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174).
McPherson also points out that following the Union victory at Laurel Hill, McClellan was given the responsibility of training the newly-named Army of the Potomac at Washington, D.C. Upon arriving in the city, McClellan "found no army to command, only a mere collection of regiments, perfectly raw and dispirited... " He then "took hold with a firm hand to reorganize and train these troops" which demonstrates his excellent skills as an organizer and administrator, two very important traits for a general. In response, national newspapers hailed McClellan as "the man to save his country... And talked of him as the next President." This praise "went to his head and came to regard himself" as a master over Lincoln and every other high-ranking military officer. McPherson refers to this as McClellan's "Messiah complex" which seems quite accurate, especially since McClellan said to Lincoln that "I can do it all" in relation to being the general-in-chief and commander of the Army of the Potomac (1993, pgs. 232-33).
McPherson also maintains that McClellan in 1862 began to exhibit certain weaknesses which would "ultimately bring his downfall." These weaknesses include perfectionism, his "constant overestimation of the size of Confederate forces" and his "notions of the South's martial superiority which caused him to magnify the strength of the enemy." Thus, in McPherson's view, McClellan "lacked that mental and moral courage required of great generals (and) the will to act," not to mention committing "serious errors of judgment" related to his low opinions of President Lincoln (1993, p. 234).
In conclusion, the viewpoints...
Overall, both authors are quite convincing with their arguments, due to relying upon well-documented and reliable primary and secondary sources, particularly military documents and records from the time of the Civil War. However, one would be hard-pressed to determine which account is more accurate simply because neither Rowland nor McPherson knew McClellan personally and because some of the memoirs used in both books were written many years after the Civil War.
Battle Analysis: Battle of Fredricksburg The Fredericksburg Battle The fighters who took part in the battle Union Forces A number of 31,659 soldiers constituting the Union Forces fought at the Battle of Fredericksburg. The Union Forces came from the Grand Division and were commanded by MG Edwin V. MG Joseph Hooker commanded Sumner from the Center Grand Division which consisted of 40,396 soldiers. MG William B. Franklin was at the helm of affairs of
Thus, the two author's viewpoints are different because of the purpose and scope of their works, and not necessarily because one is a "better" or more thorough researcher than the other. The evidence each author uses does support their arguments very well. Each man chooses the evidence that is most compelling and includes it in their assessment of the man, and this helps their works seem more credible and believable.
Battle Analysis-Battle of Fredricksburg The battle of Fredericksburg was a very important battle of the civil war. The paper will look at some important facts about this battle. Opposing forces The battle was one among many other battles where Federal forces had tried to launch attacks on Confederate capital. There was an army organized by Burnside which was an army of the Potomac that was organized into three grand divisions which included infantry
1984 & Fahrenheit 451 The Pessimism of 1984 vs. The Optimism of Fahrenheit 451 Both 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury are futuristic depictions of totalitarian societies that value conformity over individualism. The two novels present systems of institutionalized control. There are strict laws and rules governing behavior and thoughts, and both societies are based on a hierarchy. The protagonists in the novels, Winston Smith and Guy Montag,
In his proposal letter to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, he stated, "Our army consisted of a superior quality of soldiers, but it was in no condition to divide in the enemy's country. Lee recognized their lack of supplies, which would hinder their effort further into enemy territory. However, he would not let his disadvantages hold him back, and he threw caution to the wind by choosing to execute his invasion.
Manassas -- How the Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford Shaped the Battle The Skirmish at Blackburn's Ford shaped the Battle of First Manassas by discouraging the Union Army, altering the Union Army's battle plans and encouraging the Confederate Army. The Confederacy's chances of successfully seceding from the Union were initially poor, as the Union had the obvious upper hand: the Union Army was considerably larger and better equipped; their commander was George