Editing Abraham Lincoln (section)

====General McClellan====

[[File:Maryland, Antietam, President Lincoln on the Battlefield - NARA - 533297.jpg|alt=Lincoln among a group of soldiers in a military camp|thumb|Lincoln meeting with [[Union Army]] officers on October 3, 1862, following the [[Battle of Antietam]], including left to right: Col. [[Delos Bennett Sackett|Delos Sackett]]; 4. Gen. [[George W. Morell]]; 5. [[Alexander S. Webb]], Chief of Staff, V Corps; 6. McClellan;. 8. [[Jonathan Letterman]]; 10. Lincoln; 11. [[Henry J. Hunt]]; 12. [[Fitz John Porter]]; 15. [[Andrew A. Humphreys]]; 16. Capt. [[George Armstrong Custer]]]]
{{main|George B. McClellan}}

After the Union rout at [[First Battle of Bull Run|Bull Run]] and [[Winfield Scott]]'s retirement, Lincoln appointed Major General [[George B. McClellan]] general-in-chief.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=318–319}} McClellan spent months planning his Virginia [[Peninsula Campaign]]. McClellan's slow progress frustrated Lincoln, as did his position that no troops were needed to defend Washington. McClellan, in turn, blamed the failure of the campaign on Lincoln's reservation of troops for the capital.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=349–352}} In 1862, Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief for the general's continued inaction. He elevated Henry Halleck to the post and appointed [[John Pope (general)|John Pope]] as head of the new [[Army of Virginia]].{{sfn|Burlingame|2008|loc=v. 2 pp. 303, 320, 368}} But in the summer of 1862 Pope was soundly defeated at the [[Second Battle of Bull Run]], forcing him to retreat to Washington. Soon after, the Army of Virginia was disbanded.{{sfn|Work|2024|p=71}}

Despite his dissatisfaction with McClellan's failure to reinforce Pope, Lincoln restored him to command of all forces around Washington, which included both the [[Army of the Potomac]] and the remains of the Army of Virginia.{{sfnm|Goodwin|2005|1pp=478–479|Work|2024|2p=71}} Two days later, General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s forces crossed the [[Potomac River]] into Maryland, leading to the [[Battle of Antietam]].{{sfn|Goodwin|2005|pp=478–480}} That battle, a Union victory, was among the bloodiest in American history.{{sfn|Goodwin|2005|p=481}} A crisis of command occurred for Lincoln when McClellan then resisted the president's demand that he pursue Lee's withdrawing army, while General [[Don Carlos Buell]] likewise refused orders to move the [[Army of the Ohio]] against rebel forces in eastern Tennessee. Lincoln replaced Buell with [[William Rosecrans]] and McClellan with [[Ambrose Burnside]]. The appointments were both politically neutral and adroit on Lincoln's part.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=389–390}} Against presidential advice Burnside launched an offensive across the [[Rappahannock River]] and was [[Battle of Fredericksburg|defeated by Lee at Fredericksburg]] in December.{{sfn|Burlingame|2008|loc=v. 2 pp. 445&ndash;446}} Facing low morale and discontent among the troops, Lincoln replaced Burnside with [[Joseph Hooker]].{{sfnm|Burlingame|2008|1loc=v. 2 pp. 484&ndash;486|Donald|1996|2pp=411–412}} Hooker was routed by Lee at the [[Battle of Chancellorsville]] in May, then resigned in June and was replaced by [[George Meade]].{{sfn|Burlingame|2008|loc=v. 2 pp. 498, 503, 510&ndash;511}} Meade followed Lee north into Pennsylvania and defeated him in the [[Gettysburg campaign]] but then failed to effectively block Lee's orderly retreat to Virginia, despite Lincoln's demands. At the same time, Grant captured Vicksburg and gained control of the Mississippi River.{{sfn|Donald|1996|pp=444–447}}