Army Of The Potomac: McClellan Takes Command, September 1861-February 1862

Rating:
Summary: The Definitive Book on McClellan's Early Activities
Review: For years, Douglas Freeman's three-volume "Lee's Lieutenant's" stood as the monumental work of an army and its leaders. Freeman now has worthy company, as Russel Beatie's "Army of the Potomac-McClellan Takes Command" is just as good, and maybe even a bit better as it avoids some bias.

Beatie leads the reader on an adventure beginning in September 1861 when newly-appointed army commander, George McClellan, makes his early moves against the Confederate army threatening Washington. There are missteps to be sure, including the fiasco at Ball's Bluff. We see the factors influencing McClellan, the evolution of his through-processes, and the realities of this early period of the war. But McClellan prevailed, building a strong and effective army that only needed good leadership to be successful.

The book is filled with quotes and colorful biographies which make the book come alive. I especially liked the descriptive maps which nicely illustrate the text, the nineteen pages at the front of the book filled with photographs and biographies of the men who will play major roles during this period, and the informative footnotes.

This is the second book in what will be the definitive study of the command structure of the Army of the Potomac.

Rating:
Summary: Second Volume of Important Union Command Study
Review: Many thousands of books have been written about the American Civil War, but no scholarly attempt to study the Army of the Potomac (Union) high command has appeared. That oversight seems to have been remedied with the appearance of the second of what the publisher claims will be some eight volumes on the subject. "The Army of the Potomac: McClellan Takes Command" by Russel Beatie (Da Capo, November 2004) is a serious book for serious students. This carefully researched and meticulously written study examines the military development, logistics, political in-fighting, and character development of the men who held the power of the country in their hands during those tumultuous months (although more than 600 pages, Beatie's study covers only September 1861- February 1862). Endless footnotes offer enough minutia to satisfy the most serious Civil War buff, and the bibliography is grounded in firsthand source material. Includes maps, photos, notes, bib., index. Highly recommended for adult readers, all libraries.

Rating:
Summary: Classic Series
Review: Russell H. Beatie is writing what should become the classic series on The Army of the Potomac. This is the second volume in the series dealing with the time from the defeat at Bull Run to the preparations for the Peninsula Campaign, September 1861 to February 1862. Readers of Civil War history will find few books on this six-month period and for good reason. This is NOT a battle book. This is NOT a campaign history. This is a history of preparation, problems, misconceptions and politics.

Central to the story is George B. McClellan, fresh from victories in Western Virginia and given command of a defeated army. He determines not allow the army to be pushed into another battle. The priority is training, organization and more training. McClellan's severest critics admit that he excelled in this job and built a very professional army from the raw volunteers. His struggle to do this is the heart of this story.

To enjoy this book, you must rethink the American Civil War returning to a time before the total war when many still felt that peace without victory was possible. The newspaper's lists of the dead and limbless men on city streets are not yet common. The war is still a great adventure to many. Acceptance of the theory that the history of North America could depend on one great battle that would establish the Confederacy or save the Union is common. Many Newspapers preach this idea, Politicians endorse it and Generals accept it. Preparation for this battle is McClellan's goal and he works at it with a single-minded purpose day and night.

The book deals with the small upsets, the friendly fire incidents, poor leadership, failed logistics and miscommunications that kept McClellan from achieving his goal. While he feels unready, the public is demand action and expenses are mounting. The major military battle is Ball's Bluff; the major battles are the removal of General Scott and the establishment of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War, the first a victory and the other a defeat for McClellan. How events and personalities interact and react is the heart of this book. McClellan, Lincoln, the Radicals, the War Democrats, the press, political generals, West Point graduates all march across the pages making demands on each other and seeking advantage.

The discussion on the selection of general officers; the interaction between the states and the Federal Government is worth the price of the book. It is something that you seldom see in a history but builds a real understanding in the serious student. How the War Democrats expect the war to be fought and their feelings toward the South get full treatment too. Not the standard quick dismissal but an intelligent walkthrough with "logical" reasons that supported their ideas, most of these reasons will be disproved in the coming months but for now they are "logical". The reaction of the Radical Republicans meshes with the expectations of the people, feed by the press, to produce an overheated atmosphere of doubt. McClellan's personality causes him to make a series of bad choices that creates an opposition movement. Unable to build a real relationship with the Republicans he is isolated, surrounded by enemies in a trap of his own making.

In December 1861, McClellan is ill for three weeks. In the history of the war, this is a small event but a major one on the road to his dismissal. A helpless McClellan showed Lincoln how little he knew and how dependent fighting the war was on one person. This was not a good experience for Lincoln, who moved to correct the problem.

This is not a fun read nor do we have sympathy for many for the principles and several are despicable. However, we gain an invaluable understanding of the foundation of an army and a government learning to wage war.


Rating:
Summary: A core addition for any Civil War History collectiom
Review: The commanding officer of the Army of the Potomac, General George B. McClellan is one of the most disputable and often denigrated figures of the Civil War. His personal character and his military performance were constantly under scrutiny during his lifetime, and down to the present day continues to be a subject of controversy among Civil War historians. In The Army Of The Potomac: McClellan Takes Command, September 1861-February 1862, civil war historian Russel H. Beatie offers the most accurate and unbiased account to date of McClellan and his fellow commanding officers in the Union Army. Beaties spent years of research piecing together the details of McClellan's command from original documents spread all over the world (many of which had never been dealt with previously) to humanize the leaders of the Union Army and illustrate how their personalities influenced their command decisions. The second volume in Beaties' superbly written "The Army Of The Potomac" series, The Army Of The Potomac: McClellan Takes Command, September 1861-February 1862 cogently addresses such issues as why McClellan deserves a great deal more credit than his is traditionally accorded for building the Union army; how McClellan tried to improve his communication difficulties and accede to the wishes of President Lincoln; why the inter of 1861-1862 (the worst in forty years) and his nearly lethal case of typhoid fever had such a profound impact on McClellan's actions. This definitive history is a core addition for any Civil War History reference collection or Civil War Studies reading list. Also very highly recommended is the first volume in this outstanding series from Da Capo Press, The Army Of The Potomac: McClellan Takes Command.