Preview

Mcclellan's Failure To Launch A Campaign

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
278 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mcclellan's Failure To Launch A Campaign
After Union General George Mcclellan failed to subjugate richmond. The confederacy planned to reclaim lost land and launch a campaign against Washington D.C. led by Confederate General Robert. E . Lee. Lee intended to weaken the north's will to fight and cause them to abandon the war. While Lee was marching through maryland he thought it would be wise to split off a large portion of his army to take harpers ferry to secure his route back to virginia. Anticipating that McClellan would not attack because of his cautious tactics.
Though to Lee’s complete dismay, information regarding his plan fell into the hands of Union soldiers who brought it to McClellan's attention. Mcclellan managed to engage Lee encountering him almost 2 to 1 but was still

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    Building a movement always challenges the status quo. Leaders must act, they must willingly risk the things they love and unfortunately, many leaders are frozen by the lethargy of indecision i. Union General George B. McClellan, who was meticulous in his planning and preparations, was also known for not aggressively challenging his opponents on a fast-moving battlefield environment. He chronically overestimated the strength of the enemy and was reluctant to apply principles of mass, frequently leaving large portions of his army unengaged at decisive points ii. At no time was this more evident during the only battle of the Civil War in which McClellan led his troops from start to finish. His performance during the bloody Battle of Antietam blunted General Robert E. Lee’s invasion of Maryland, but also allowed him to eke out a precarious tactical draw and avoid destruction despite being grossly outnumbered on the battlefield iii. His missteps challenged the principles of building cohesive teams thru mutual trust, creating shared understanding, and above all, accepting prudent risks.…

    • 4616 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Civil War Dbq

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Document 3 the rebels of the south were at least trying to fight back but Lee is just giving up and resigning while the confederates need him it is a rather selfish act..…

    • 631 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    George Brinton McClellan was born on December 3, 1826, into a family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. An intellectual child, McClellan made the decision to enter the military when he was 15 and was accepted to West Point even though he was several months short of the age requirement of 16. McClellan ranked second in his class when he graduated from West Point in…

    • 63 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although Robert E. Lee, Commanding General of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, was on the losing side of the Civil War, people still recognize him as a war hero due to his successful battlefield tactics and maneuvering. Midway through the war, Gen. Lee had so much success out-maneuvering Union forces that it seemed as though the Confederates would win. However, in July of 1863, Union forces defeated the Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Gettysburg causing a pivotal moment in the course of the war. Analyzing Gen. Lee’s failure at the Battle of Gettysburg through the principles of Mission Command will help determine why he was unsuccessful. Today, the principles of Mission Command are the standard by which military leaders…

    • 1455 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The war consisted mostly of young, inexperienced Americans who wanted to fight for their country and their honor. General Ulysses S. Grant pushed the Union army up the Tennessee River and captured Fort Henry, and then Fort Donelson. The Confederates were being defeated until the Battle of Shiloh, where leader Pierre G.T. Beauregard led them to victory. Quickly after, Grant’s men struck again and caused the Confederates to retreat. The next victory for the Union was the Battle of New Orleans. This battle was led by Admiral David G. Farragut, and allowed for the Union to shut down the exportation of goods from the South. In the East, General George B. McClellan went to attack the Confederate capital in Virginia. While he was waiting to strike,…

