McClellan

Of all the many colorful personalities during the Civil War, none is more detestable to me than George McClellan.  Here is an NPR piece from the author of an upcoming book about the Road to Antietam.

The radio piece mostly deals with McClellan's maneuvering in the early part of the war to undermine Lincoln and seize full control of the army and exert political control over the President.  In the words of the author "he was a world class narcissist."  After getting outmaneuvered in battle by Lee, Lincoln goes to McClellan to get an accounting of how he plans to not let this happen again and McClellan responds by giving him a letter that gives no details about future military plans about how to win, and instead gives him a political manifesto about how Lincoln must behave politically - 1)  Not emancipate the slaves, otherwise the Union army will dissolve (blackmail)  2)  Not conduct a war of subjugation against the South (ie fight with one hand behind their back and continue to lose) and 3)  Appoint a War Minister who has total autonomy over military action (cede his status as Commander in Chief).

Lincoln was wise enough to realize he needed to get rid of the guy after this meeting, but just hearing about it gets under my skin -- he was effectively a traitor operating at the very top of the army.  One wonders if even small compromises were made to some of his demands how the history of the nation could be entirely different.