Lincoln and McClellan: The Troubled Partnership between a President and His General

by John C. Waugh

There was no more remarkable pair in the Civil War than Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan. At only 35 years old, McClellan commanded the Ohio troops early in the war, and won skirmishes for the Union in western Virginia. After the disastrous Union defeat at Bull Run in the summer of 1861, Lincoln sent word for McClellan to come to Washington, and soon elevated him to commander-in-chief of the Union army. But in the late summer and fall of 1861, things took a turn for the worst. Meticulous in his planning and preparations, McClellan began to delay attacking the enemy and developed a penchant for vastly overestimating the Confederate forces he faced. All of this hampered his ability to lead an aggressive force in a fast-moving battlefield environment. Finally losing his patience, Lincoln was famously quoted as saying, “If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time.” Lincoln and McClellan takes an in-depth look at this fascinating relationship, from the early days of the Civil War to the 1864 presidential election when McClellan ran against Lincoln on an anti-war platform and lost. Here, award-winning author John C. Waugh weaves a tale of hubris, paranoia, failure, and triumph, illuminating as never before this unique and complicated alliance.

Genres: Civil War, History, Biography, American History, Presidents, American Civil War, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2010

About the author

A Brief Self-Serving Bio

I'm a journalist turned historical reporter:

1956–1973, staff correspondent and bureau chief on The Christian Science Monitor. Honors included the American Bar Association’s 1972 Silver Gavel Award for the best national reporting, for a series on American prisons.
1973–1976, media specialist on the staff of Republican Vice President Nelson Rockefeller of New York.
1983–1988, press secretary to Democratic U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.
Since 1989, writing about history full-time — books on the Civil War era.
Covering the past is not unlike covering the present, except all my sources are dead (I prefer it that way). It also means I can return to my favorite century, the 19th, on a daily basis.

Between stints in the newspaper and political worlds, and since, I've contributed to periodicals, including Civil War History, American Heritage, Civil War Times Illustrated, Columbiad, The Washington Post Book World, The New York Times, The New Republic, The Nation, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald American, and Country Magazine.

Over the years I've also been a consultant to various organizations — National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Richfield Company, President’s Council on Environmental Quality, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and West Virginia Public Radio.

My first book, The Class of 1846, published in 1994, won the New York Civil War Round Table’s Fletcher Pratt Literary Award for the best non-fiction book of that year.

I have now written 11 books since flunking retirement in 1989. Number 12 will be out in October 2014. I have discovered over the years that if you put one word after another long enough, they add up.

I was born in California, reared in Arizona, and now live in North Texas. I'm a product of the Tucson public schools and the University of Arizona (1951, journalism major, history minor) plus graduate work in history and political science at UCLA and St. Johns College. I'm married to Kathleen Dianne Lively, a social work administrator and a Texan. We have two grown children, Daniel, a lawyer in Providence, Rhode Island, and Eliza, a teacher in Austin, Texas, and four grandchildren.

Reviews

[Thomas Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

In looking at George McClellan, this author goes to great lengths to spell out his biography, his personal history, his education, his character and his military prowess. One gets the feeling that the author is doing everything that he can to lay out the objective facts of McClellan's life, careful to trumpet his strengths, while also not withering away from his weaknesses. In looking at how he tries to capture the total scope of McClellan's life, it's fair to say that he has done a good job of painting “The Big Picture.” As a balanced and absorbing student of History, after taking in this entire work, and combining information that I've gathered from other sources, I am safe in my opinion of George McClellan as a Northern General. I believe, as did a great many contemporary Northern citizens during The Civil War, that George McClellan is one of the biggest Traitors in American History. In many ways, he was an incompetent imbecile who often tried to project that very opinion onto others. I will say no more, and leave it to other readers of this book to form their own opinions as they make their way through. This book is what it is-- an excellent, factual account.

[Tom Darrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly executed, amateurish, obvious and full of simplistic errors.

I hadn't read any books specifically about McClellan before, so I was looking forward to this one, but it really failed to live up to expectations.

First, it seems like the author shoved in some information about Lincoln as an afterthought... knowing that he would sell more books if he included more Lincoln in it. The sections on Lincoln are very superficial. It's clear that Waugh cares more about McClellan and has more source material on him.

Second, this is one of those books that has a simple, obvious thesis, that either didn't need to be written at all (because others have already covered the material) or it should have been written in a much shorter format. Waugh and his editors chose to write this book in such a way that a 218 page book as 25 chapters and an epilogue. So the average chapter is only about 8 pages long. Then, further cutting down the page count, most chapters end on a right page, the following left page is left blank, and then almost 1/2 of the page that starts the next chapter is filled with the title and no content. If you cut out all of the blank space, this book would easily be 40 pages shorter.

