Failure of Mission Command by General McClellan Essay

The Battle of Antietam could have been a devastating and fatal blow to the Confederate Army if Gen. McClellan acted decisively, took calculated risks, and veered away from his cautious approach to war. There are many instances leading up to the battle and during the battle in which he lacks the necessary offensive initiative to effectively cripple and ultimately win the war. This paper is intended to articulate the failure of Mission Command by GEN McClellan by pointing out how he failed to understand, visualize, describe and direct the battlefield to his benefit. GEN McClellan may not have been a great war time General but he excelled at training Soldiers, getting his men ready to fight and raising the morale of the Armies he†¦show more content†¦As is noted from the quote above, questions were raised about Gen McClellan’s inability to lead an Army during a time of war. Only because of uncertainty of the Union Army after GEN Pope’s defeat on September 1 at Second Bull Run did McClellan live to Command during Antietam. For all of GEN McClellan’s ability to rally the Soldiers to fight, his inability to garner the trust and confidence in his generals proved pivotal during the battle. Stephen Sears depicts McClellan as only trusting two of his six Corps commanders. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing – his management of his own generals. Of his six corps commanders, he displayed confidence in only two, Fitz John Porter and Joseph Hooker. He had termed 65-year-old Edwin Sumner â€Å"even a greater fool than I had supposed,† and regarded William Franklin as slow and lacking in energy. He had recently rebuked Ambrose Burnside for his tepid pursuit of the Rebels after the fighting at South Mountain. Joseph Mansfield, new to command, was an unknown quantity. McClellan called no council of his generals to explain his intentions, issued no plan of battle, and on September 17 conferred at lengt h only with Fitz John Porter.Show MoreRelatedThe Battle Of Antietam By Robert E. Lee1412 Words   |  6 Pages1862. Union armed force led by General George B. McClellan battled against the Confederate Army led by General Robert E. Lee. The fight was battled along the Antietam Creek close Sharpsburg, Maryland. The union armed force lost more than twelve thousand men, while the confederate armed force lost around ten thousand men. General Robert E. Lee barely got away thrashing this fight and the absence of men cause him and his armed force to withdraw back to Virginia. McClellan started his military professionRead MoreThe Seven Days Campaign Of 18621542 Words   |  7 Pagesa seven-day period. Major General George B. 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