Cecily Zander

He'd tried to make his fortune in the railroads, but he comes back.

He knows he's going to be really important.

He sort of cajoles, kind of pushes his way into a command, and he emerges really quickly as this quite soldierly-looking fellow, a guy that other military commanders really respect and appreciate, and someone Lincoln is willing to take a chance on.

The thing about George McClellan is he's a conservative.

And also, as we will find out over the course of the war, a capital D Democrat.

So in opposition to the leading Republican Party, which Lincoln represents, which sort of wanted a very aggressive, sharp war against the Confederacy, they really, truly wanted to compel the Confederates back.

McClellan's strategy is one of, I think, lowercase c conservatism.

Let's not fight them too hard.

Let's give them a chance to sort of realize the error of their ways.

And if we don't punish them too harshly, if we hold back,

Although we have superior resources, we have more men.

In every category, we outmatch them.

They'll come back.

It'll be easier to reunify the country.

So I'm going to fight a very slow, very methodical, very conservative war.

That's not going to produce the victories.

that the United States needs.

And when by the time of the Seven Days Battles and then Antietam McClellan is pitted against Robert E. Lee, one of the most aggressive generals in American history, he has no hope of achieving any kind of substantial victory.

Yeah, I mean, if you read the letters that he wrote to his wife, who I am always delighted to inform students was named Ellen McClellan.

I mean, it is amazing the way he sort of describes his achievements.