    • 186 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    He messed up at Brandy Station despite this and was anxious to redeem himself, thinking that Gettysburg could provide a way to restore his honor which was a big thing with the South. General Lee had given him orders to guard the mountain which he tried to, but his path was blocked by the Union army forcing him to veer further away and as a result was unable to report back to General Ewell. So the Confederacy was practically blind. All of these little mistakes and missed opportunities hurt the South and lost them Gettysburg. The missed opportunity of Gettysburg was what lost them the war though they did not realize it at the time.…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Second, the South thought they could force the North to recognize their independence by winning a major war. The original plan by President Davis was to copy the military strategy used by George Washington in the American War for Independence. The plan was to only fight in battles that they felt the South could win, the rest of the time they would stay away and not fight. This plan was designed to make the North stop supporting the war against the Confederacy. This plan also did not work, mainly because by doing this plan, there would have to be much retreating and rendering of the…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    As the head of the confederate forces, Robert E. Lee was tactful. At the battle of Mechanicsville, Robert E. Lee realized that he had Union General McClellan on the defensive. Lee decided to chase down McClellan, since he had the advantage, but he was not able to defeat him. Even though Lee was not able to beat McClellan, his quick decision had saved Richmond, ending McClellan’s campaign on the peninsula. (Rice 107) As a tactician, a person who used plans to achieve something in a short amount of time, Robert E. Lee was certainly one of the best. Having little time to decide whether or not to pursue McClellan’s fleeing army, Lee thought over all the possibilities of such and an attack. Lee took the chance to challenge McClellan’s army and as a result, he saved Richmond, ending McClellan’s…

    • 1101 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gettysburg DBQ

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages

    It is 1863, and the people of the United and Confederate States are wondering who will win this Great Civil War. Southern General Robert E. Lee decided to make a bold move and marched his troops to Pennsylvania to achieve a victory on Union soil. As the news of Lee’s army reached Northern General Meade, they followed in immediate pursuit. The Battle of Gettysburg is a crucial turning point in Civil War due to the termination of the Southern advance into Northern States and it resulted in a damaging impact in the Confederate Army’s supply of soldiers.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Great post this week, I really enjoyed it. I like your comment “McClellan was what seems to me as a Trojan Horse.” You are absolutely right. It makes me wonder why Lincoln selected him as the commander of the Union forces. McClellan was a passive leader and wasn’t a good tactician. What would have happened if Lee would have accepted Lincoln’s offer to command the Union forces? I believe it would have been a completely different war because Lee was aggressive and took the fight to the Union. If Lee would have commanded the Union that would have left commanding the South Jeb Stewart or Jackson, either one would have possibly made the war longer and more causalities. Thanks for you post this week!…

    • 125 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Robert E. Lee was constantly intimidated by Union cavalry and forced to give up the Confederate capital of Richmond. He decided to stop the war because he knew that this was a defeating disadvantage. His resources were winding up and he did not want to risk the few men that were left. Lee had no option but to surrender. By the spring of 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to general Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. The next step would be to begin the process of rebuilding a United States free of…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    General Lee decided to not take over the hill, so the Union decided to take it over. After the Union took over the hills they set up a plan for attack. When General Lee saw what an advantage the Union had, he decided that he had made a mistake in letting the Union take over the hills. General Lee decided to plan an attack on the hill to get it back. Cornel Laurence Chamblin had his army of about 350 men set…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thomas Stonewall Jackson

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The summer of 1862 the main Union Army under George McClellan was ready to march on Richmond. McClellan and his 115,000 men met the Confederate Army at Williamsburg, in May. McClellan moved his troops into the Shenandoah Valley and surrounded Jackson and his 17,000-man army.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Battle of Monmouth

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Lee was given strict orders to hold a meeting to determine the plan of attack with his officers. During the meeting, Lee told the officers to be alert for orders during the battle instead of planning it out. When they encountered the British, Lee quickly lost control. After this the British moved to flank Lee’s men, when Lee saw this he ordered a retreat. Washington had been bringing the main army up when he saw Lee’s forces retreating. Washington located Lee and dismissed him after not receiving a satisfactory answer as to what had happened. Washington rallied Lee’s men and held off the British just long enough to set positions in the west. After fighting till sometime in the late afternoon, the British retreated. Washington hoped to pursue but his men were exhausted from fighting all day in the heat.…

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lee’s letter to the president. The letters were sent on July 4 and August 8. Robert E. Lee felt like he failed everybody in south with the lost at Gettysburg. This probably happen because the south did not won’t to conquer the north; they just wanted to be their own country and continue slavery. The only battle that was fought in the north was Gettysburg. The general Robert E. Lee marched to the north for two reasons and they wanted to conquer the north or scare them into giving up the fight.…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays