History That Doesn't Suck - 51: A Change in Command: Seven Days Battles to the Battle of Cedar Mountain

Episode Date: November 11, 2019

“[Malvern Hill] was not war--it was murder.” This is the story of a Confederate comeback.  Union General George “Little Mac” McClellan has an army of 100,000 within a few mere miles of the Confederate Capital: Richmond, Virginia. The city’s defending force is significantly smaller. It’s his for the taking. But where “Little Mac” is cautious, the new Confederate Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia Robert E. “Bobby” Lee is ready to fight to the death. They’ll duke it out in the Seven Days Battles.  Meanwhile, US President Abraham Lincoln has a new General-in-Chief: Henry “Old Brains” Halleck. Can he get Generals “Little Mac” and John Pope to play nice and work together? We’ll find out. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kick off an exciting football season with BetMGM, an official sportsbook partner of the National Football League. Yard after yard, down after down, the sportsbook born in Vegas gives you the chance to take action to the end zone and celebrate every highlight reel play. And as an official sportsbook partner of the NFL, BetMGM is the best place to fuel your football fandom on every game day. With a variety of exciting features, BetMGM offers you plenty of seamless ways to jump straight onto the gridiron and to embrace peak sports action. Ready for another season of gridiron glory? What are you waiting for? Get off the bench, into the huddle, and head for the end zone all season long.

Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions. Must be 19 years of age or older. Ontario only. Please gamble responsibly. Gambling problem? For free assistance, call the Conax Ontario helpline at 1-866-531-2600.

BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. From the creators of the popular science show with millions of YouTube subscribers comes the MinuteEarth podcast. Every episode of the show dives deep into a science question you might not even know you had, but once you hear the answer, you'll want to share it with everyone

you know. Why do rivers curve? Why did the T-Rex have such tiny arms? And why do so many more kids need glasses now than they used to? Spoiler alert, it isn't screen time. Our team of scientists digs into the research and breaks it down into a short, entertaining explanation, jam-packed with science facts and terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this

work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. It's 2 a.m. as Confederate Brigadier General Jeb Stuart walks through camp toward his sleeping staff. And my God, is this man a sight. Picture this. He's wearing a double-breasted gray jacket that's decked out with lace and brass buttons.

A yellow sash is wrapped around his waist. A gray cape hangs off his shoulders. And he's wearing a light tan hat decorated with a gold star and a big, gorgeous black ostrich feather. Oh, and let's not forget his thick, auburn brown hair that transitions smoothly into a big, burly beard. Got to admit it, this is one sexy confederate. No wonder students in his West Point days nicknamed the Virginian cadet, beauty. Add to all of this his French saber,

and Jeb looks like he walked right out of Alexander Dumas' relatively recent novel, The Three Musketeers. And now that you've got that image, let's follow Jeb to his slumbering staff's quarters. Gentlemen, in ten minutes every man must be in his saddle, Jeb announces. The loyal staff officers obediently snap into action and soon all 1,200 of his men are riding under the morning still black sky. Here's the deal with this early wake-up call. We're near Richmond, Virginia, and George Little Mac McClellan's massive Union army

is positioned just northwest of it. These Yanks could fall on the Confederate capital at any moment. So Robert E. Lee has asked this elegant Confederate to gather intel. And now, Jeb's 1,200 men are going to circle around the back of Little Mac's 100,000 or so troops to see what they can learn. They ride hard on day one. The sun rises and sets with Jeb's men still in their saddles. In a single day, they push 22 miles north of Richmond, finally making camp opposite the Hanover Courthouse by the South Anna Bridge.

Despite this breakneck pace, they're back on the road by dawn the next morning. And things heat up on day two. Heading southeast along the Union Army's backside, Jeb's forces spot Union troops. The two opposing forces play a bit of cat and mouse, then collide near the small community of Old Church. The Confederate cavalry win the engagement, leaving one colonel with the odd pleasure of catching up with friends. They've taken his old U.S. military company captive. Confederate officer and future novelist John Esten Cook describes the scene. Quote, was Brown alive? Where was Jones? And was Robinson Sergeant still? Colonel Fitz never stopped until he knew everything. The prisoners laughed as they

recognized him. Close quote. Sounds pleasant, though I can't help but wonder if John isn't exaggerating the niceties a bit. Either way, his description of their second battle later that afternoon isn't so light. To quote him again, swords clash, pistols and carbines bang, yells, shouts, cheers resounded. Close quote. The boys in blue flee and both sides suffer casualties. One wounded Union man writhes in agony as a Confederate steals the dying man's spurs. Jeb's men are distraught to find Captain William Letain shot through several times and dead. This young captain's death will quickly become romanticized in Confederate story and art. But by this point, Jeb has gathered his needed intel.

He's learned the Union's right flank, the V Corps under General Fitz John Porter, is north of the Chickahominy and vulnerable. But how does he get back to Richmond with a 100,000-strong Union army between him and it? He can't backtrack. The Union will get him. So the caped Confederate settles on a dangerous solution. He'll push on, doing a full lap around the Union army. John Esten Cook describes their reality. Quote, we had one chance of escape against 10 of capture or destruction. Close quote. And for the record, it will be destruction. If they can't make it back, Jeb says he plans, quote, to die game, close quote. All right then, let's move forward. Before the day is through, Jeb's men move another nine miles southeast to Tunstall Railroad Station.

