General George B. McClellan Rallies From His Sickbed

January 12, 1862

With advance notice, General George B. McClellan came to the White House to visit the President.  As a consequence, the early afternoon “council of war” with three key generals and three key cabinet members was held but delayed until Monday.  Clearly, McClellan was worried that his job and his plans might be usurped.

The President was clearly frustrated by all the military inaction.  Illinois Senator Orville Browning was accustomed to visiting his old friend of two and a half decades at the White House.  He reported in his diary: “A very warm day.   After night went to the Presidents in same way & returned at 9 perspiring freely with walking.  Had long talk with the President about the war — He told me he was thinking of taking the field himself, and suggested several plans of operation   One was to threaten all their positions at the same time with superior force, and if they weakened one to strengthen another seize and hold the one weakened.  Another was to shell them out of their intrenchments with guns that would throw very large shell over two miles — the enemy having none of that size   Said Pensacola had gone to the Gulf to operate against New Orleans, and the movement from Cairo on Columbus was only a feint to aid Buel at Bowling Green.”

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