Lincoln juggles politics and generals

[MKotyk]

As Gen. Lee began his invasion of Maryland in September 1862, President Abraham Lincoln was placed in the precarious positon of choosing a new general to lead his army while placating the peace Democrats in Congress.

Lincoln, as well as much of the army, had lost confidence in Gen. John Pope after his defeat at Second Manassas. As a temporary measure, Lincoln placed Gen. George B. McClellan, still smarting after the failure of his Peninsula Campaign, in charge of the defenses of Washington. Feelings against McClellan were so strong that several cabinet members presented a declaration to the President stating that they did not believe McClellan belonged in command of "any of the armies of the United States". Lee's invasion gave Lincoln no choice but to place McClellan back in charge of the army. He was popular with the troops and had the army's confidence and, as stated before, Pope did not.

Lincoln, at this time, decided to up the ante of the war. He had prepared his Emancipation Proclamation which added profound change in the aim of the war which, to that point, was to preserve the Union only. Lincoln knew that Union soldiers and civilians opposed emancipation on grounds of race or because of their ambivalence towards slavery or that such a proclamation would only encourage Southerners to fight even more. The Democrats were firmly in this camp and one of the most staunchest supporters of this viewpoint was McClellan. Earlier in the war, McClellan had expressed the opinion that, "I am fighting to preserve the integrity of the Union and the power of the Government - on no other issue. To gain that end we cannot afford to mix up the negro question - it must be incidental or subsudiary." By freeing the slaves, Lincoln knew that he could hurt the Confederacy but he had to issue his proclamation from a position of strength. Slavery was the backbone of the southern economy. Slavery allowed more white men to join the army and fight and provided the Confederacy with a cheap labor force. Lincoln needed a victory to seal his proclamation otherwise it would come off as a last attempt of a sinking administration. He needed a battlefield victory and he counted on McClellan to do it.

[dawna]

Mike:

I enjoyed reading your posting. One soldier's account of General McClellan's victory at Antietam (Lt. Frederick Hitchcock of the 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteers):

Baptism of Fire at Bloody Lane

"We...moved, as I thought, rather leisurely for upwards of two miles, crossing Antietam Creek, which our men waded nearly waist deep, emerging, of course, soaked through, our first experience of this kind. It was a hot morning and, therefore, the only ill effect of this wading was the discomfort to the men of marching with soaked feet. It was now quite event that a great battle was in progress. A deafening pandemonium of cannonading, with shrieking and bursting shells, filled the air beyond us, towards which we were marching. An occasional shell whizzed by or over, reminding us that we were rapidly approaching the 'debatable ground.'

Soon we began to hear a most onimous sound which we had never before heard, except in the far distance at South Mountain, namely, the rattle of musketry. It had none of the deafening bluster of the cannonading so terrifying to new troops, but to those who had once experienced its effects, it was infinitely more to be dreaded. These volleys of musketry we were approaching sounded in the distance like the rapid pouring of shot upon a tinpan, or the tearing of heavy canvas, with slight pauses interspersed with single shots, or desultory shooting.""All this presaged fearful work in store for us, with what results to each personally in the future, measured probably by moments, would reveal. How does one feel under such conditions? To tell the truth, I realized the situation most keenly and felt very uncomfortable. Lest there might be some undue manifestation of this feeling on my conduct, I said to myself, this is the duty I undertook to perform for my country, and now I'll do it, and leave the results with God. My greater fear was not that I might be killed, but that I might be grievously wounded and left a victim suffering on the field. The nervous strain was plainly visible upon all of us. All moved doggedly forward in obedience to orders, in absolute silence so far as talking was concerned. The compressed lip and set teeth showed that nerve and resolution had been summoned to the discharge of duty. A few temporarily fell out, unable to endure the nervous strain."

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not been discovered." ~Emerson~