Challenge - "I'd like to use it a while" - LIncoln commands Union forces, and wins

In the ACW, President Lincoln once told a general - I think McClellan - "if you're not going to use the army, I'd like to borrow it for a while," or some such words.

Your challenge, should you accept it, is for President Lincoln to get so frustrated with his generals that he takes charge himself in the field. Your thorn in the side - he has to win at least one major victory before he gives up the command to others, who then go on to win the ACW.

Sounds tricky - what President, one wonders, is nuts enough to do that? And, how could he, when he's not really that well-trained to do so? And yet, there was plenty of fighting in and around Washington, and Lincoln really went through generals.

Some notes:

1. You are allowed to have him inspecting the troops at just the right time, and you can also have some confusion as a Southern general is shot and incapacitated; I know this is tricky, so I'll allow a litle deux ex machina, (I think that's the term). SO you can, for instance, have him at Antietam and Mclellan knocked out just as they get the battle plans. But, Lincoln should still remain relatively in character. (Accepting that being int he heat of a war really gets the adrenaline flowing with some.) And, you need to follow up with what happens next.

2. The POD can be anytime after Lincoln takes office, so realistically, you could even do something like have him get lots of advice from a Winfield Scott, he can gain knowledge, but he can't suddenly choose to go to West Point.

Y'all, this may be the one American Civil War one nobody has done. (Though I wouldn't be surprised, either, if it has :)
 
During the Peninsula Campaign in OTL, Lincoln ordered the recapture on the Norfolk Naval Yard. While he did not personally lead the troops, Lincoln did personally scout the area at night, even going ashore.
 
Top