His advance party surprises the 15 to 20 Union guards, capturing them, according to Jeb himself, without their firing a gun. They then begin sabotaging this rail line to disrupt Union supplies when, lo and behold, a Union train comes flying down the track. The locomotive blows through the stack of logs on the tracks as the Confederate soldiers fire their rifles, hitting and injuring Union soldiers on the train. the Confederate soldiers fire their rifles, hitting and injuring Union soldiers on the train. But they won't let more Union trains through so easily. Jeb's men now rip up the track, tear down telegraph poles, and make off with Union goods from clothing to whiskey. No rest for the weary though. They hit the road again at midnight. Men fall asleep on their horses. Jeb catches

a bit of shut-eye as an aide holds him upright in the saddle. They reach the Chickahominy later that morning, quickly building a bridge and are on the river's southern bank by early afternoon. Jeb's men then evade a pursuing Union force, which undoubtedly gives the Confederate general serious bragging rights at future family dinners. The pursuing commander was his Union loyal father-in-law. Bearing west from Charles City Courthouse, as they continue to evade and ride by night, the Confederates make it back to Richmond. Damn, he did it, and with flair to boot. In a mere four days, Jeb and his 1,200 not only gathered intel on Little Mac's Union Army, they sabotaged a rail line, took prisoners, and outwitted his father-in-law. Impressive doesn't begin to describe what just happened. The city's inhabitants cheer their arrival on June 16, 1862.

Women lay flowers in Jeb's path and put a garland around his neck. Riding through the capital with his rugged musketeer look, Jeb is a Confederate hero. So as you've noticed, today we're back in Virginia. It's time to finish up the long-lasting Peninsula campaign. That means catching up with Union General George Little Mac McClellan, who's preparing to lay siege to the Confederate capital of Richmond. But can he contend with its defender, Robert E. Lee? We'll find out as their seven days battle rages. From there, we'll hear about Henry Oldbrain's hallux rise as the Union's newest general-in-chief

and the challenges he meets trying to coordinate with Generals George McClellan and John Pope. It won't be pretty. This is a fun one, but aren't they all? So let's leave caped cavalryman Jeb Stewart to his bouquet of flowers and head back in time a bit to find out how his ride fits into George McClellan and Robert E. Lee's fight for Richmond. Rewind. Here we are, back out east, back at the Peninsula Campaign. We started it in episode 49, but took a breather in the last

episode to hear about the capture of New Orleans and other 1862 happenings in the Mississippi Valley. What can I say? This is how it goes when there is so much happening at the same time in different theaters of war. But in case you missed episode 49 or just need a refresher, here's the quick and dirty on what's cooking here in Virginia. Back in February 1862, the mustache and soul patch sporting Union General George Little Mac McClellan led his gargantuan 100,000 strong Army of the Potomac down the Chesapeake Bay to Virginia's coast. Moving in on one of the Old Dominion's peninsulas, hence the name of this campaign, Little Mac headed east to sack the Confederate capital, Richmond. But of course, he moved as cautiously as ever, and that, along with

some bad weather and solid Confederate strategy, is why it's June, and the Union General is yet to get it done. He's now camped just northeast of Richmond. Meanwhile, Richmond's grossly inferior defending army, the Army of Northern Virginia, has a new leader after Confederate General Joseph Johnston got shot on May 31st at the Battle of Seven Pines. Remember that? He's going to pull through, but since Joe's jacked up and out of commission,

Confederate President Jeff Davis is having his military advisor take the reins over this army. And that advisor is a rather familiar figure. Robert E. Lee. Ah, yes, Robert. Or Bobby Lee, as he's more familiarly known. We've met this blue-blooded, gray-bearded, 50-something Confederate general from Virginia so many times since the Mexican-American War episodes, I trust you remember his bio. Bobby Lee wastes no time

strengthening Richmond's defenses as he takes command of this army. He has his men build up Richmond's defenses by digging so many trenches, the new commander picks up another nickname, the King of Spades. But as we know from this episode's opening, Bobby has no intention of just hunkering down with his smaller army and hoping little Mac can't push him out. That's why Bobby goes to his old friend, Jeb Stewart, who, I'll remind you,

served under Bobby when they confronted John Brown at Harper's Ferry back in episode 43 and asks him to ride out on that epic intel mission with 1,200 men. So after kind of taking a literal victory lap around Little Mac's massive army at the Potomac, Jeb returns to Richmond on June 16th and reports that the Union Army's right flank, the 30,000-strong V Corps led by Major General Fitzjohn Porter, is the only part of Little Mac's forces north of the Chickahominy River. Perfect. Bobby's ready to exploit this weakness. And that's where Thomas Stonewall Jackson comes in.

Now, the last time we heard about old Jack in episode 49, he was out west in the Shenandoah Valley outsmarting Union generals with an army of 17,000. He's done with that game by June though, and ready to help defend the Confederate capital. So Bobby Lee comes up with the following plan. One division with thousands of soldiers leaves Richmond heading west to make Little Mac think it's reinforcing Stonewall in the Shenandoah. But that's a ruse. In reality, Stonewall is moving east. Joined by more Confederate reinforcements that bring his numbers to somewhere between 50 and 60,000, Old Jack will hit that vulnerable Union flank of 30,000. The Confederates plan to attack on June 26th. Let me emphasize that Bobby Lee's making a dangerous but measured gambit.

