Overview
- War on the map
- War on the armies
- War on the people
L to R: Winfield Scott, Abraham Lincoln, George McClellan
“With this preliminary, I state my general idea of this war to be that we have the greater numbers, and the enemy has the greater facility of concentrating forces upon points of collision; that we must fail, unless we can find some way of making our advantage an over-match for his; and that this can only be done by menacing him with superior forces at different points, at the same time; so that we can safely attack, one, or both, if he makes no change; and if he weakens one to strengthen the other, forbear to attack the strengthened one, but seize, and hold the weakened one, gaining so much.” —AL to Don C. Buell, Jan. 13, 1862
“I think Lee’s Army, and not Richmond, is your true objective point.” –AL to Joseph Hooker, June 10, 1863
Excerpt from McClellan’s Harrison’s Landing letter (July 7, 1862):
“This rebellion has assumed the character of a war. As such it should be regarded, and it should be conducted upon the highest principles known to Christian civilization. It should not be a war looking to the subjugation of the people of any State in any event. It should not be at all a war upon population, but against armed forces and political organizations. Neither confiscation of property, political executions of persons, territorial organization of States, or forcible abolition of slavery should be contemplated for a moment.”
“Are you not over-cautious when you assume that you can not do what the enemy is constantly doing? Should you not claim to be at least his equal in prowess, and act upon the claim?” —AL to George McClellan, October 13, 1862
Lincoln and Halleck
Lincoln Finds His General
William Tecumseh Sherman
“We are not only fighting armies, but a hostile people, and must make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war, as well as their organized armies. I know that this recent movement of mine through Georgia has had a wonderful effect in this respect. Thousands who had been deceived by their lying papers into the belief that we were being whipped all the time, realized the truth, and have no appetite for a repetition of the same experience.”
–Sherman to Halleck, December 24, 1864