General George B. McClellan

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the role of General George B. McClellan in the Civil War and the controversy around his generalship. More specifically, the paper reviews Thomas J. Rowland's book "George B. McClellan and Civil War History: In the Shadow of Grant and Sherman", which paints a bleak psychological picture of McClellan, and James M. McPherson's more factual book "Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction". Both authors are convincing with their arguments, the author concludes, because they use well-documented and reliable primary and secondary sources, particularly military documents and records from the time of the Civil War.

From the Paper:

"In contrast to Rowland's viewpoints on McClellan and his generalship, James M. McPherson in "Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction" provides a much more condensed version of McClellan's military achievements and failures, due mostly to the fact that this book covers a very broad spectrum of material related to the Civil War and its aftermath during Reconstruction. Much like Rowland's book, this award-winning entry in the history of the Civil War includes numerous primary and secondary sources from some of the most reliable scholars in the field of American history and criticism."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "George McClellan." (2007). Internet. Retrieved April 14, 2008 from http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USACWmcclellan.htm.
• Guelzo, Allen C. (2004). Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America. New York: Simon & Schuster.
• McPherson, James M. (1993). Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction.New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.
• Rowland, Thomas J. (1998). George B. McClellan and Civil War History: In the Shadow of Grant and Sherman. OH: Kent State University Press.

More papers on General George B. McClellan:

• Comparison Essay # 114924 : "General McClellan and the Civil War"
• Comparison Essay # 112532 : "McClellan as General"
• Descriptive Essay # 112082 : "The Bloody Lane"

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