It's dangerous because he'll have less than 30,000 men to defend Richmond against the Union's remaining 70,000 plus soldiers. Talk about being exposed. But he's confident that the careful, cautious commander, Little Mac, who's spending forever fussing over his artillery and preparing to attack Richmond, would never do something so bold as actually charge in. And hey, you've gotten to know George McClellan in the past few episodes, you know Bobby Lee's right about him. In fact, here's the telegram Little Mac sends War Secretary Edwin Mars Stanton

on June 25th. The rebel force is stated at 200,000. I shall have to contend against vastly superior odds. If the army is destroyed by overwhelming numbers, the responsibility cannot be thrown on my shoulders. Good grief. Little Mac, stop inflating your foe's numbers by more than a factor of two.

You outnumber Bobby Lee's forces. And for God's sake, stop obsessing over a perfect artillery strike. Grow a spine and attack. And you know, he does. Sort of. Now aware of Stonewall's approach and still preparing ever so cautiously to bombard Richmond, Little Mac sends Brigadier General Joseph Hooker with three brigades to take control of a marshy oak tree-covered no-man's land just below Williamsburg Road to the east of Richmond. They move out early in the morning of June 25th as Confederate skirmishers open fire.

The fighting dies down but picks up again around 2 with artillery and musketry. Then things turn full-on nasty that evening. To quote Federal Lieutenant Charles Hayden, About 5 p.m., the Rebs raised a great shout and charged the battery. Our men lying concealed cut them terribly as they advanced. For near half an hour, there was a continuous and very heavy infantry fire. Several charges were made. The clear, ringing Union cheers and the sharp, wild yells of the rebels were every few minutes heard

with great distinctness. In the end, both sides suffer hundreds of casualties, but Joe Hooker's men hold the ground. This engagement is called the Battle of Oak Grove because, well, it was fought in a grove of oak trees. More importantly, though, it's the first of a series of battles between June 25th and July 1st, 1862. Collectively, they're referred to as the Seven Days Battles or the Seven Days Campaign

because, yes, that's how long they last. I know, super practical names. This Civil War generation doesn't even use creative spelling. It's like they know that won't make the battle more special. And I'm definitely not indirectly referring to your sister and brother-in-law who named their daughter Noelle but spelled it J-K-M-N. I'm going to let that sink in. Feel free to back this up 15 seconds for another listen. Ah, yes, you got it. But I digress. The Seven Days Battles are special. They end the Peninsula Campaign.

So let's follow these battles and see whether Bobby Lee's Grays or Little Mac's Blues are the victors. The outcome of Oak Grove doesn't derail Bobby Lee's strategy. If anything, it encourages him. Bobby wants to get the pressure off of Richmond. So the next day, June 26th, he moves forward with his plan for Stonewall to hit the Union's vulnerable 5th Corps, which is still above the Chickahominy River. There's just one problem. There's no Stonewall Jackson. That morning, Confederate General Ambrose Powell Hill, known as A.P. Hill,

waits with his several brigades on Old Jack. A.P. is a West Pointer and, get this, an old friend of Union General George Little Mac McClellan. But back to the action at hand, AP and Stonewall are supposed to carry out this attack together. The morning passes. No sign of Jackson. The afternoon wears on. Still no Stonewall. Good grief, where is he? Well, come 3 p.m., AP has had enough waiting. He figures Stonewall has to be close by this point and sends his 16,000 forward to engage a roughly equal number of Federals in the 5th Corps. AP's troops pass through the small village of Mechanicsville and soon find the Federals occupying high ground just on the other side of nearby Beaver Dam Creek.

It's a disaster. The Confederates first advance through a virtually open field as Union artillery blasts them to kingdom come. Those who make it closer are hit by Union rifle fire. Those Rebs still alive now move uphill through swampy ground and felled trees. Confederate bodies litter the marshy terrain. When the fighting ends at 8 p.m., all AP has managed is to lose 1,500 of his troops. As for the Federals, they hold the hill while suffering a relatively low 361 casualties. Ouch. So the Rebs aren't off to a good start with these seven days battles. This second engagement, called either the Battle of Mechanicsville or Beaverdam Creek, is a sound

victory for the Union. Now, if you're wondering where Stonewall was, welcome to the club. Historians can't answer that. What I can tell you, though, is that Bobby Lee's orders to him were terribly confusing. The march was hot and difficult, and both he and his army were beyond physically exhausted after their insane pace in the Shenandoah Valley, which we heard about in episode 49. And things haven't slowed down much. I mean, Stonewall's only slept seven hours in the past four days. So while no one can say for sure what's going on with him beyond the miscommunications, severe fatigue is a serious contender. But whatever the cause, we'll see Stonewall is off his game through the next several days. Yet Stonewall Jackson's mere approach robs the union of its strong position

after Mechanicsville. Little Mac is so intimidated by old Jack, he instructs the victorious 5th Corps under General Fitzjohn Porter to give up their solid position at Beaver Dam Creek and fall back that very night. Meanwhile, Little Mac moves his whole army and supply lines farther south toward the James River. In other words, the dudes winning, but convinced the Rebs are twice as large in numbers as they are, he's retreating rather than seizing Richmond. And ironically, Bobby Lee's losing, yet he'll keep fighting tooth and nail. He goes on the offensive the very next day, June 27th. Bobby Lee sends his army to hit

the 5th Corps again, but they're surprised to find the victorious northern flank has abandoned Beaver Dam Creek. This throws off Bobby's plan, as he has Generals A.P. Hill, James Longstreet, and Stonewall Jackson on the move. It takes the Confederates until the afternoon to find the V Corps, which is now dug in a few miles farther southeast than yesterday on a plateau along Boson Creek and half a mile north of the Chickahominy. Once again, A.P. Hill's men charge in, getting slaughtered in the swampy terrain. At the same time, the Union's movements mean Stonewall is leading the majority of the Confederate Army to engage nobody.

