McClellan and the Union High Command, 1861-1863: Leadership Gaps That Cost a Timely Victory

by Jeffrey W. Green

Overview

With Washington's proximity to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Union military operations in the first two years of the Civil War focused mainly on the Eastern Theater, where General McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac.

McClellan's "On to Richmond" battle cry dominated strategic thinking in the high command. When he failed and was sacked by President Lincoln, a coterie of senior officers sought his return.

This re-examination of the high command and McClellan's war in the East provides a broader understanding of the Union's inability to achieve victory in the first two years, and takes the debate about the Union's leadership into new areas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476665733
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	03/13/2017
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jeffrey W. Green is a lecturer in history at the University of Newcastle, Australia. With three decades of teaching experience, he has coauthored two other books, one on the Second World War in the Pacific and the other on the conflict in Indochina.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Maps (Civil War; Eastern Theater) vi and
Introduction
One Citizens and Soldiers: The United States Military Tradition
Two The ­Ninety-Day War and the Struggle for High Command
Three “I seem to have become the power of the land”
Four “Now is the winter of our discontent”: Winter 1861–1862
Five “Walking on in the dark”: McClellan’s Attempt to Win the War with a Victory in the East
Six McClellan’s Shadow
Seven “And now, beware of rashness”
Conclusion
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Recommended”—Civl War Books and Authors.

From the Publisher