one time US President Lincoln named him general in chief, replacing George McClellan. Halleck taught French at West Point.
Major General Henry W. Halleck decided it was time to move against Chattanooga in early June of 1862. He had received rumors that Confederate troops were beginning to form a concentration there.
Both US president Lincoln and General in Chief Henry Wager Halleck were displeased with general Joseph hooker. They believed that Hooker's response to Lee's crossing of the Potomac River was late and unresponsive to the needs of the Union. This required a change and Halleck's choice of General Meade to replace Hooker was in line with President Lincoln's views on the matter.
General Halleck was General US Grants superior officer at the time of the Battle of Shiloh. Grant's failure to entrench his army upon landing at Pittsburg Landing was a major error that could have caused a Federal defeat. Halleck was infuriated and took control of Grant's army and led it to Corinth, Mississippi.
From his position in Corinth, Mississippi, Major General Henry W. Halleck believed that Chattanooga, Tennessee was a perfect target. His plan to capture it was first to send raiders to break the Atlanta and Chattanooga railway. The raiders, however, were discovered by the Rebels and initially this plan failed.
Union Major General Henry Wager Halleck had been a successful general in the Western Theater as the war moved into Spring of 1862. Halleck's victories enhanced his already known skills of military strategy and also respected for his publications on war tactics and strategies. The decision Lincoln had to make was to appoint Halleck to be the new general in chief or to be the new secretary of war.Lincoln chose the former job for Halleck. How that might have effected the war is now only a matter of speculation.
When President Lincoln promoted Major General Henry W. Halleck as the new general in chief, Halleck had more than one problem confronting him. Part of the reason for this was that after Lincoln removed McClellan from the general in chief position, too many months passed before Lincoln designated Halleck to fill this crucial position. Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton took on that role to the detriment of the Union's war efforts. Aside from the disaster of the Peninsula campaign and what to do with Major General George B. McClellan, Halleck faced problems in the West. His departure from the West caused a loss of unity in that critical area. Halleck had no real candidates to fill his old position and had resolved to reorganize the Western department. He also faced the new political pressures that Washington DC presented to him.
Under the cover of darkness, Confederate forces evacuated Corinth, Mississippi. As a result Halleck was able to break the Memphis and Charleston railway.
In early June of 1862, Major General Henry W. Halleck was not sure of his next move. He did stress to General Buell the importance of opening up lines of communication with General Ormsby Mitchel who was stationed near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It became clear that Halleck was more interested in securing logistical lines between Union forces under his command instead of planning offensives against the Confederates. To may, it seemed only logical to secure these lines before undertaking offensive action in Southern territory.