Why was the union general mcclellan not effective as a military commander?

Answer 1

General George B. McClellan served in the US Civil War as a major general and also a general in chief. McClellan was a brilliant organizer and a highly intelligent military officer. He also was an excellent in mapping out Union strategies that impacted both Eastern and Western theaters of the war. Where he was deficient was in battle field tactics. He was over cautious, over estimated the enemy's strength, and ignored the fact that President Lincoln was his commander in chief.

He did salvage some of his tactical problems by his performance at the Battle of Antietam, but not enough to keep his job.

Answer 2

Losing his nerve at any reports of enemy forces that were numerically superior. It is known that these reports were incredibly exaggerated. There was also a lost opportunity when a Confederate General marched a small unit round and round a mountain, to look like a huge army, and McClellan was fooled again.

IMPROVEMENT

McClellan was an excellent engineer and, like all engineers he aimed to create perfect plans of campaigning in which factors UNCERTAINTY and CHANCE

were but only a little taken into consideration. Also the factor HAZARD was mainly underestimated. He thought that his plans were so perfect to exclude any possibility of hazard, but every time the reality of facts and unexpected

events prevent him from starting the planned action, since, in those cases he would have been compelled to face some risks and... he didn't move.

To better sum up the matter I do think it's worth reading what General Meade

wrote to his wife on Jan. 8,1863 (approximate text):

"I am tired of doing the war without risks. We have to take some risks if we are going to fight and a war can't be carried on without fighting. This was McClellan's fault. He always was waiting that everything was all right as planned, before attacking. But before he was been able to sort out the things as planned, the enemy swooped upon him messing up all his plans"

Answer 3

General McClellan was considered to be an ineffective leader because he was excellent in strategy but poor in tactics. This led him to avoid armed conflict unless he was forced into it by actions of the Confederate armies.

Answer 4

Refusing to move until everything was ready - Generals can't always demand this luxury (although Montgomery did).

Believing the huge over-estimates of enemy strength given to him by Allan Pinkerton.

Upsetting Lincoln's cabinet because he was a Democrat.

Answer 5

He was excessively cautious, and unwilling to make a move until everything was ready - a luxury that is not on the menu in most campaigns, and a weakness that was easily exploited by his opponent, the fast-moving and nimble Robert E. Lee.

This weakness was compounded by his faith in the military intelligence supplied by Pinkerton, the successful peacetime detective, who turned out to be way out of his depth in wartime operations. McClellan often heard reports of enemy numbers two or three times the real figure.

He was also mistrusted in Washington as a possible 'Copperhead' (anti-war Democrat), and he did indeed run against Lincoln in the 1864 election.

Answer 6

President Lincoln had no doubts about the qualifications of George McClellan. He had graduated near the top of his class at West Point. Lincoln believed after interviewing him, that he was the right man to place in charge of the Army of the Potomac.

His soon to be critics, including Lincoln, believed that McClellan constantly over estimated the size of Confederate forces he planned to face.

Lincoln also felt that McClellan also delayed action far too long for Lincoln's plan to end the war with some quick swift battles.

Later, after he was relieved and replaced ( several Union generals would lead the Army of the Potomac, all fired or resigned except for Grant).

Some Northerners believed that as a Democrat, McClellan, was really not in favor of the war. This, they point out as McClellan ran on a "peace" platform as the Democrat candidate for President in 1864.

Answer 7

One of the best known Union generals was General in Chief George B. McClellan. He served for only 18 months during the war, however, he, and generals US Grant and William Sheridan, are probably the most known of all the Union generals. General McClellan was a military genius, however, this was mitigated by his reluctance to fight any battle where his forces did not have a clear advantage in numbers. Even when he did have the troops required, he believed false reports that the Confederates had many more troops then they really did. He wanted to protect the lives of his soldiers at all costs. Therefore, he was reluctant to engage in battle unless he was forced to, such as at Antietam in Maryland. There in Union territory, he had no choice but to fight. And, he did have the troop advantage in that bloody battle as well.

Answer 8

his excessive cation and reluctance to use his troops in battle.