McClellan's generals

If George B. McClellan was elected US President in 1864 for any reason, who would have been the generals he favored for command? Any generals he particularly disliked that would be dismissed, or buddies he would have promoted?

If the military situation is important, we can use more or less the real frontlines in 1864 except that Sherman still has not taken Atlanta, and that the Army of the Potomac might have suffered another major defeat in 1863 but that Grant is still in command with the AoP still in northern Virginia.
 
Well, Grant was not a favorite of McClellan (because of the whole rumours of drinking and whatnot), but i seriously do not know if removing Grant would be the wisest idea. If such a thing were to happen of course.
 
Fitz John Porter is a shoe in for pardon/reinstatement. He was McClellan's right hand man. John Gibbon was a friend from the old army I think. William Farrar "Baldy" Smith was also a McClellan loyalist.

Rosecrans, Hooker and Burnside can expect to be either be sidelined or remain sidelined.
 
Many of the generals of the army of the Potomak were his choices;Hancock was one of his favourites,so was Reynolds...some others were political appointments and useless...
 
Many of the generals of the army of the Potomak were his choices;Hancock was one of his favourites,so was Reynolds...some others were political appointments and useless...

I had forgotten that Hancock got all the praise from McClellan at Williamsburg and ignored the fighting Hooker and Kearny had done earlier in the day (its certainly pushed Kearny along the road of loudly hating McClellan).

That also reminds that Captain George Armstrong Custer had been on McCellan's staff.
 
I think Grant is likely to be retained although he'll need to clear the overall strategy with McClellan (instead of Lincoln telling him to do whatever he wants) and that McClellan may order Grant away from the Army of the Potomac so it can fight how it wants, not how Grant wants.

Does McClellan appoint new commander for the AotP? Or does Meade keep the job?

If not for Hancock's injuries, I'm sure he'd be up for promotion. It seems like everyone had high praise for him.

Fitz John Porter is a shoe in for pardon/reinstatement. He was McClellan's right hand man. John Gibbon was a friend from the old army I think. William Farrar "Baldy" Smith was also a McClellan loyalist.

Rosecrans, Hooker and Burnside can expect to be either be sidelined or remain sidelined.

Did Rosecrans have that bad a reputation with McClellan? He's been in the west the whole time. As a prominent War Democrat, I would have thought McClellan would have tried to use him out West, perhaps lead the next Union offensive into Arkansas or Louisiana after Rosecran's defeat of Price's Raid in Missouri.
 
I think Grant is likely to be retained although he'll need to clear the overall strategy with McClellan (instead of Lincoln telling him to do whatever he wants) and that McClellan may order Grant away from the Army of the Potomac so it can fight how it wants, not how Grant wants.

Does McClellan appoint new commander for the AotP? Or does Meade keep the job?

If not for Hancock's injuries, I'm sure he'd be up for promotion. It seems like everyone had high praise for him.



Did Rosecrans have that bad a reputation with McClellan? He's been in the west the whole time. As a prominent War Democrat, I would have thought McClellan would have tried to use him out West, perhaps lead the next Union offensive into Arkansas or Louisiana after Rosecran's defeat of Price's Raid in Missouri.

There was certainly bad blood on Rosecrans side. He believed (and I agree) that we won the early victories in Virginia as McClellan's subordinate.
 
Top