
He avoided battle when the Union was massed, but when they were divided or stretched out and he had the numerical superiority he attacked with superior numbers. Jackson did this by defeating his opposition "in detail". He was able to engage and defeat multiple Union armies who's combined strength was significantly larger than his own forces and keep them from Joining McClellan on the outskirts of Richmond. That's General Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson. (*) Honorable mention goes to Jackson's Valley Campaign. General Smith has a nervous breakdown his first day of command and is followed by the Confederates great general, Robert E. General Gustavus Woodson Smith takes command for a single day. General Johnston is wounded (At the battle of Seven Pines) and is replaced as commanding General of Confederate forces. During the Peninsula Campaign McClellan's systematic attacks and advances were matched by Johnston's systematic retreat.īy the end of May 1862 Union forces were so close to Richmond they could hear the church bells from the center of the city. McClellan was the perfect General to fight against the Confederate's cautious Major General Joseph E. McClellan's biggest shortcoming was he often overestimated his enemies strength resulting in him exerting caution when he should have been on the offensive. If he didn't see a clear advantage he did not commit to battle. McClellan also was obsessive in planning his maneuvers. He was a great hero of the Union initially who rebuilt the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous defeat at the battle of first Manassas. He excelled at logistics, training, and preparation for battle. He was a competent General who excelled at the minutia of war. McClellan was popular with his men who would refer to him as "Little Mac", or "Young Napoleon". Military Academy, West Point, New York (1846), he served in the Mexican War (1846–48), taught at West Point (1848–51) and went to the Crimean war(1855–56) as a military observer to report on European military techniques. George McClellan graduated second in his class at the U.S. Detailed Answer: General George McClellan The Confederate Leadership also escaped Richmond, on a train route which was left open to occupy Lee's army during the siege, and would be rounded up piece meal over the following few months after the fall of Richmond and Lee's surrender. When Lee ultimately escaped Grant's siege of Richmond after 9 months, the war was already over. To bottle Lee up there while Grant set about winning the war by subduing and occupying the rest of the South. Grant strategy was to force Lee to defend Richmond.

Grant's strategy(June 1864) was not to take Richmond and was less concerned with capturing the Confederate Leadership. McClellan's strategy(May 1862) was to capture Richmond and hopefully the Confederate Leadership as a stepping stone to winning the war.

What were the differences between their strategies when trying to capture the capital of the confederacy, Richmond, Virginia? Grant were very different as leaders of the Union Army. Question: How did McClellan's and Grant's strategies vary when capturing Richmond?
