The Seven Days Battles was the number of battles in the Peninsula campaign under George B McClellan.
Gen. George McClellan
It was known as the Peninsular Campaign.
Union General George B. McClellan had plans for General Totten in the 1862 Peninsula campaign. Late in March of 1862, McClellan had requested that General Totten be made available to build fortifications on the peninsula leading to Richmond. He was an experienced engineer. McClellan understood that the experience of the Army's chief engineer, Totten would be invaluable in this campaign.
General McClellan believed he had good reasons for his ideas that Washington DC was set about to damage his plans for the Peninsula campaign. He resented his battle plans being questioned, having his army reorganized against his will, and to read in newspapers about his removal from the general in chief title he had. From that point on, he began his campaign of blaming Washington DC for his failures in the Peninsula campaign.
President Lincoln appointed Major General George B. McClellan to general in chief on November 1, 1861. He replaced the retiring General in Chief Winfield Scott. Lincoln relieved McClellan of his title on March 11, 1862. McClellan was not in Washington DC at this time. He was in the process of organizing the Peninsula campaign. It is written that Lincoln did not believe that McClellan could hold his position as general in chief and conduct the Peninsula campaign at the same time.
As the Union's Peninsula campaign was in its early stages, General McClellan was certain that President Lincoln was hampering McClellan's war operations. Lincoln had stepped in and retained the corps under General McDowell to defend Washington DC. Lincoln believed this was a necessity.
Union General George Meade still believed that a "peninsula campaign" was the best way to assault Richmond. Meade did not press his ideas because of the 1862 failed Peninsula campaign of General George B. McClellan.
George McClellan
The purpose of the Peninsula campaign as designed by General in Chief George B. McClellan, was to make a surprise attack from east of Richmond. This was thought to bring a quick end to the Southern rebellion. The irony of the campaign was that it would initially pit Johnston against McClellan. These men had been very close friends prior to the beginning of the war.
General McClellan blamed President Lincoln for the Union disaster in the Peninsula campaign. On June 28, 1862, as he begins his retreat back to Harrison's Landing, he sent a telegraph to Lincoln, accusing him and Secretary of War Stanton of sabotaging his campaign. Lincoln returns the message that he will support McClellan, ignoring McClellan's hostility. Realizing the unstable military position of the North, Lincoln began to call for 300,000 new recruits from the Northern state governors.
A more cautious Confederate general was replaced by the more aggressive Robert E. Lee.
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