To make things worse, he's lost. This is looking like a repeat of yesterday. But Bobby gets things together. He finds Stonewall not far from the 5th Corps' new position and sends him into action. That fire is very heavy. Do you think your men can stand it? Bobby asks the old VMI professor. They can stand almost anything. They can stand that. Stonewall replies. He salutes and rides off with new vigor. The combined firepower of old Jack, AP, and James Longstreet

means more than 50,000 rebels are striking the 5th Corps at once. It's an intense scene, witnessed, curiously enough, by officers from both sides flying above in hot air balloons. While I could seldom see the troops, the smoke of the firings gave a very fair idea of the action, reports Confederate Lieutenant Colonel E. Porter Alexander. At 7 p.m., the rebels break the Union's lines. This third battle, called Gaines Mill, leaves almost 9,000 boys in gray and another 7,000 in blue as casualties. Dead corpses will litter this field, unburied for years.

It's also Bobby Lee's first resounding victory of the week. Good grief. Little Mac still has the stronger army but he's losing the game in his head. For instance, he could sack barely protected Richmond right now but he's falling for General John B. Magruder's show of force. John, a.k.a. Prince John,

has less than 30,000 men, but as they fire artillery and feign attacks, Little Mac, who I will remind you has 75,000 men, not including the 5th Corps that Bobby Lee is attacking north of the Chickahominy,

is completely fooled. Even as his generals, like Phil Kearney and Joseph Hooker, try to convince him otherwise, George McClellan throws away the chance to take the Confederate capital and continues the retreat. The next day, June 29th, Bobby Lee continues to push his army as they aggressively chase Little Mac's larger force. He sends nine divisions down various roads after the retreating army of the Potomac. Communication errors and Stonewall's continued lethargy plague these efforts. General Prince John Magruder hits the Union forces at Savage Railway Station.

The Yanks handily drive back the Rebs in this fourth engagement of the Seven Days Battles, but continuing their retreat that night, they have to leave 2,500 of their wounded men. Another 1,000 fall behind. All of them become prisoners. June 30th is even uglier for both sides. Bobby Lee tries yet another overwrought plan that results in a fifth battle near White Oak Swamp or the village of Glendale, both of which will be used as names for it. Several of his generals let him down though. General Benjamin Huger fails to move altogether because felled trees block his path. Stonewall Jackson is simply not with it. At one point, he's napping, and at another, seems to be out of it altogether. Once again,

we have symptoms that point to acute overexhaustion. Then there's Prince John, who shows up but isn't super aggressive. Nonetheless, other Confederate generals bring their A-game. Federal Lieutenant Charles Hayden tells us that there is heavy cannonading, musketry, and that, quote, the Rebs charged three times in heavy columns determined to break the line. The batteries double-shotted with canister played on them at short range, some of the time not more than 10 rods for an hour and a half. They were at the same time enveloped by the fire of the infantry. I never before saw such slaughter. Close quote.

Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money? Well, I've got the podcast for you. I'm Sean Piles, and I host NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. On our show, we help listeners like you make the most of your finances. I sit down with NerdWallet's team of nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real-world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The nerds will give you the clarity you need by cutting through the clutter and misinformation in today's world of personal finance. We don't promote get-rich-quick schemes or hype unrealistic side hustles.

Instead, we offer practical knowledge that you can apply in your everyday life. You'll learn about strategies to help you build your wealth, invest wisely, shop for financial products, and plan for major life events. And you'll walk away with the confidence you need to ensure that your money is always working as hard as you are. So turn to the nerds to answer your real world money questions and get insights that can help you make the smartest financial decisions for your life. Listen to NerdWallet's Smart Money podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Was the Sphinx 10,000 years old? Were there serial killers in ancient Greece and Rome? What were the lives of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people

like in the ancient world? We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. We tell you true stories and tall tales of the ancient world. Sometimes we do it tipsy. Sometimes we have amazing guests on our show. Historians like Barry Strauss, podcasters like Liv Albert, Mike Duncan, and authors like Joanne Harris and Ben Aronovich. We take you to the top of Hadrian's Wall to watch the Roman Empire fall at the end of the world. We walk the catacombs beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent under Teotihuacan. We walk the sacred spirals of the Nazca Lines in search of ancient secrets. And we explore mythology from ancient cultures around the world. Come find us at ancienthistoryfangirl.com or wherever you get your podcasts. The Confederates press hard, fighting the Yankees in hand-to-hand combat and almost breaking their lines.

