Civil War History - The Eastern TheaterDiscuss any and all battles, movements, and events occuring in the Eastern Theater here! This includes any actions in tha area east of the Appalachian Mountains in the vicinity of the river capitals of Richmond and Washington D.C.
IMHO, Sickles, Howard, and Slocum. All three were either opportunitists or buffoons.
__________________ F. S. Powers
Union Ancersor: Pvt Arnuah Norton, 60th Ohio. (G-G-G Grandfather) Died at Salisbury NC, November 3, 1864
Confederate Ancestors: Captain Thomas A. Morrow, 29th Texas Cavalry (G-G-G- Uncle) and 2LT George W. Morrow, 31st Texas Cavalry (G-G-G Grandfather). Both survived the war
I don't think any single corps commander did more damage to his own army than did Howard at Chancellorsville. Such a simple task as refusing his line would have significantly lessened Jackson's attack. It could only be assumed what could have happened after that.
__________________ Ancestors in the 28th, 38th, 46th, 59th and 22nd Btn. Virginia Infantry and 2nd Virginia Cavalry.
Sickles and Slocum by far. Howard may have exhibited questionable competence, but only S&S showed outright disobedience and malicious obedience respectively. I'll say this much, had I been in either of their shoes, Gettysburg would have been far different. Early could have been flanked in turn on day one had Slocum used his head and marched towards the sound of the guns.
__________________ Great-Great Grand Nephew of George H. Pfau, 4th NJ Vol Infantry
Of the many indifferent corps commanders in the AoP, Slocum was probably the most indifferent, but I tend to put him behind Howard.
It just seems to me that Howard did more damage to the AoP than Slocum, but that's only my opinion.
Slocum, IMO, was pretty much a used up man by the time of Gettysburg, but I do not think he precipitated as many outright disasters as Howard.
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
Thanks, Ole. You can always be counted on for thinking 'outside the box'.
While McClernand is a great choice considering the title of the thread, the "box" is in the "Eastern Theater" category, and the question in the initial post was "Which Union Corps Commander in the Army of the Potomac was the worst?'
(the spell check keeps suggesting I replace McClernand with McClellan!).
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
Was McClernand 'worse' than any of the other political generals? His main problem was not being able to get along with his superiors especially, Grant.
My bad, and my apologies, gentlemen. I should have referred back to the original post to verify. I will deprive myself of chitlins for the balance of the year as punishment.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
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Ancestors in the 28th, 38th, 46th, 59th and 22nd Btn. Virginia Infantry and 2nd Virginia Cavalry. 
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