Tag Archives: George McClellan

CIVIL WAR GENERALS – LEADERSHIP LEARNED ON THE JOB

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Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.
Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.

For over the nation’s first century, defense of America for various wars, stayed in the hands of state militias – War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War 1 and even to a significant role in World War 2. The US Congress always remained desirous to maintain a small regular army during peacetime which could change in times of war with massive influx of militia brought in from the states. This led to a series of problems in each war America involved itself in. One of the major problems became that of leadership.  Captains went from commanding company-sized groups – 100-250 men – to commanding generals leading armies of several thousands. On the job learning in warfare costs lives. Here, we will focus mainly on Civil War generals.

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BORDERS TO THE BATTLE LINE – FEDERAL REGULAR ARMY AND THE CIVIL WAR

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Popular view of the men making up the US Regular Army.
Mick Moloney’s version of “The Regular Army O!“. The song provided a popular view of the men making up the US Regular Army.

For neophytes to the study of the American Civil War, the function played by the pre-war Federal Regular Army before, during and after continues to reside a bit in obscurity. Officers from the antebellum army played large roles on both sides during the war, though they rarely achieved greatness remaining a part of the Federal Regular Army, even if staying true to their oath as army officers. Those officers usually took up new commissions in the many militia units raised by the different States – again on both sides. Rapid promotion and the chance to play much larger roles than they played before the war represented key factors in the exodus. Which comes back to the question, what role did the Regular Army play during the war?

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ASTORIA TO SALEM ROAD – MAGIC AHEAD OF ITS TIME?

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Cuillin smiling atop Saddle Mountain. The Astoria to Salem Road ventured around the peak – Green Mountain – in the center – Mouth of the Columbia River and Astoria lie above.

The 1840’s saw emigrants begin to make Oregon – especially the Willamette Valley – a destination of choice. After a brief struggle, newcomers chose to make Salem the capital of the new Territory instead of Oregon City. But Salem was definitely an inland choice.  Transportation to the sea was needed to enable easier communication with the rest of the World as opposed to a six-month jaunt across the Rockies. As the 1850’s rolled on, the best choice of a seaport lay at the mouth of the Columbia River – enter the Astoria to Salem Road, military in purported purpose, but strategic thinking lay at the heart.

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MCCLELLAN ON A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY IN THE NORTHWEST

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Sign noting McClellan's passage through the dense forests of the southern Cascades.
Sign noting McClellan’s passage through the dense forests of the southern Cascades.

As future generals for the Federal Army during the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan are also remembered for their service in the Pacific Northwest during the 1850’s. Another, George Brinton McClellan made a cameo appearance. He led a group tasked with identifying a possible rail route through the Cascades. In addition, they potential were to build a military road across the mountain chain so emigrant wagons could more easily reach the Puget Sound of Washington Territory. This reconnaissance gave McClellan his first extended period of independent command since graduating from West Point with the Class of 1846.

Before George McClellan became the leading Federal general in the early Civil War, he served in the wilds of Washington, surveying for railroad routes.

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