USA HISTORY

The defeat was a serious blow to the morale of the Union and nearly cost McClellan his command. President Lincoln may have fired him had McClellan not had the strong support of the soldiers that served under him

(A) ** True

(B) False

Concept note-1: -McClellan was removed from command in November, in the aftermath of the 1862 midterm elections. A major contributing factor in this decision was McClellan’s failure to pursue Lee’s army following the tactically inconclusive but strategic Union victory at the Battle of Antietam outside Sharpsburg, Maryland.

Concept note-2: -McClellan was better at organizing than fighting. He was highly intelligent, but couldn’t wage a successful campaign. He always had an excuse for not engaging the enemy: his men were outnumbered (actually, they were not); he needed more troops; and it wasn’t a good time or place or season for a battle.

Concept note-3: -General McClellan’s most grievous error was hugely overestimating Confederate numbers. This delusion dominated his military character. In August 1861, taking command of the Army of the Potomac, he began entirely on his own to over-count the enemy’s forces.

Concept note-4: -His plan was to invade Virginia from the sea and to seize Richmond and the other major cities in the South. McClellan believed that to keep resistance to a minimum, it should be made clear that the Union forces would not interfere with slavery and would help put down any slave insurrections.