The Day McClellan Gets Fooled

160 years ago today, on March 12th 1862, George McClellan made his headquarters at Fairfax Court House, which had been occupied by the rebels just days before. But the Army of the Potomac's long-overdue advance was not the triumph McClellan hoped it might be. Today would instead prove to be a national embarrassment for Federal forces in northern Virginia. And the news for McClellan just keeps getting worse....
Today's video is part of an ongoing "On to Richmond" series, where we follow the progress of George McClellan's campaign up the Virginia peninsula to the gates of Richmond, 160 years later. Subscribe to the channel and join the march!

[@geckonavigator6002]

As a teen this channel has really developed my taste in board/wargaming. Of course it started in the trenches of a sandbox with those little green soldiers, and a few years later I was introduced to Risk, and now I have finally decided to branch out to both historic and sci-fi wargaming (as a diehard Star Wars fan, Legions was a must), and my brother and I are planning out a big Saipan 1944 wargame to hopefully run in the near future. Anyways, big thanks to you guys for inspiring me and know that the younger generations are slowly picking up this amazing hobby :)

[@QuincelSC]

I've never wargamed in my life but I love your channel. I'm really tempted to try it some time. It's not just that you make the gaming look so fun, but you make the community look like it's full of people who may take the game seriously but are just warm and welcoming to other people who want to be involved. Absolute model examples: No gatekeeping or meanness at all.

[@LittleWarsTV]

We hope one day you'll be able to give it a shot! Historical wargaming is a small community compared to other hobbies, but a really passionate, helpful, and active one. Once you get hooked, you're hooked for good!

[@dougbright6970]

Love how you guys are blending history with the actual sites and a war game. Remember, only a war game battle can change an actual war battle.

[@hamsteronthepaintingtable6465]

This series is brilliant , love the mix of history then the game 👍🏻

[@DeePsix501]

Great history here gents! Thanks for taking the time to do it!

[@justanotherarmchairgeneral4240]

This whole episode is the quintessential McClellan experience. He finds out that the massive force in front of him is actually less than half his size after they abandon their defences, and that the overland route to Richmond is presumably open. But instead of doing the obvious thing and going down there overland with secure lines of communication, supply, and retreat... he's so paranoid that the enemy is doing SOMETHING and that his plan to move oversea has been leaked he instead decides to do a slightly different version of his plan and move through the Chesapeake up a narrow swampy peninsula where he can easily be blocked by a smaller force and his supply lines are at the mercy of Neptune and the US Navy. Then as soon as he lands despite once again obtaining the initiative, he falls for the EXACT same trick the Rebels used in Fairfax and ends up sitting around infront of Yorktown until early May. I believe a lot of historical leaders tend to get more criticism then they deserve but McClellan deserves all the flak he gets and more IMO.

[@benjaminloyd6056]

He was cautious to a fault. Luckily he was a thorough drillmaster however, and left General Grant with a well trained and battle-hardened at.

[@benjaminloyd6056]

Army

[@charjl96]

What a great channel! I'm assuming you all are Virginians too. I grew up visiting the battlefields around our state. Fond memories. Thanks for sharing our history.

[@markmatzeder6208]

I’m loving these, guys. My Dad was stationed at Ft Monroe twice, so this is stomping ground stuff. And the weather is miserable today on the Peninsula, slopping the same mud that flustered Little Mac!

[@LittleWarsTV]

We'll be paying a visit in this series to Fort Monroe quite soon (and our visit was in the sunshine, thank goodness....)

[@markmatzeder6208]

@@LittleWarsTV hope you visited the Casemate!

[@sparkey6746]

Nice presentation, thank you.

[@thelonelybolter8245]

Great video! Pumped for the next video, you guys are the best!

[@LittleWarsTV]

Thanks, MANY more to come!

[@tvwar285]

Great Video your channel is one of my all-time favorites to watch keep up the amazing work.

[@LittleWarsTV]

All time favorite? Hot damn, thanks!

[@bjornehlert5544]

Wasn´t Pinkerton involved? I think they confirmed the wrong assumptions for a lot of money. Consultants often say what the financier wants to hear. Great video!

[@LittleWarsTV]

Yes! Pinkerton was heavily involved (and will continue to be involved throughout the Peninsula Campaign). But he wasn't the only source.

[@shannahkristin9223]

Do you have a source for this? I would be interested in researching this further.

[@bjornehlert5544]

@@shannahkristin9223 Ah.. not so easy. Mostly older german books. My copy of McPherson currently resides in the basement. Extra Credits mentiones it in their Pinkerton Extra, I think. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZOVpYZ8asSppsU But no real academic help here, sorry.

[@sumerandaccad]

These videos bring so much more detail that is generally unknown into the light. Pity the landing wasn't 'up the beaches' as it were. Looking forward to the conclusion (I'll not peak on Wiki)

[@hernandotorres1234]

These short documentary style history lessons are priceless. As a Yorkshireman, I'm beginning to realise that there is a world outside God's own county.

[@get_the_lead_out]

Virginia, by God suh, Virginia!!! The Merrimack was destroyed and was completely overhauled except for her lower hull. You suh are slanderin’ one of the finest boats in the Confederate Navy by callin’ her by that “other name!!!” Great set of videos guys, as usual - I’m enjoying them immensely. It would be awesome if you did a video about that extremely hotly-debated topic!

[@LittleWarsTV]

Haha yes, her true name was the Virginia, but in all the primary source material from 1862 almost everyone keeps calling her by the old name! Guess it was hard to shake...

[@KronkJr.]

