What caused US President Lincoln to be disappointed with General George B McClellan?

Answer 1

General McClellan was an excellent military strategist, but not a very aggressive commander of troops in the field(in battle). Early in the war, after McClellan had been endlessly drilling the Army but not deploying it for battle, Lincoln sarcastically commented "If General McClellan is not going to use the Army, I'd like to borrow it for a while." McClellan was too much of the siege mentality. During the 1862 Peninsular Campaign parts of the Union Army got within about 7 miles of Richmond(their objective)and basically stopped their advance. Lincoln needed a General who was aggressive in battle and that is why he respected Gen. Grant.

NO, Lincoln's problem with McClellan was not military but political. Like most people, McClellan objected to the Radical Republicans' use of the war to push their political agenda and to rape the South. The Radical Republicans in Congress, few of whom had ever done military service, were suspicious of professional military men, particularly those of the upper classes such as McClellan and Fitzhugh Porter. They held hearings on the conduct of the war, and sought to harass and imprison any officer they suspected of "disloyalty" (i.e., not following the radical Abolitionist party line).

The radicals in Congress wanted to fire McClellan long before Lincoln actually did. And Lincoln did not replace McClellan with Grant. He replaced McClellan with Pope and Burnside, who were disasters (but "politically correct"), then Hooker (ditto), and finally Meade, who was a conservative Democrat...but by now Lincoln was running out of Generals. Then Grant came in as Meade's boss. Grant was safe politically because his friend and sponsor was the powerful Illinois Congressman Elihu Washburne, whom Lincoln listened to and obeyed.

Answer 2

US President Lincoln's main concern about General George B. McClellan was in Lincoln's opinion, the failure of McClellan to be more active in taking offensive measures against the Confederacy. McClellan, on more than one occasion, failed to pursue the retreating Army of Northern Virginia. He allowed, as an example, to not pursue Lee's army after the Battle of Antietam. Lincoln was earlier upset that McClellan's attempt to capture Richmond via the peninsula campaign was a miserable failure.

Answer 3

McLellan simply wasn't getting results.

He spent so long making preparations that his plans never got off the ground.

As he was also politically opposed to Lincoln, this caused some of the cabinet to wonder whether he might be a Confederate spy.

Eventually Lincoln said "If General McLellan doesn't want to use the army, perhaps I may borrow it for a while."

Answer 4

Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, did everything he could to delay the progress of the war. He delayed recruitment and he delayed supplies for the troops. He ordered troop movement in muddy conditions when wagons and horses would get bogged down

The increased death count would generate hate for the south. This hatred for the south would demand punishment and Stanton could declare Martial law. Under Martial law, Stanton could confiscate property and other assets, making himself rich. Lincoln trusted Stanton more than General McClellan. That trust cost the country 100,000's of lives.

　

General B. McClellan made the following complaint about Stanton.

"adjutant-General's Office U. S. A.

Never in the whole history of nations was anything more absurdly and recklessly managed than the whole system of recruiting, drafting, and organization under the regime of Secretary Stanton. When his actions are coolly criticized, apart from the influence of party feeling, his administration will be regarded as unparalleled in history for blunders and ignorant self-assertion. He unnecessarily prolonged the war at least two years, and at least tripled its cost in blood and treasure.

General B. McClellan"

(George B. McCellan, McCellan's Own Story, Charles Webster & Co. 1897 P229)