McClellan Snubs Lincoln

Jim Klag

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November 13, 1861 - Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, USA, snubs President Abraham Lincoln by retiring to bed, rudely refusing to meet with Lincoln, as Lincoln patiently waits in his parlor.
 

diane

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I've wondered if McClellan really did intentionally snub Lincoln that evening. He'd been to the wedding of Col Frank Wheaton, and something happened there that angered him. Wheaton was a good officer who had performed well but McClellan kept him out of the action at Antietam - there was something between them that was an irritant. But, for our incident, McClellan came home madder than a wet hen, whisked himself upstairs and abruptly told the servant he was going to bed. Apparently he was so brusque the servant didn't say there were guests! His wife, Nellie, was visiting relatives - if she had been there, the whole thing would not have happened. She was very skilled at handling her husband no matter how temperamental he might be! It's possible McClellan didn't know the president was sitting in his parlor.
 

O' Be Joyful

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It's possible McClellan didn't know the president was sitting in his parlor.

May also partially account for his lack of ability to figger out how many troops Bobby Lee always had him "surrounded" with... a lack of awareness.
 
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diane

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May also partially account for his lack of ability to figger out how many troops Bobby Lee always had him "surrounded" with... a lack of awareness.
I've always had the idea this was something he really did believe, and he had Pinkerton to back him up, but it covered a very uncomfortable problem. McClellan didn't think he could take Lee. Lee later said McClellan was the hardest Union general he'd fought...and that was because it was so hard to land a punch on him! Grant, on the other hand, would just keep coming no matter how hard he was hit.
 
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