But in the end, the Union line manages to hold. And once again, victorious Little Mac falls back. The following day, July 1st, the last of the seven days battles, the Union army is now almost all the way down to the James River, holding up on the 150-foot-high Malvern Hill. And once again, the Confederates attack. Frustrated with the way his generals have botched his complicated orders, Bobby Lee personally leads. This doesn't fix anything. Rebels get mowed down in the afternoon fight by the Union's hundred-gun-strong, with-reserves-to-boot artillery. Their corpses litter the field.

Confederate General David Harvey Hilsman saw some of the worst of this. In his opinion, the Battle of Malvern Hill, quote, was not a war, it was murder. Close quote. That brings the Seven Days Battles and the entire Peninsula campaign, really, to a close. It's such an odd chapter. At its start, Little Mac has a significantly larger army

within a mere few miles of the Confederate capital. And yet, even as his men won engagements, he retreated roughly 25 miles southeast all the way down to the James River. Excuse me, he doesn't say retreated. According to George McClellan, he was leading the Army of the Potomac in a, quote, change of base, close quote.

He gave way to Bobby Lee's aggressiveness and let the Confederates cut his supply lines, even when the Rebs were losing battles. I can't help but wonder, if Little Mac had moved on Richmond, would the war have ended right here? But we'll never know. Meanwhile, Bobby Lee takes plenty of flack for his several losses on the field and heavy casualties. Try 20,141 Confederates dead or wounded compared to the Federals' 15,849. But he's also invigorated his men, who are feeling like winners as they chase back the boys in blue. They like his grit. They like his fight. They feel empowered. To quote one soldier from Mississippi,

their battles under Bobby Lee's leadership had, imbued every man of ours with a determination to fight like demons. In the wake of the Union retreats that made up the Seven Days Battles, Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Mars Stanton celebrate a gloomy 4th of July, 1862. They need to make some serious changes in the War Department. Remember that the President and Mars have been acting as joint interim generals-in-chief since they demoted George Little Mac McClellan in Episode 49. This has to end. Lincoln and Mars would really like to have a real general-in-chief who will make battle plans and get the Union armies working

in sync with one another. In addition to finding a new general-in-chief, Lincoln decides to reorganize the armies in Northern Virginia and recruit more troops. We'll see if this top-to-bottom military shake-up actually produces a few Union victories against the genius of Bobby Lee in recovering Stonewall Jackson First, Lincoln needs to get more warm bodies and blue uniforms But he can't recruit now This would basically be a come-and-be-cannon fodder call in the wake of the Union disaster that was the Seven Days Battles.

So Secretary of State William Henry Seward asks governors to issue a call for volunteers to, quote, follow up the recent successes of the federal arms, close quote. Wait, what recent successes? Ah, in a genius, if more than a little dishonest move, Henry backdates this call to June 28th, a few days before the Army of the Potomac got thrown around like a ragdoll by Bobby Lee. On July 2nd, Lincoln makes a public speech asking for 300,000 men, arguing this will bring the rebellion to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. As regiments begin to fill with patriotic volunteers, Lincoln moves on to his second agenda item, reorganizing the small armies in Northern Virginia. You remember that in episode 49, three Union generals commanded forces in and around the Shenandoah Valley. John, the Pathfinder Fremont, Irvin McDowell, and Nathaniel Banks. Of course, they couldn't manage to get their act together and beat Stonewall

Jackson's foot cavalry during his Shenandoah campaign, so it's time for a remodel. Lincoln acts like a reality TV home makeover contractor and starts knocking down walls, or generals as the case may be. He combines the three forces into one, now called the Army of Virginia, and appoints General John Pope as its commander. This angers John Fremont and he resigns. Well, peace out Pathfinder. Truth be told, nobody cares. The president asks John Pope to position his newly formed army of 60,000 men so that it can attack and overcome the rebel forces under Jackson and Ewell and render the most effective aid to relieve General McClellan and capture Richmond. John gets started on that tall order while Lincoln moves on to other business.

For his final task in this shakeup, the president needs to get somebody, anybody, into the general in chief's chair. In early July, Lincoln asks Henry Old Brains Halleck to do it. Lincoln knows that Henry is a brilliant military theorist with a few big wins under his belt and hopes this all means Henry is a strong, decisive leader who can handle the pressures of the job. Hmm, we'll see. Anyway, Henry accepts

the job offer and starts traveling east from his base in Corinth, Mississippi to the nation's capital city. Alright, let's see what General-in-Chief Henry Halleck, General John Pope, and recently defeated General George McClellan can do together. While Henry travels to Washington, D.C., Lincoln visits Little Mac at Harrison's Landing on the James River. Now, what the Commander-in-Chief and the commanding officer of the largest Union army should be discussing as a new plan to attack Richmond. But they aren't. To start their July 8th meeting, George makes sure to live up to his nickname of Little Napoleon by giving Lincoln a pages-long letter dictating the general's political plans for the war. Yeah, George doesn't detail a single idea for how to move his army into fighting position again. Instead, Little Mac just tells Lincoln the war should, quote,

not be at all a war upon population, but against armed forces and political organizations. Neither confiscation of property, political executions of prisoners, territorial organization of states, or forcible abolition of slavery should be contemplated for a moment. Seriously, who does George think he is? Lincoln does not need to take political strategy advice from an egotistical general who just blew it in the seven days battles. He has an entire cabinet of experts to fill that role. Still, Lincoln puts on a poker face and doesn't reveal to the overstepping general just how far off the mark he is. Here's the thing. For the last few months, Lincoln has been wrestling with the

