Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-04-09
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Lincoln and HIS GeneraIs.

George B. Mcclellan was "a years of
age when he was given command of
the Army of the Potomac after Bull
Run had sent frightened huddle Of
Union soldiers back to Washington.
Mcclellan had fought and won bat
ties in West Virginia, and the people
in Washington, looking for a leader to
replace the grave, superannuated, ego
tistical General Scott, selected Nc
Clellan. Two years after his arrival
in Washington, in letter to his wife,
he said: II receive letter after let
ter, have conversation after converse
ton, calling on me to save the nation,
abiding to the presidency, dictatorship,
etc. AS l hope one day to be united
with you forever in heaven, l have no
such aspiration. / would cheerfully
take the dictatorship and agree to lay
down my life when the country is
saved. l am not spoiled in my unex-
pected new position" On another oc-
casion he remarked: my relations
with Mr.. Lincoln were generally very
pleasant and l seldom had trouble with
him when we could meet face to face.
/ believe that he liked me personally,
and certainly he was always much in
1uenced by me when we were togeth-
err
There is no denying the fact that
he gave the raw, undisciplined troops
exactly the sort Of setting-up exercises
and battalion drill they needed. When
the Army Of the Potomac which was
his creature, came under the, command
Of Grant, the war could have but one
conclusion. There was Justification
for the statement of General
Meade: Had there been no
Mcclellan there could have been no
Grant, for the army made no essential
improvement under any of his sue
cessors."
Mcclellan repeatedly urged that tne
government should send him reinforce
ments for decisive assault upon Rich
mond. IF I save this army now," he
War, II tell you plainly that 1 owe
no thanks to you or to any persons in
Washington; you have done your best
to sacrifice this army
Lincolns answer of June 2S Illus
trates his sympathetic readiness to take
the other mans point of view: Save
your army at all events. viii send re-
Inducements as fast as we can.
l feel my misfortune to you and yorr
army as keenly as you feel it your
self. ="
On the 9th of November Mcclellan
was relieved of the command of the
Army Of the Potomac and Burns de
was put in his place.
On the Oath of February, after the
Fredericksburg fiasco, Burnside was
removed from chief command and
Fighting Joe" Hooker put in his
place.
Lincoln wrote to Hooker: Il have
placed you at the head Of the Army II
the Potomac. Of course 1 have done
this upon what appears to nee sufficient
reasons, and vet l think it best for you
to know that there are some things
in regard to which l am not quite
satisfied with you.
81 believe you to be a brave and
skilful soldier, which, Of course, | like.
l also believe you do not mix politics
with your profession, in which yoI are
right You have confidence in yourself,
which is a valuable, if not indispen-
sable, quality. You are ambitious,
which, within reasonable bounds, does
good rather than harm. But I think
that during General Burnside's COM
mand of the army you have taken coun-
sci of your ambition solely and
thwarted him as much as you could, IN
which you did great wrong to the
country and to most meritorious and
honorable brother officer l have heard,
In such a way as to believe it, of
your saying that both the country and
the army needed a dictator. or course
1t was not for this, but In spite Of t,
that I have given you the command.
Only those generals who gain success
can set themselves up as dictators.
What l ask of you is military success,
and I will risk the dictatorship Tue
government will support you to the nj
most Of it's ability, which is neither
more nor less than it has done and will
do for all its commanders. And now,
beware of rashness but with energy
and sleepless vigilance go forward and
give us victories"
The disastrous defeat of Chancellors-
vile was due to Hooker's failure to use
all his men, an error of Judgment
against which Lincoln had warned him.
When Hooker wanted to attack he
Confederate rear at Fredericksburg
Lincoln dissuade him in graphic
smile: I'm one word, would not take
any risk of being entangled upon the
river, like an OK jumped half over a
fence and liable to be torn by dogs
front and rear without fair chance
to gore one away or kick the other. ,
And he likewise vetoed the plan Of ad
yancfng on Richmond at this juncture
reminding Hooker that Lees army