Another President, Another General

For the past 24 hours I have thought about another president, and his trying times…….

From the history I love so very much….in brief….

President Lincoln felt he could not trust the officer corps of the Army of the Potomac as they were not of his party and opposed to his scope for the war.  The commander, General McClellan, had a notion that armies should not interfere with civilian property….slaves.   The army staff even had contemplated marching to Washington and forcing Lincoln to give up his fight to end slavery so the war could be brought to a faster conclusion.    The Emancipation Proclamation was ridiculed by the McClellan staffers. 

Lincoln got wind of these schemes and wanted to know if McClellan was involved.  A series of events would take place to show that McClellan clearly disproved of Lincoln’s views and plans.  In the end there is a strong record to demonstrate why McClellan was released of his command.  Allan Pinkerton, an aide to McClellan, will be interviewed by Lincoln at the White House, and from that will start  the final downfall of the general.  Funny thing is that McClellan will have sent Pinkerton to spy on the President, and Lincoln with his ability to cross-examine will turn the table and use Pinkerton to get needed information.  A great story!  I also might add that while reviewing the troops under McClellan one will later write of Lincoln as ‘a baboon”, and “the ugliest man I ever saw.”  The ugly nature of how the military can act is not new.

General Ambrose Burnside will take command of the Army of the Potomac.