Existing comment:
Lincoln meeting with General George McClellan, Antietam, Maryland, October 3, 1862
Choosing to regard the Union victory at Antietam in September as a "divine sign," Lincoln announced publicly he would proceed with emancipation -- a move that would ultimately bolster Union forces by authorizing free blacks and former slaves to enlist. But he was aghast at McClellan's failure to follow up the victory, even after the president traveled from the Soldiers' Home to urge his general to act. "I said I would remove him if he let Lee's army get away from him... He has got the slows." Shortly after the midterm elections, Lincoln fired McClellan. |