From: Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
McClellen was not a political appointment. He may have remained in his
position too long due to political considerations, but he was a West Point
graduate, was successful early in the war and was recommended by Winfield
Scott. Furthermore, his army was well trained and organized and his men
were dedicated to him.
McClellan was a very good logistics man IMO. What he wasn't was a
strategist. Or any sort of tactician. That is, he would have made an
excellent peacetime general or behind-the-lines support leader.
Unfortunately, he was thrust into a position that played into his weakness
and not his strength due to the fact that for a long time, the South has all
the tactical virtuosos. And that times had changed very suddenly and
drastically.
Lincoln looked long and hard for anyone with any strategic abilities
whatsoever - because those had not been called for during the long, long
time of peace between the War of 1812 and the firing on Fort Sumter. Oh, we
had our little foreign adventures, but they didn't seem to call on the
generals' abilities to fight an all-out was to that extent.
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