concept of limited war. And he has made a difficult decision. This can no longer be a war of armies and strategic places like Little Mac wants. This rebellion has turned into a full-fledged civil war and needs to be waged like one. For that reason, Lincoln wants to introduce emancipation. The old rail splitter tells his Navy Secretary, Gideon Neptune Wells, he has, quote, come to the conclusion that it was a military necessity absolutely essential for the salvation of the Union that we must free the slaves or be ourselves subdued. Close quote. Lincoln just needs a decisive Union win to make an Emancipation Proclamation effective. But the president doesn't tell George McClellan any of

this. Lincoln chalks up this meeting as a total bust. The president needs backup. Good thing the new general-in-chief is just unpacking his bags in Washington City. Henry Oldbrain's howlick arrives on July 22nd, gets confirmed by the Senate on the 23rd, and immediately travels to Harrison's landing to brainstorm a battle plan with George McClellan. But little Napoleon does not respect his new boss. He writes to his wife, quote, I am tired of serving fools and knaves. God help this country. He alone can save it. It is grating to have to serve under the orders of a man whom I know by experience to be my inferior. But so let it be. Close quote. You know, it's a good thing

Mary Ellen McClellan saved all of her husband's letters. The inner workings of Little Mac's mind are... interesting. Thanks, Mary. Anyway, George keeps his low opinion of Henry Halleck to himself, and on July 26th, the two men discuss battle plans. The guys come up with two options for moving on Richmond. In plan A, Little Mac gets 20,000 reinforcements and attacks Richmond from his current position on the James River. John Pope's army of Virginia will stay in the Rappahannock River region north of Richmond and protect Washington, D.C. George loves everything about this plan. He gets two things he's always wanted, thousands of fresh troops and all the credit for a successful operation. In plan B, Little Mac withdraws from the Virginia Peninsula,

joins up with John Pope at Acquia Creek landing on the Potomac River south of DC, and their armies attack Richmond together from the northwest. Henry promises that George will have command of both armies if they combine, but Little Mac still doesn't like this option. See, he hates John Pope. Little Mac thinks the tall, well-built Republican general from Illinois is, well, a jerk. To be fair, everyone thinks John is a jerk. Even his men find him pompous and insulting. As soon as John takes command of the Army of Virginia, he tells his men,

quote, I come to you out of the West, where we have always seen the backs of our enemies. I am sorry to find so much in vogue amongst you certain phrases like lines of retreat. Success and glory are in the advance. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear. Close quote. John may intend to inspire his men, but all they hear is that John Pope doesn't think they fight as well as men in the West. The general's bragging doesn't win him any friends. It probably won't surprise you that George opts to avoid John and chooses plan A. Henry naively believes that Little Mac will put his plan into action right away and heads back

to his Washington DC office. But while old brains travels north, George throws a wrench in the works. When Henry arrives at his office, he finds a telegram from Little Mac upping the number of necessary fresh troops from 20,000 to 55,000. To justify this request, George claims that, quote, reinforcements are pouring into Richmond from the south, and the southern states are being drained of their garrisons to reinforce the army in my front, close quote. Little Mac still estimates that Bobby Lee has 200,000 men. Yep, some people never learn. Little Mac is one of those people.

But our new-to-the-job General-in-Chief, Henry Halleck, believes George's ridiculously inaccurate number. And it scares him. See, Old Brains doesn't have 55,000 men to reinforce George. He barely had the 20,000. And if the Confederate forces at Richmond are truly at 200,000, he cannot afford to have his two largest armies, the Army of Virginia and the Army of the Potomac, separated. So the new general-in-chief takes the reins of this operation

and orders George to switch to Plan B. He'll need to head north and join John Pope for a joint operation. On August 3rd, Henry telegraphs George. It is determined to withdraw your army from the peninsula to Acquia Creek. You will take immediate measures to effect this, covering the movement the best you can. Well, Little Mac is pissed. But he's also cornered by his own baseless claim. He can't exactly go back to Henry with a,

oops, I messed up, turns out Bobby only has 90,000 guys. Neither can he justify staying on the James River and begging for more reinforcements while Henry believes that 200,000 boys in gray could pounce on the Union armies at any moment. How does George handle this? He doubles down. George tells Henry that he's getting ready to move and reinforce John Pope near the Rappahannock River. Old brains breeds a little easier. He telegraphs George, quote, I must beg of you, General, to hurry along this movement. I cannot regard Pope as safe until you reinforce them, close quote. But George doesn't hurry. He intends to disobey the General in Chief's direct order and stay on the James. Little Mac will leave John Pope's army without

reinforcements and try to attack Richmond by himself. On August 10th, George writes to Mary Ellen, quote, I have a strong idea that Pope will be thrashed during the coming week and very badly whipped. And he ought to be such a villain as he ought to bring defeat upon any cause that employs him. Close quote. Damn, I wonder what Mary Ellen thinks of her husband's plan to disobey orders and leave an entire army without backup. Sure, John's an arrogant jackass, but his men don't deserve to die because George doesn't like him. One day before George writes that spiteful, damaging letter to Mary Ellen, John's men do get into a firefight with Stonewall Jackson's army. Let's hear how they do.

