ABSTRACT
Before Jackson had begun his attempt to take western Virginia in the spring of 1862, much of it had already fallen into Union hands. The Union general who got the credit for this was a well-known soldier, George B.McClellan, who had been an excellent student at West Point, served as an observer in the Crimean War in Russia, and wrote texts on military work. In the late 1850s he had resigned his commission to go into railroads, the hottest new commercial field of the time. When war broke out, however, he was quickly commissioned a brigadier-general of volunteers and, in June and July 1861, led forces into western Virginia. With his successes there-the one bright spot in an otherwise fairly dismal war effort-he was soon called to Washington, D.C., promoted to major-general, and given command of all Union forces. McClellan proved to be a fine organizer, giving some dispirited unit members furloughs, getting new uniforms and equipment, and having the men out drilling all hours. His love of dress parades and full reviews bonded the men together, and after some months he’d built an army that had largely recovered its pride after the defeat at Manassas the previous July. McClellan had some real problems with command, however, which would soon make themselves known. He was terribly vain, with his success and position going to his head to the point where he was often politically unwise. He once ignored President Lincoln during an unexpected visit, going upstairs to bed instead. He was, in a modern phrase, soft on the Southern rebels and slavery, instead being as conservative as they were, although, Northern-born, staying in the U.S. Army. He was slow beyond belief. Apparently not terribly brave personally, he seemed to fear committing his forces to action where they, too, would have to be brave. Finally, he was terrified of an enemy that he consistently overestimated, both in terms of numbers and ability. He surrounded himself with people who acted the same way, such as railroad detective Alan Pinkerton, whom he appointed his chief of intelligence. McClellan insisted Pinkerton gather numbers of enemy units that he would believe in, and these were always higher than his own.