Nice job on getting fooled on my birthday McClellan

[@billschnelzer9943]

McClellan got fooled a lot! He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

[@deathmagnetic300]

Really liking this living campaign

[@LittleWarsTV]

Thanks! We were excited to try something new and this has been a fun series to do. Tons of work and a lot of videos ahead!

[@zaynevanday142]

Ahhhh the lads are back good day Sirs

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

GREAT

[@anathardayaldar]

Missed opportunity to line up the angle of the intro to the exact angle of the picture. But gave like anyway.

[@WargamesTonight]

I think we should cut McClellan some slack. He was one of the first to discover that command of the Army of the Potomac was as much (or more) a political position than a military one. Imagine a wargame where you have to spend much of your time pacifying politicians; and that this must be done before you are allowed to attend to your own army or the enemy! You should do a video about the political machinations that plagued the Army of the Potomac.

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

There was a set of rules back in the 80's for the Valley Campaign that forced the Union Generals to take time to engage in politics. It was sort of fun.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Do I hear the tip toeing of a McClellan apologist echoing down the hallway behind me? Hah, all kidding aside, McClellan DID have a tough hand to play when it came to Washington. It's no excuse for some of his biggest failures but it is a very important piece of context that you're right to highlight. We'll touch on this in some later videos. To be fair, Johnston was also dealing with a lot of micromanagement from Richmond. Davis was just as active in meddling as Lincoln!

[@williamdaniel4081]

What day didn't General George McCellan get Fooled?

[@LittleWarsTV]

Hah, funny. McClellan had some good days but no doubt he has a lot of bad ones. Today is a bad one...

[@williamdaniel4081]

@@LittleWarsTV Can you name one that wasn't in the state of West Virginia,

[@YouFoundBen]

@@williamdaniel4081 The ones in that part of Virginia before it became West Virginia :-D

[@sparkieT88]

hey, ive been there !

[@LittleWarsTV]

Lots of history in this little town!

[@LicensedTerrorist]

Let's gooooooo I live in Chicago suburb

[@dickturpin1964]

Good in times of order and bad in times of chaos. Which is the problem for any army when it decides who to promote. The best peacetime commanders are good at training and organizing but they fall apart when they face the enemy. Conversely, those who are unsettled in peacetime (and often in trouble) rise to the challenge of the chaos of war.

[@heckinmemes6430]

It's always harsh when you get, and I say, Bamboozled.

[@LittleWarsTV]

The perfect word choice!

[@eliotreader8220]

I am guessing that they chopped up the fake wooden canons for fire wood?

[@Demolitiondude]

I think actual napoleon would be laughing his ass off.

[@LittleWarsTV]

Rolling in his grave, no doubt. Napoleon was not one for inaction or immobility, that's for damn sure.

[@unexpectedparolemadwerewol6565]

I know people do not know who the CSS Virginia was. But I would have preferred these guys to have at least mentioned her. Alliteration is great on getting school kids to remember facts, Riting reading and rithmatic I guess. But the ship defending the Confederacy was not the Merrimack. The Merrimack was a traditional wooden Union ship captured by the South which was repaired and armor plated. This newly plated Ironclad was Christianed the Virginia given a confederate Captain and crew and this was the ship the US Monitor fought at Hampton Rhodes. The USS Merricmack was already done.

[@jamesmaclennan4525]

Yes but those Damned Yankees insisted on calling it by the Old name..because they are Yankees

[@LittleWarsTV]

We explained the naming issue in the March 8th video. You're absolutely correct that her name was the CSS Virginia. But back in 1862, primary sources from contemporaries still refer to her as the Merrimack. So in an odd sort of way, historians can reasonably use the names interchangeably. Throughout our videos we use both.

[@unexpectedparolemadwerewol6565]

@@LittleWarsTV I still keep trying to that one. I grew up in Hampton and my Grandfather that been stationed at Ft. Monroe so that area of history has always been special. The school books we used physically next door also called it the Merrimack , so this has been a point of deep seeded confusion and frustration for me. lol.

[@John-115]

👍

[@zaynevanday142]

Didn’t the Little Napoleon run as a Presidential candidate after the war ?

[@producerjjones9976]

He faced off against Lincoln in the 1864 election.

[@LittleWarsTV]

He gets smoked in the 1864 presidential election (tellingly, he doesn't even win the veteran/active duty military vote). But after the war he will go on to win election as the governor of New Jersey. He dies young, not even 60 years old.

[@zaynevanday142]

@@LittleWarsTV say one thing about him he gets knocked down but gets straight back up eh 😂

[@zaynevanday142]

@@producerjjones9976 Lincoln har har A Saint could run against him and would lose lol

[@kartchner7]

Which day that he got fooled?

[@LittleWarsTV]

I suppose we could have titled the video, "One of Many Days McClellan Gets Fooled!"

[@wcftproductions]

THIS VIDEO US NNNNNEEEEEEWWWWWWW

[@mrgunn2726]

Lil Mac was useless. Should have put him in charge of training, but not combat. Looking forward to the next installment. Go LWTV!

[@LittleWarsTV]

Well....maybe not ENTIRELY useless. Useless on a battlefield for sure. But the logistics involved in the Peninsula campaign are staggering. McClellan is deeply involved in that side of the campaign--engineering, logistics, supply--and he does a remarkable job. But when the bullets start to fly, he's almost always lurking in the rear....

[@mrgunn2726]

@@LittleWarsTV Ok I agree to agree. ;) Interesting note about hiding in the rear, US Grant hated the site of blood.

[@etwargamer5431]

First!