The Day the Army of the Potomac Sets Sail

160 years ago today, on March 17th 1862, the leading elements of the Army of the Potomac embarked for the largest amphibious operation ever attempted in North America. Moving over 100,000 men--along with the necessary supplies and munitions--was a historic logistical task that fell to one man. Not General George McClellan. Not President Lincoln. Not even the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. Today, we talk about the man who moved the largest field army in North America and how he did it in record time. Remarkably, you've probably never heard of him.
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!
The March 14th On to Richmond update from earlier this week is available exclusively from our friends at Richmond National Battlefield Park! Visit them on KZbin or Facebook to stay fully up-to-date and never miss a chapter in this incredible story.

[@r_a_t7046]

Yeah! Give Magruder some of the credit he deserves! As the City of Newport News and Hampton are in the process of renaming Magruder Blvd (now Niel Armstrong Pkwy) and Armistead Rd, it's great that someone is acknowledging his accomplishment here facing the almost impossible task of defending the Peninsula.

[@LittleWarsTV]

We'll be talking about "Prince John" next week! He did an incredible job in March/April slowing the Federal progress. But Magruder is such a puzzling case...after April 1862 his performance plummets.

[@HeavyH2006]

Fabulous informative history & great facts. Tucker the unsung hero! Great acknowledgment to Tucker! Thank you for the channel.

[@mrgunn2726]

Tactics win battles, logistics win wars!

[@Cyberfender1]

SUPPORT VICTORY! HUA(92A)Beans ,bullets and bandages.( and fuel in later conflicts)

[@davefranklin4136]

Very interesting! I for one was unfamiliar with the other people involved, and their critical roles. McClellan of course I was aware of. One of my favorite quotes about McClellan oddly enough comes from the WWII movie In Harm's Way. Henry Fonda, playing Nimitz (though he's just credited as CINCPAC 2 in the movie) says "McClellan was a great organizer but he couldn't decide when to fight."

[@LittleWarsTV]

Even though McClellan didn't personally oversee the logistics of this naval transport, he was still involved. And he'll be heavily involved in the logistical efforts to keep the army supplied once on the peninsula. I can't imagine anyone arguing against his organizational and engineering skills. McClellan would have been a fantastic chief of staff.

[@christophermontgomery5106]

I am really loving this series. Thank you for doing this!

[@sparkey6746]

Excellent presentation gentlemen, thank you.

[@saraschueler5467]

Great drone shots! I've tried (and failed) to take Richmond in my US Civil War board game. Always challenging.

[@scottmiller6958]

Fantastic research here guys.

[@akaneko2165]

Bravo! Well done series.

[@totalburnout5424]

You always learn something new. Very interisting!

[@markmatzeder6208]

My Scout troop met inside Ft Monroe. I walked around those parapets once

[@andrewdad10]

I thought remebered a famous John Tucker from the ACW. John tucker sounded familiar, but then I realized it was the wrong side I was remembering that name from. The famous Confederate song "Ol'Dan Tucker". Them Rebels were more famous anyway.

[@Anvilarm07]

Nice vid. I did not know Tucker's name. But without meaning to demean what he did, he didn't move the army "by sea." He moved it by river. There is a big, big difference.

[@Stiglr]

This is AMAZING!!! 😳

[@klausfritsch4350]

If Little Mac had had to organize the troop transfer himself, the army still wouldn't be there....

[@anathardayaldar]

2:20 When they said "Not a single man was lost!" I first thought they meant no one died. But since this is a logistics triumph they my have meant "lost" as in, "Jenkins! JENKINS! Where the hell is Jenkins?"

[@jpavlvs]

To the Gates of Richmond.

[@OldOneTooth]

I'm reminded of the song old dan tuckers a fine old man he washed his face in a frying pan, combed his hair with a wagon wheel and he died of a tooth ache in his heel, get out of the the way of old dan tucker he's too late to eat his supper, supper is over and breakfast waiting old dan tucker stands a waiting

[@LicensedTerrorist]

You guys remember when you did Isandlawana you should do rorkes drift it's such a good and interesting battle it was fought only hours from Isandlawana and was a British victory because they where holding a small defensive and like you video there wasn't enough room to move in with.

[@LittleWarsTV]

We've talked about Rorke's Drift. It's very famous, but as a wargame it's quite dull. There are lots of "last stand" battles that come to mind where the defender sits there and hopes to roll high enough to kill as many attackers as possible and the attacker hopes to roll well enough to race the maximum number of troops to overwhelm the position. You really, really need a good scenario design with some unusual elements to make this kind of game interesting. I've played in many "last stand" games that were painfully boring for both attacker and defender.

[@LicensedTerrorist]

@@LittleWarsTV huh interesting I going to think for awhile and try to come up with something maybe something from the war of the Spanish sucession

[@13thLegio]

If only all wars these days were just fought on the tabletop...

[@LittleWarsTV]

Well said....

[@Cyberfender1]

If men were angels.... as written in the Federalist Papers. James 4:1-4 bible comes to mind too. War and policing are the default of sorts, but won't always be that way. Some day there will be no war!

[@hamsteronthepaintingtable6465]

Amazing, logistics, logistics 😊

[@PaperSmiles]

I was just about to comment, saying I mistook that map of the East Coast for a map of Middle Earth, but then on closer inspection...is that map made in Inkarnate?

[@LittleWarsTV]

Photoshop! But Inkarnate and Wonderdraft both have powerful mapping tools that could do something similar.

[@carsonfoard7020]

And yet they couldn't take the Peninsula.....not a single man was lost, until they started fighting...

[@bigsarge2085]

👍

[@sumerandaccad]

Comparable to the first Persian invasion against Athens. Though without the style!

[@Cyberfender1]

Ok, mac should have stayed in DC to become a planner and not a Field General.(being the armchair that I am, he he). Who would have been a better a field commander , hypothetically, realistically for the period. Who would have done a better job? Any opinions?

[@John-115]

👍