We'll leave insubordinate George on the James River southeast of Richmond and head north to Gordonsville, Virginia. All right, let me set the stage for you a bit. Bobby Lee has Stonewall Jackson and AP Hill stationed at Gordonsville, about 60 miles northwest of Richmond. They are assigned to protect that railway junction from John Pope's large Union force, the Army of Virginia. John, unlike his compatriot George McClellan, has actually been following orders. He has stationed parts of his army in the vicinity

of the Rappahannock River, which, I don't blame you if you don't remember from episode 49, runs halfway between Richmond on the James River and Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River. John, based at Culpeper, Virginia, is ready to protect the Union capital from any Confederate movements. On August 8th, the Union general hears that Stonewall is making a move north from Gordonsville to Culpeper. He orders Nathaniel Banks to take 8,000 men and block the rebel advance. We met Nathaniel back in episode 49 when he was getting the tar beat out of him by Stonewall in the Shenandoah Valley. Saying that Nathaniel is eager for a rematch against

the wily Confederate general would be a bit of an understatement, but his orders are simply to block Culpeper Road, not take the offensive against Stonewall's force. Nathaniel lines up his men to create an infantry and artillery barrier about seven miles south of Culpeper using the trees and undulating terrain to hide many of his forces on the afternoon of August 9th Stonewall's men come into view the 20,000 gray-clad soldiers march in a seven mile long line northeast along the Culpeper road but Nathan Nathaniel can only see the Confederates' advance guard. A small hill known as Cedar Mountain sits just east of Stonewall's column and blocks Nathaniel's view of most of the Confederate army. So the Union commander has no idea just how outnumbered he is.

At 2.25 in the afternoon, he sends a message to John Pope. Quote, The enemy shows his cavalry, which is strong, ostentatiously. No infantry seen and not much artillery. A visit to the front does not impress that the enemy intends immediate attack. Close quote. Nathaniel's assessment is a little off. It takes Stonewall a while to get all 20,000 of his men into position, but by 5 p.m., the Battle of Cedar Mountain is in full swing.

In fact, John can hear the battle from his headquarters up in Culpeper and sends reinforcements. Nathaniel may not have asked for help, but John knows a battle when he hears one. Meanwhile, Confederate Commander A.P. Hill gets into the action at the base of Cedar Mountain. Stonewall sends small brigades to attack the Union left and right flanks while A.P. takes the center lines. A lifelong army man, A.P.'s men respect the hell out of him. This hard-swearing, fearless soldier takes off his gray coat to reveal his trademark red shirt, which he wears as a badge of courage.

He unsheathes his sword and leads his men into the fray. Nathaniel's blue-clad soldiers crumple under this three-pronged Confederate attack. The Union soldiers retreat and find a defensible position about a mile up the road. Stonewall's men pursue and fire artillery on the shaken, diminished Yankee brigades. Around 7 p.m., John shows up with the reinforcements that Nathaniel didn't know he would need. The fresh Union troops return Stonewall's fire until midnight, but neither side gains any ground. Badly outnumbered, Nathaniel made a good showing against Stonewall, but the loss at Cedar Mountain stings. Nathaniel hoped to redeem himself in this fight with old Jack,

but that didn't happen. One Union lieutenant writes, quote, I am sorry I can't twist the facts into a glorious victory. It was a glorious defeat, if such an adjective can be used with the noun. Close quote. However, Stonewall did not break through to Culpeper, so John Pope twists the Battle of Cedar Mountain into a pseudo-win in his official report. Following the engagement, both Union and Confederate armies get reinforcements. John Pope's Army of Virginia grows to approximately 52,000 men when 8,000 of General Ambrose Burnside's men join him. And Stonewall Jackson is joined by Bobby Lee and James Longstreet at Gordonsville. Their combined forces are 55,000 strong. Bobby has every intention

of capitalizing on his slight numerical advantage. On August 15, these Confederate military geniuses create a plan to attack the Union force before George McClellan manages to schlep into the vicinity. As you would expect, Bobby's plan is brilliant. The bulk of Confederate forces will flank the unions and cut communication lines with Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Bobby Lee wants the caped cavalryman who we met in today's opening, Jeb Stuart, to sneak around with his man and cut the rail lines northeast of Culpeper so Union forces can't retreat. Bobby Lee can then capture John Pope's cornered army. Perfect. Well, the plan is perfect, but Bobby Lee's commanders aren't. Jeb is supposed to meet up with Fitz Lee to carry out his part of the operation. These two commanders should meet up

just south of Culpeper and circle around that rail town to reach the bridge they have orders to destroy. But when Jeb tells Fitz Lee the plan, he fails to include a timeline. Whoops, that's going to be a problem. On the night of August 17th, Jeb, looking as dapper as ever in his red-lined cape and plumed hat, is confused. He's in the sleepy town of Verdersville where he's supposed to meet up with Fitz Lee's brigade, but Jeb can't find his comrades-in-arms anywhere. They must be nearby though, right? Jeb finds a porch to spend the night on and sends an aide to track them down.

Near dawn, horses' hooves approaching the house wake Jeb from a sound sleep. It must be the missing brigade. Jeb sends two of his officers down the road to welcome Fitz Lee. Then he hears shots. What the hell?

Jeb steps off the porch as the two panicked officers race toward him, shouting, Yankee cavalry! Taken completely off guard, Jeb and his fellow Confederate officers scramble into the nearby woods. From his hiding place, Jeb watches as the Yankees search the few houses in Verdersville. They find a detailed write-out of Bobby Lee's plan to capture John Pope's army and Jeb's prized plumed hat.

