The Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac

While Grant led successful campaigns in the West and South, General George McClellan led the Army of the Potomac against Johnston and Lee’s Confederate forces near the capital cities of Washington and Richmond. Although McClellan excelled at military discipline and trained his recruits well, he was not a capable or skilled commander; the Army of the Potomac won no decisive victories under his leadership. In September 1862, the Confederate Army won a second battle at Bull Run, once again putting itself in a position to march on Washington and failing to do so.

The Battle of Antietam, fought near Antietam Creek in Maryland, was an important Union victory. Two Union soldiers found a discarded piece of paper that turned out to be a copy of the Confederate battle plans. They immediately passed the information on to General McClellan. By the end of the day-long battle, more than 25,000 men lay dead on the battlefield. Having failed to win a victory on Union soil, the Confederates retreated to Virginia. This loss made Great Britain decide not to enter the war on the side of the Confederacy.

Practice questions for these concepts can be found at:

The Civil War Practice Test