ABSTRACT

A jubilant North greeted the news of the Mason-Slidell capture-an incident which touched off one of the most serious Anglo-American crises during the war between the states. Anglo-American relations had been strained since the outbreak of the Civil War. Lincoln himself maintained the war to be for the restoration of the Union. His chief concern with slavery was as a military problem and he dealt with it accordingly as it arose in the military departments and in areas occupied by Union forces. The first real blow at McClellan's prestige was struck by Lincoln on March 11th. That day, by a Presidential war order, Lincoln stripped McClellan of command of all the Union armies; retained him only as the head of the Army of the Potomac. McClellan had won a few battles in the Peninsula, but after more than two months in the field, he had not yet succeeded in taking Richmond; a failure here could cost Republicans the fall elections.