General George C. McClellan after refusing orders to advance to Richmond and losing several significant battles.
It would be easy to list the reasons why most historians and people in the North who were loyal to President Lincoln, believed that Union General George B. McClellan was an ineffective commanding officer. Yet by doing so, a problem appears immediately. To which Union leading general is McClellan to be compared to? Remembering the McClellan was general in chief as well as a commander of only one army large as the Army of the Potomac was, when not holding the general in chief position, only US General US Grant appears on the radar screen. If other top Union commanders had been successful, such as generals like Philip Sheridan, George Meade, Joseph Hooker, Ambrose Burnside, John Pope and Henry Halleck, it's quite possible that General Grant would have never had the chance to display his own military credentials on a national scale. Here the discussion is among Union Generals in charge of huge Union armies, before Lincoln came upon Grant. Perhaps William T. Sherman can be mentioned, however his talents are rated he served under Grant. Historians do not seem to play an "what if" game if Sherman had commanded the Army of the Potomac or was the Union general in chief.To not ignore the obvious, yes McClellan was slow to act, was never considered to be a great field general, and caused his own problems by always over estimated the South's strength. These faults are well noted.With that said, what needs to be called to attention to are characteristics, no Union commander had compared to McClellan. No Union general has been claimed to be a better organizer of raw troops, nor better at overall military operations. Nor has any Union general, once again speaking on a large scale, had the loyalty of troops and officers that McClellan had.This does not excuse McClellan from his faults. However, if we look at each major battle of the Civil War, look at it in detail, we will see Union generals that sacrificed the lives of their troops and had significant failures.McClellan stands out because of the unused talents he had. It also cannot be ignored that his views on the war, and his politics play a major role in the manner by which his critics fault him.Since the primary player in the Union's military effort was Abraham Lincoln, with no malice intended, he is where the "buck stops" in an awkward reference to US President Harry S. Truman's famous slogan.
John Bell Hood
John Bankhead Magruder was Major general of the Confederate Army.
George B. McClellan became the head of the Army of the Potomac on November 1, 1861. He was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, following the Union's setbacks in the early stages of the conflict. McClellan led the army until March 1862, when he was replaced by General John Pope.
Major General George B. McClellan and Brigadier General Fitz John Porter.
McClellan. Later John Pope.
August of 1862 found Union General John Pope in a difficult position and none of it was his doing. He knew that he was at risk from a Robert E. Lee attempt to destroy his army before it could be reinforced by troops that had been part of General McClellan's army, and having a still potentially politically foe in McClellan who wanted to see Pope be defeated by Lee.
At the end of June 1862, General McClellan decided to retreat to Harrison's Landing on the James River. There the US Navy was better able to provide the army with better assistance. A Navy flotilla led by Commander John Rodgers provided fire support for McClellan's troops as they took up positions at Malvern Hill on June 30, 1862. It was there on July 1st that the last battle of the Peninsula was fought. This would be the last major confrontation in the failed Peninsula campaign.
General George B. McClellan's departure for his Peninsula campaign gave President Lincoln an opportunity to reorganize the Union's armies. With these plans, Lincoln also made certain changes:* He relieved McClellan as general in chief;* This left McClellan only in charge of the Army of the Potomac;* Under Henry Halleck, Lincoln created the Department of the Mississippi; and* Also, the Mountain Department was created under the command of John Fremont.Lincoln believed he was doing McClellan a favor by allowing him to focus on the major operation at hand, and one that might end the war, namely the capture of Richmond. As general in chief, McClellan would have never approved of the abolitionist General Fremont. Needless to say, McClellan was hugely disappointed with the loss of his most sought after position as general in chief.
As Union General John Pope was about to enter the huge Second Battle of Bull Run, he had a number of advantages. His army outnumbered the Confederates and his artillery was far superior. In addition, his Army of Virginia was growing as Federal troops from General McClellan's army were reinforcing Pope's army.
General John Ellis Wool was replaced by Major General George B. McClellan in the command of the Department of the East during the American Civil War. McClellan took over in 1861 and became known for his organizational skills and leadership during the early years of the war. His appointment signaled a shift in military command as the Union sought to strengthen its efforts against the Confederate forces.
On July 13, 1862 Robert E. Lee is in Richmond and faces a serious problem. Union General McClellan still has 85,000 troops at Harrison's Landing, Virginia. Lee also must contend with the 45,000 Union troops under General John Pope that seems to be moving south to Richmond.
On July 25, 1862, General in Chief Henry W. Halleck visits the headquarters of General McClellan at his Virginia headquarters in Virginia. He brings General Ambrose Burnside with him. Burnside and McClellan are friends. Halleck gives McClellan a choice, and both of them will be a serious problem for McClellan. McClellan must either restart his Peninsula campaign or make a total withdrawal from Harrison's Landing. These troops will be given to John Pope's new Army of Virginia. McClellan's anger with the Lincoln government intensifies. Reportedly he has been receiving letters from his supporters in the North to march on Washington DC and take control of the government. One thing is certain, Burnside reports that anti-government agitation among McClellan's officers seem treasonous to him. The Army of the Potomac is piece by piece brought back to Washington DC to help form General Pope's new army.
General in Chief Henry Wager Halleck had promoted John Pope to major general and based on his successful exploits in the Western Theater, he was given command of a new Union armt, namely the Army of Virginia. Halleck had formed the new army by combining forces from the departments of the Mountain, Shenandoah, Rappahannock and from troops in the Military district of Washington. This new army located in northern Virginia and McClellan's Army of the Potomac, caused General Lee and Jefferson Davis great concern. These forces could combine into one huge Union army or attack Richmond from the north and from the peninsula, as McClellan's troops were still stationed at Harrison's Landing
John J. McClellan was born in 1874.
John J. McClellan died in 1925.