Lucky for Jeb, the federal soldiers are content with their booty of battle plans and hats, so they don't bother searching the woods for the owner of these items. After the Union soldiers leave town, Jeb writes to his wife of the embarrassing and disastrous raid. I intend to make the Yankees pay dearly for that hat. When Union General John Pope reads the captured rebel battle plans, he quickly evacuates his army from Culpeper to a safer position north of the Rappahannock River. John avoids Bobby Lee's army. For now.

But he needs backup. Where is George McClellan? He's sitting on the Virginia Peninsula. Yeah, he's had concrete specific orders in hand since August 3rd to march his army down to Fort Monroe, then sail up the Chesapeake to the Potomac River, disembark at Acquia Creek, and join up with John Pope's army of Virginia. But George has gone through every excuse in the book to delay following these orders. Now he's claiming that he doesn't have enough transport boats for his large army. General-in-Chief Henry Halleck may have fallen

for a few of George's lies, but he won't fall for this one. On August 12th, O'Brain telegraphs Little Mac to light a fire under the sluggish general. Quote, The quartermaster general informs me that nearly every available

steam vessel in the country is now under your control. Close quote. But Little Mac still won't budge. The next day he wires his running out of patience boss. Quote, If Washington is in danger now, this army is in much better position to protect it from

here than from Acquia. Close quote. That's it. Henry's tried to be cordial and respectful to George. He's begged, pleaded, and gently prodded, but it's time to drop the hammer. Old brains fires back. Quote, you will send up your troops as rapidly as possible. There is no change in plans. According to your own accounts, there is now no difficulty in withdrawing your forces. Do so with all possible rapidity, close quote. Henry's forceful order works. George finally gets moving and his entire army arrives at Alexandria just north of Acquia Creek by August 24th, and Henry breathes a deep sigh of relief. Just two days ago, John Pope sent a telegram informing the general-in-chief that he faced

a strong enemy force near the Union supply depot at Manassas Junction. John asked if reinforcements were coming and whether or not he should attack. Henry's vacillating reply said that John could count on more men and should attack, but, quote, you, from your local knowledge, are the best judge, and what I say is only in the way of suggestion. Close quote. So John Pope is left to his own devices. Then Henry makes a mistake that will cost John everything. O'Briens gives control of this Virginia campaign to George. Little Mac should immediately move his men from Alexandria to Manassas, the last known whereabouts of John. But in true George Little Mac McClellan style,

he turns an organized and efficient military operation into a jumbled, confused, slow-moving mess that prevents reinforcements from reaching John Pope. The head of railway operations, General Herman Haupt at Alexandria, is a master at his job. On August 24th, he immediately starts sending troops and supplies west to supply John's army of Virginia. But Little Mac's subordinate, General Sam Sturgis, commandeers four rail cars for his troops' exclusive use. When General Haupt explains that the lines need to be kept on schedule to supply John's threatened army, Sam scoffs. I don't care for John Pope, one pinch of owl dung. Damn. Henry passes his responsibilities to George. Little Mac delays what should be an efficient

operation. All the while, the fate of John's army hangs in the balance. All of these shenanigans reveal the real crux of the problem between these three generals. None of them trust each other. A month ago, Henry Halleck made vague promises that once John Pope and George McClellan merged forces, George would take command of both armies. But now, overwhelmed old brains wants George to send his men to serve under John's command. John has seemed to be a capable commander of the Army of Virginia, but since he doesn't communicate daily with Henry, the general-in-chief worries that John is losing control of his large force. And John's been following his original orders from Lincoln, but without sufficient reinforcements or clear commands from Washington,

D.C., he's been left to flounder on the Rappahannock. Bobby Lee and Stonewall couldn't have created a more confused, disorganized chain of command in their enemy if they tried. So what will happen to John? Is his army in as much trouble as Henry thinks? Can Henry, George, and John find a way to work together and save the Army of Virginia?

Or will Bobby Lee take advantage of federal infighting and win a second battle at Manassas Junction? Well, that's a story for another day. History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and Sound Design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design. Musical Score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in weeks, where I'd like to tell you a story. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans.

You can join by clicking the link in the episode description. My gratitude to you kind souls providing additional funding to help us keep going. And a special thanks to our members, whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Andy Thompson, Anthony Pizzulo, Art Lane, Beth Christiansen, Bob Drazovich, Brian Goodson, Bronwyn Cohen, Carrie Beggle, Charles and Shirley Clendenden, your status. Jake Gilbreth, James G. Bledsoe, Janie McCreary, Jeff Marks, Jennifer Moods, Jennifer Magnolia, Jeremy Wells, Jessica Poppock, Joe Dobis, John Frugaldugel, John Boovey, John Keller, John Oliveros, John Radlavich, John Schaefer, John Sheff, Jordan Corbett, Joshua Steiner, Justin M. Spriggs, Justin May, Kristen Pratt, Karen Bartholomew, Cassie Conecco, Kim R., Kyle Decker, Lawrence Neubauer, Linda Cunningham, Mark Ellis, Matthew Mitchell, Matthew Simmons, Melanie Jan, Nick Seconder, Nick Caffrell, Noah Hoff, Owen Sedlak, Paul Goeringer, Randy Thank you.