Third, there are some very simplistic historical errors that the author should have not made, and the editor should have caught. A few notable examples... he writes that the second battle of Manassas began at the Brawner Farm (which is true), but he says that the farm is 7 miles south of Manassas (which it is not... it's north of the town). He refers to George Gordon Meade as "Gordon Meade". He states that Johnson surrendered 9 days after Lee (it was 15 days later). He also says that Lincoln was "the last of 620,000 casualties of the war." That is wrong/insulting in several ways. First, the war wasn't over yet. As he pointed out in the previous paragraph, Johnson, let alone several other large Confederate armies, had not surrendered yet. Second, just because a person didn't die during the war (whenever that was) doesn't mean that they aren't casualties of the war. If a soldier was in the hospital with a wound, and didn't die until after Lee surrendered, that soldier is still a casualty of the war. You could even make the argument that any man who had his health reduced by the war, physically or mentally, was a casualty of the war. Finally, the 620,000 figure is commonly accepted, but outdated and unrealistic. It's more likely that closer to 700,000 men, or more, died as a result of the war.

So, overall, this is a book full of issues. I did learn a bit about McClellan and it is clear that the author made an attempt to use decent primary sources (although he did lean on a few a bit too much). For those reasons, I couldn't justify giving the book one star.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an analysis of the relationship between President Lincoln and his top Army General during the opening months of the American Civil War. As the President, Lincoln was Commander in Chief and General McClellan was his subordinate. However, McClellan often did not see it this way. As this book clearly shows, McClellan believed that war should be left to the professionals (such as himself). He espoused that politicians could not understand war and should not be permitted to run it. McClellan was reared in an upper-class household (his father was a doctor in Philadelphia) and he received an excellent education at West Point (he graduated second in his class) as well as other top tier schools. He viewed Lincoln as a backwoods rustic and inferior to himself. At least once he told his army colleagues that “congress in session can be compared to animal performances in a beer garden”. McClellan believed Lincoln was below him in class; a cultural, intellectual and social inferior. He could not believe he should be taking orders from such as man as Lincoln. This arrogance by McClellan ruined any chance of these two men working well together. Lincoln was a very forgiving man, who held out his hand to McCellan on many occasions and who defended McClellan from other critics at the time. But, ultimately, due to McClellan’s misjudgments and overcautious nature, Lincoln had to remove him from Command of the Union Army of the Potomac in November of 1862.
This book also exposes other political differences between these two men on slavery (McClellan wanted to allow the South to keep that system in place) and on how aggressively the war should be conducted. Plus, it delves into the presidential election of 1864 as Lincoln ran for re-election and McClellan ran against him as the Democratic candidate for President.
All in all, this is a very well written and well researched history book that is easy to read and easy to understand the issues and conflicts between these two accomplished men.

[Roger Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise summary of the rivalry between George McClellan and President Lincoln. While Mac detested Lincoln and other politicians...particularly the Radical Republicans, Lincoln demonstrated incredible patience with a man who had incredible skills in organizing the Army of the Potomac and who was admired and even worshipped by his soldiers but who never at any time demonstrated that he could use the army he created to win battles and end the war. The author does a great job in explaining his strengths and weaknesses, the latter which cost McClellan his job in later 1862 after the battle of Antietam. Waugh then goes on to describe McClellan's very reluctant political career in which he was nominated and selected at the Democratic candidate for President in 1864 but who was soundly beaten by Lincoln in the election. This was essential reading for anyone interested in leadership during the Civil War.

[Jeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good -- it's exactly what it says it is. It's a short book, so a lot of things are summed up and not really dived into detail, which makes for an easier read, but I think I might I have liked more. Overall the writing was good.

The author gives McClellan a fair shake, possibly too generous in my opinion, but I'm not McClellan's biggest fan. While I don't go as far as thinking he was a traitor, he was a god awful field general, a terrible judge of character (both his own and others), possessed an insufferable personality, and was far more afraid of losing than he ever gave thought of winning, which is kind of a big deal when you're fighting a war. He was fighting not to lose rather than win, which showed so clearly at Antietam.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping more out of this book, I think greater detail would have made it better. It is only 250 or so pages long and reads more like a summary of the Lincoln/McClellan relationship instead of a case study or history. I did not learn anything new or surprising. I noticed a few factual errors as well.
I think it would be better enjoyed by the casual Civil War reader or student who just wants a little information about this interesting subject.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great description of the tension between a general and his commander in chief, this book also tells of how bad intelligence, inflated ego, and a tendency to be overly cautious combine to make a military disaster.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening treatment of the tortured relationship between Lincoln and the Major General in charge of the Army of the Potomac. Learned a lot about the patrician general with a bad case of the "slows" that is often lost in the fog of battle (and non-battle) descriptions. Highly recommended.

[Aevylmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It successfully delivers the information it wants to be about, being about as sympathetic to both sides as it can be without disguising the extent to which they were both really bad at running wars. A perfectly competent book on an interesting topic, but not one I have a lot to talk about.

[Michael Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a brief overview of the personalities (mostly of McClellan) and the conflict that eventually led to McClellan's removal. Good overview that might lead one interested to further readings.

[Vickie Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellently told!

Well researched, focused and articulated. An easy, even handed and entertaining read. Something I rarely say about documentaries.
Well done John!

[Jerome Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging, well-written, well-researched book on an interesting topic. Waugh traces the story of Lincoln and McClellan’s partnership. Although McClellan usually ends up receiving the most criticism by historians. Waugh’s book is fairly balanced, respecting the actual achievements of McClellan as well as his epic failures.

Lincoln and McClellan sure make for an interesting contrast. Lincoln was physically imposing, but was pragmatic, realistic and humble. McClellan was a vain, indecisive man with a political tin ear. McClellan was, however, a superb organizer and was able to instill a large degree of loyalty and devotion in his troops. McClellan grew infamous for his continual demand for more and more troops and his inability to aggressively pursue Lee’s army.

Waugh gives us a good portrait of two men under intense pressure, unable to understand each other’s positions or appreciate each other’s difficulties.

[Doug Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and straightforward read, focused mainly on McClellan. An interesting book on leadership, because Mc came so close to excellence in many ways, and yet fell so short. Beloved by his men, and a great builder of the army, yet he did not initiate and win battles. He was indecisive to a fault, unable to change plans quickly and take advantage of opportunities. Critically, he had a high opinion of himself that prevented him building relationships with, consulting with and gaining aid from Lincoln and his cabinet, who all desperately wanted him to act and to succeed. A cautionary tale for leaders who may have a detail orientation and an instinct to prepare "just a bit more" before entering the fray of life.

[John Roskelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read quite a lot about the War Between the States, and had already thought McClellan to be quite cautious and almost afraid to engage his enemy. This book delves into many of his writings to Pres. Lincoln, his wife, colleagues, etc. It makes one wonder why Lincoln kept him as long as he did. The book spans the entire war; read others to find the details of specific battles not involving McClellan.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of missed opportunities for want of personal temperament, good judgment and persistence. McClellan is really the focus of the book, Lincoln a close second. A place in the pantheon of great generals was McClellan's if he would pursue it. He chose most often to blame others and waste a great deal of time in concocting a theater of blame toward Lincoln and other Washington types. A cautionary tale for leaders who seem to be stumped when they should gaining ground and victory.

[Kareem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have always been interested in the relationship between these two guys. And from reading this work it was quite a bit more complicated than from what I had previously learned. It's amazing about people like McClellan, he must have inspired the phrase 'talks a good game.' Lincoln wanted very much for them to click, but McClellan was too vain or maybe too insecure.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the focus is on McClellan and his talent in generating great respect and love from the troops while overlooking his inability to confront the Confederates. Lincoln demonstrated great patience with McClellan while he likely knew the low regard that Mac held for him. It a wonderful story well told with clear documentation.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly entertaining look at the Lincoln-McClellan relationship during the Civil War--Waugh writes a great and quick reading narrative, and McClellan was delightfully arrogant, just the way I like him :)

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've never read much about the Civil War, this is a very good introduction to the tempestuous relations between President Lincoln and his most gifted, but most underachieving general, George B. McClellan. If you've read extensively, then you'll learn little you didn't know before.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book looking at the relationship between McClellan and Lincoln. Even though Lincoln fired McClellan twice, he had more patience with him than I would have thought. McClellan was an excellent administrator, but never should have commanded troops in combat.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good study of these two. I like that fact that, unlike many books on the Civil War, "Lincoln and McClellan" looked at McClellan's run for the Presidency in 1864.

[Kalina Ingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great in-depth analysis of McClellan and how his failure to "see Lincoln's greatness, as Grant later could, in effect destroyed McClellan's career and made Grant's."

[Anthony Bergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review in AND Magazine: http://www.andmagazine.com/content/ph...

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If McClellan had remained the South would have won for sure. Interesting and well written.