Leaders
Gen. George McClellan
Gen. George McClellan
After the defeat of the Union army at the First Battle of Manassas, George McClellan, a West Point graduate, was placed in charge of the entire Union army. McClellan organized the army into one of the largest fighting forces ever assembled on the American continent. McClellan attempted to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond by invading the South.
Although having more men and material than Robert E. Lee's army, he is not able to defeat the army of Northern Virginia after several tries. After stopping Lee in September 1862 at the battle of Antietam in Maryland, he does not act quickly enough to crush Lee's army. Because he is too cautious, Lincoln replaces him in November of 1862, and McClellan leaves the army as a well-liked commander.
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