McClellan Snubs Lincoln
On July 26, 1861, General George McClellan was selected by President Abraham Lincoln to be the commander of the Military Division of the Potomac, the main Union force responsible for the defense of Washington. On August 20, several military units in Virginia were consolidated into his department and he immediately formed the Army of the Potomac, with himself as its first commander. McClellan brought a high degree of organization to his new army, and greatly improved its morale. But a lack of trust soon developed between McClellan and his President. McClellan refused to divulge any details about his strategic planning, or even mundane details such as troop strengths and dispositions. He claimed not to trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy.
On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. Lincoln wondered it the dual role of army commander and general-in-chief was too much for one man, but McClellan responded, "I can do it all."
Lincoln, as well as many other northern political leaders, became increasingly impatient with McClellan's slowness to attack the Confederate forces gathered near Washington. McClellan displayed an attitude of insubordination to his commander-in-chief. He privately referred to Lincoln, whom he had known before the war as a lawyer for the Illinois Central, as "nothing more than a well-meaning baboon", a "gorilla", and "ever unworthy of ... his high position." On November 13, he snubbed the president, visiting at McClellan's house, by making him wait for 30 minutes, only to be told that the general had gone to bed and could not see him. McClellan biographer Stephen W. Sears, in his book George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon describes the incident as follows (at pages 132-3):
His famous snub of the President was a direct consequence of this attitude. On November 13, Lincoln, Seward and John Hay, paid an evening call on the general-in-chief and were told that he was attending an officer's wedding. They had been waiting in his parlor for an hour when McClellan returned, passed by the parlor door and went upstairs, ignoring his orderly's announcement that the President and Secretary of State were waiting to see him. After half an hour the orderly was sent upstairs to remind the general of his visitors; he returned to say that McClellan had gone to bed. Hay termed it "unparalleled insolence" and "a portent of evil to come." (It was not an isolated instance. A month or so earlier, William Howard Russell of the Times of London noted in his diary a scene at headquarters when the President was sent away by the announcement that General McClellan had gone to bed and would see no one.) Lincoln took no apparent offense, and indeed he returned the next evening for a discussion of future operations, but the contempt inherent in the snub could hardly have escaped him. This arrogance, rarely displayed so publicly, marked the most unpleasant side of George McClellan's character.
In his 1886 autobiography, entitled "McClellan's Own Story", the General fails to mention the incident. In Chapter IX, entitled "Conspiracy of the Politicians", McClellan writes at page 160:
My relations with Mr. Lincoln were generally very pleasant, and I seldom had trouble with him when we could meet face to face. The difficulty always arose behind my back. I believe that he liked me personally, and certainly he was always much influenced by me when we were together.
On March 11, 1862, Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief, leaving him in command of only the Army of the Potomac, so that McClellan would be free to devote all his attention to the move on Richmond. Lincoln later named Major General Henry W. Halleck to the post of General-in-Chief without consulting, or even informing, McClellan. Lincoln offered command of the Army of the Potomac to Major General Ambrose Burnside, who refused the appointment. McClellan failed to move his army to support Major General John Pope, and Pope was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. After this defeat, Lincoln reluctantly named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital." Later, When McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862 Major General Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 7.
McClellan would later run against Lincoln in the election of 1864 as the candidate for the Democratic Party. Lincoln won the election handily, with 212 Electoral College votes to 21 and won the popular vote by 403,000 votes, or 55%. For all his popularity with the troops, McClellan failed to secure their support and the military vote went to Lincoln nearly 3-1. Lincoln's share of the vote in the Army of the Potomac was 70%
On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. Lincoln wondered it the dual role of army commander and general-in-chief was too much for one man, but McClellan responded, "I can do it all."
Lincoln, as well as many other northern political leaders, became increasingly impatient with McClellan's slowness to attack the Confederate forces gathered near Washington. McClellan displayed an attitude of insubordination to his commander-in-chief. He privately referred to Lincoln, whom he had known before the war as a lawyer for the Illinois Central, as "nothing more than a well-meaning baboon", a "gorilla", and "ever unworthy of ... his high position." On November 13, he snubbed the president, visiting at McClellan's house, by making him wait for 30 minutes, only to be told that the general had gone to bed and could not see him. McClellan biographer Stephen W. Sears, in his book George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon describes the incident as follows (at pages 132-3):
His famous snub of the President was a direct consequence of this attitude. On November 13, Lincoln, Seward and John Hay, paid an evening call on the general-in-chief and were told that he was attending an officer's wedding. They had been waiting in his parlor for an hour when McClellan returned, passed by the parlor door and went upstairs, ignoring his orderly's announcement that the President and Secretary of State were waiting to see him. After half an hour the orderly was sent upstairs to remind the general of his visitors; he returned to say that McClellan had gone to bed. Hay termed it "unparalleled insolence" and "a portent of evil to come." (It was not an isolated instance. A month or so earlier, William Howard Russell of the Times of London noted in his diary a scene at headquarters when the President was sent away by the announcement that General McClellan had gone to bed and would see no one.) Lincoln took no apparent offense, and indeed he returned the next evening for a discussion of future operations, but the contempt inherent in the snub could hardly have escaped him. This arrogance, rarely displayed so publicly, marked the most unpleasant side of George McClellan's character.
In his 1886 autobiography, entitled "McClellan's Own Story", the General fails to mention the incident. In Chapter IX, entitled "Conspiracy of the Politicians", McClellan writes at page 160:
My relations with Mr. Lincoln were generally very pleasant, and I seldom had trouble with him when we could meet face to face. The difficulty always arose behind my back. I believe that he liked me personally, and certainly he was always much influenced by me when we were together.
On March 11, 1862, Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief, leaving him in command of only the Army of the Potomac, so that McClellan would be free to devote all his attention to the move on Richmond. Lincoln later named Major General Henry W. Halleck to the post of General-in-Chief without consulting, or even informing, McClellan. Lincoln offered command of the Army of the Potomac to Major General Ambrose Burnside, who refused the appointment. McClellan failed to move his army to support Major General John Pope, and Pope was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. After this defeat, Lincoln reluctantly named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital." Later, When McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862 Major General Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 7.
McClellan would later run against Lincoln in the election of 1864 as the candidate for the Democratic Party. Lincoln won the election handily, with 212 Electoral College votes to 21 and won the popular vote by 403,000 votes, or 55%. For all his popularity with the troops, McClellan failed to secure their support and the military vote went to Lincoln nearly 3-1. Lincoln's share of the vote in the Army of the Potomac was 70%