Showing results for "McClellan"
Hanover Court House: McClellan’s High Tide on the Peninsula
(Part of a chapter from an upcoming book on the Peninsula Campaign) In late May 1862, Union General George McClellan advanced his massive army to the outskirts of Richmond. On his far right, he ordered Fitz John Porter, commander of the V Corps, to advance towards Hanover Court House and drive the enemy from the […]
Read more...George B. McClellan Papers Now Available Digitally
Say what you will about George McClellan– a great organizer, though timid in combat; beloved by his soldiers though a bane to Lincoln’s cabinet. Or maybe you’re an avid McClellan devotee, who defends the Young Napoleon to any passerby you come into contact with. No matter what camp you fall into, the Library of Congress […]
Read more...Railroads – McClellan’s Steam Strategy: Trains and Ships in the Civil War
“It cannot be ignored that the construction of railroads has introduced a new and very important element into war,” wrote Major General George B. McClellan in a “Memorandum for the Consideration of His Excellency the President, submitted at his request,” August 2, 1861.[1] After the Bull Run debacle, the commander-in-chief wished to know how his […]
Read more...McClellan’s Brother
The official reports from the Sixth Corps are woefully incomplete for the 1864 Overland Campaign. Many officers waited until the fall to write and by then the entire organization had seen significant change, eliminating any chance for full reports. After the death of John Sedgwick on May 9, Horatio Wright took command of the corps […]
Read more...George McClellan in 1861: A Glimpse of Foibles to Come (part two)
We are pleased to welcome back guest author Jon-Erik Gilot (part two of two) Yesterday, I outlined some of the ways that George McClellan’s early war actions in western Virginia foreshadowed some of the problems that would become some of his best-remembered if least-desirable traits. Quarreling with subordinates and superiors was one hallmark trait. Micromanaging […]
Read more...George McClellan in 1861: A Glimpse of Foibles to Come (part one)
ECW is pleased to welcome back guest author Jon-Erik Gilot. (part one of two) More than his battlefield prowess or organizational abilities, George McClellan is remembered for his less-than-desirable traits—quarreling with subordinates and superiors; micromanaging affairs; uncertain decision making; hesitant movement in the face of and wildly overestimating the size of the Confederate armies facing […]
Read more...Searching for George Brinton McClellan
In preparation for Rob Orrison’s and my upcoming ECWS book, To Hazard All: A Guide to the Maryland Campaign, 1862, we closed the books and hit the trails and cement roads zigzagging through northern Virginia and central and western Maryland. At the end of one particular long day (soon to be even longer since we were […]
Read more...“The Dreadful Responsibility”: Why George B. McClellan Was the Go-To Guy (part two)
ECW welcomes back Jon-Erik Gilot (part two of two) McClellan arrived in western Virginia on June 22 to take personal command of his troops in the field. Endearing himself to the enlisted men, he issued a circular on June 25 with a flair for the dramatic: “Soldiers! I have heard that there was danger here. […]
Read more...“The Dreadful Responsibility”: Why George B. McClellan Was the Go-To Guy (part one)
ECW welcomes back Jon-Erik Gilot (part one of two) I’ve long been fascinated with the early days, weeks, and months of the Civil War. The optimism and unbounded confidence displayed on both sides of the conflict during the spring and summer of 1861 would quickly wane as the human toll began to exceed even the […]
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