Increased support of the war in the north:)
Increased support of the war in the north
President Lincoln appointed Major General Joseph Hooker to lead the Army of the Potomac on January 25, 1863. Lincoln believed that Hooker's actions in major battles in the Eastern Theater showed him to be a successful general and was aggressive. Lincoln also believed that Hooker had a good reputation among the rank and file and the officers of the Army of the Potomac.
Increased support of the war in the north:)
On March 11, 1862, Lincoln relieved McClellan as General-in-Chief and took direct command of the Union armies. On November 2, 1862, Lincoln named Ambrose E. Burnside as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing McClellan.
General "Fighting Joe" Hooker had failed at the Battle of Chancellorsville, despite a huge troop advantage. President Lincoln decided to replace him with Major General George Meade as Confederates began to cross the Potomac River in 1863.
After the battle of Antietam, Lincoln decided to replace General McClellan as the top military commander with general Ambrose E. Burnside. On November 3rd of 1862, Lincoln made this important change in the Union's military forces.
Major General George B. McClellan had rested his troops after the Battle of Antietam. This displeased President Lincoln who urged McClellan to pursue the Rebel army south of the Potomac River. Finally, McClellan followed the advice of Lincoln and on October 26, 1862, Union troops began their crossing of the Potomac River. General Lee had expected some degree of Federal pursuit in October, but he did not know to what exactly the plan of the Federals would be. Once Lee knew that McClellan's troops were over the Potomac, he sent General Longstreet eastward and General Jackson would keep his position in the Shenandoah Valley. McClellan's forces marched slowly, covering only 35 miles in eleven days. Lee had marched his troops quickly and joined Longstreet in Culpepper, Virginia. When President Lincoln realized that neither generals Longstreet nor Jackson moved their troops with no Union interference, he relieved McClellan of duty as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
Lincoln wanted enough troops to remain near Washington DC to defend it from Confederate attack. McClellan had taken almost all of the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, and as shown later in the war, a determined Southern attack could force a large contingent to hurriedly return to Washington to protect the capital. The capital cities of Richmond and Washington are only about 100 miles apart.
US President Lincoln replaced General Hooker with General George Meade as commander of the Army of the Potomac. He won the Battle of Gettysburg.
At the camp, President Lincoln was in a conversation with another politician. After referring to the Army of the Potomac, he made a joke. He said " excuse me, I was not referring to the Army of the Potomac, I meant to say " McClellan's bodyguard".
Lincoln paid a visit to McClellan on October 1, 1862, during which he urged the general to act energetically, crossing the Potomac, but the Army of the Potomac was put in motion to cross the river only on the 26th, after a peremptory request of both Halleck and Lincoln.
President Lincoln had great faith in the abilities of General Ambrose Burnside. Three times he asked Burnside to take command of the Army of the Potomac. If he agreed, then Lincoln would dismiss McClellan and replace him with Burnside. On the third request Burnside accepted. McClellan was informed on November 7, 1862 that he was dismissed.
In an unusual action, generals John Cochrane and John Newton were given a visit to President Lincoln. At this time in December of 1862, General Burnside reported to the General in Chief Henry W. Halleck. Despite that, Lincoln granted an audience to the disenchanted generals under Burnside to request Burnside's removal as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Such a meeting with President Lincoln was highly irregular to say the least. Secretary of State William Seward helped to arrange the meeting with the president.
On March 11, 1862, Lincoln relieved McClellan as General-in-Chief and took direct command of the Union armies. On November 2, 1862, Lincoln named Ambrose E. Burnside as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, replacing McClellan.
As a condition for taking command of the Army of the Potomac, General Joseph Hooker was allowed to report directly to President Lincoln. No other Union field general was granted this privilege, and the dual high command structure then in place caused problems in command and control. It also contributed to the Union's defeat at the Battle of the Second Bull Run.
Not long after Major General Ambrose Burnside took command of the Army of the Potomac in the Fall of 1862, he formulated a battle plan which he sent to President Lincoln for approval. Burnside's approved plan was to march to Fredericksburg, just beyond General Lee's right flank, crossing the Rappahannock River on pontoons. His ultimate goal was to assault Richmond and he counted on supplies ferried to him by the Union Navy.
US president Lincoln issued the General War Order No.1 on January 27, 1862. The effective date was to be one month later. The order called for the general offensives of all the Union's land and naval forces to begin operations against the Confederacy. As an aside, Lincoln did this without speaking with General George B. McClellan.
General "Fighting Joe" Hooker had failed at the Battle of Chancellorsville, despite a huge troop advantage. President Lincoln decided to replace him with Major General George Meade as Confederates began to cross the Potomac River in 1863.
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.
After the battle of Antietam, Lincoln decided to replace General McClellan as the top military commander with general Ambrose E. Burnside. On November 3rd of 1862, Lincoln made this important change in the Union's military forces.