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PDF Issues of ACW Gamer: The Ezine. ACW Gamer is the hobby magazine for people interested in recreating the Civil War in Miniature on the table top. ACW Gamer features articles on painting figures, rules reviews, scenarios and more. Enjoy on your IPAD, PC or Mac! Includes: 2× ACW Gamer: The Ezine Issues Less. In Civil War Generals 2: Grant - Lee - Sherman, the sequel to Robert E. Lee: Civil War General, the designers have taken the best from the original title and implemented many more features to make playing a truly memorable experience.

Torchlight parade by General Blenker’s Division in honor of General McClellan’s promotion to Commander-in-chief of the Army, Washington D.C., Nov. 3, 1861

George B. McClellan and his wife Ellen Mary Marcy

George B. McClellan, known as “Little Mac” and “Little Napoleon,” was the Union General who served as both Commander of the Army of the Potomac and General in Chief after the resignation of General Winfield Scott (whom McClellan circumvented) in November 1861. He maintained his headquarters in Washington during the winter of 1861-62 at the Southeast Corner of H Street and Madison Place, near the White House on Lafayette Square. It was owned by Navy Captain Charles Wilkes whose seizure of two confederate emissaries created the Trent affair in late 1861.

McClellan had resigned from the Army in 1857 and became general superintendent of Illinois Central Railroad and a supporter of Stephen Douglas in 1858 Senate race. Some early victories in West Virginia led to his appointment to head the Union Army of the Potomac on July 27, 1861. Historian William C. Davis wrote: “Immediately upon assuming command, McClellan began the work of rebuilding the army, both physically and spiritually. Under understood, as did Lincoln, the importance of being seen by the men, and soon scheduled as series of reviews and inspections, even while the work of drilling that Lincoln directed go under way.”¹

McClellan almost immediately began a campaign to undermine and replace Winfield Scott, head of the Union armies. He had contempt for Scott and virtually all civilian authorities. On October 10, 1861, he wrote his wife: “When I returned yesterday after a long ride I was obliged to attend a meeting of the Cabinet at 8 pm. & was bored & annoyed. There are some of the greatest geese in the Cabinet I have ever seen—enough to tax the patience of Job… “² A month later on November 17, he wrote his wife: “I went to the White House shortly after tea where I found ‘the original gorilla,’ about as intelligent as ever. What a specimen to be at the head of our affairs now!”³ He later recalled his early associations with Mr. Lincoln in a more favorable light: “My relations with Mr. Lincoln were generally very pleasant, and I seldom had trouble with him when we could meet face to face. I believe that he liked me personally, and certainly he was always much influenced by me when we were together. During the early part of my command in Washington he often consulted with me before taking important steps or appointing general officers.”⁴

McClellan got seriously ill in December 1861 and all plans for a Union offensive stalled while pressure for movement grew. On January 6, 1862, President Lincoln called a special cabinet meeting with several generals and the members of the Committee on the Conduct of the War. Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, later an ardent critic of McClellan, defended him at this meeting: “I expressed my own views, saying that, in my judgment, Genl. McClellan was the best man for the place he held known to me— that, I believed, if his sickness had not prevented he would by this time, have satisfied everybody in the country of his efficiency and capacity —that I thought, however, that he tasked himself too severely—that no physical or mental vigor could sustain the strains he imposed on himself, often on the saddle nearly all day and transacting business at his rooms nearly all night that, in my judgment, he ought to confer freely with his ablest and most experienced Generals, deriving from them the benefits which their counsels, whether accepted or rejected, would certainly impart, and communicating to them full intelligence of his own plans of action, so that, in the event of sickness or accident to himself, the movements of the army need not necessarily be interrupted or delayed. I added that, in my opinion, no one person could discharge fitly the special duties of Commander of the Army of the Potomac, and the general duties of Commanding General of the Armies of the United States; and that Genl. McClellan, in undertaking to discharge both, had undertaken what he could not perform. Much else was said by various gentlemen, and the discussion was concluded by the announcement by the President that he would call on Genl. McClellan, and ascertain his views in respect to the division of the commands.”⁵ After several such planning sessions, McClellan feared that his authority was being usurped and arrived in person to reestablish his command.

Still, however, McClellan delayed an advance and chose a strategy with which the President disagreed but acquiesced. It wasn’t until March 1862 that McClellan finally put the Army of the Potomac in movement toward Richmond. The President’s frustration was reflected when he told the wife of an administration official: “Suppose a man whose profession it is to understand military matters is asked how long it will take him and what he requires to accomplish certain things, and when he has had all he asked and the time comes, he does nothing.”⁶ The Peninsula Campaign itself was slow; McClellan was defeated in the Seven Days’ Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862). Plagued by a “siege mentality” of warfare, he had a habit of overestimating the Confederate forces he faced and underestimating his ability to move expeditiously against them. He felt that Secretary of War Stanton and President Lincoln had deserted him. “Honest A has again fallen into the hands of my enemies & is no longer a cordial friend of mine!” he wrote his wife.⁷

McClellan’s difficulties in command were exacerbated by the fact the McClellan seldom went anywhere near actual fighting. He was a workaholic and superb organizer who had the unquestioned loyalty of his troops. Unfortunately, he understood how to generate loyalty only from those below his authority, not from those above himself. The result was friction between himself and the President, the Secretary of War and the congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War. The animosity of his key generals to General John Pope contributed to the second Union defeat at Bull Run on August 29-30, 1862.

McClellan was given command of the defenses of Washington on September 1, 1862 and then asked to “rectify the evil” of commanders who were not cooperating with General Pope in the retreat from Bull Run. McClellan was again given command of the Army of the Potomac before the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862—despite strong opposition to him within Congress and the cabinet. McClellan held off the Confederates because a Union soldier recovered General Robert E. Lee’s battle plans.

Historian Stephen R. Taaffe noted: “Lincoln visited the Army of the Potomac in early October, and although he pledged to protect McClellan from his domestic political enemies, there were plenty of signs in the following weeks that the president’s continued support depended upon McClellan’s aggressive prosecution of the war. A few days later, Lincoln peremptorily ordered the Army of the Potomac to advance, but McClellan responded with his usual litany of excuses. On 13 October, Lincoln admonished McClellan for his excessive timidity in a private letter designed to spur him on, but this tactic proved no more fruitful than his more direct approach the previous weeks. Instead, McClellan continued to demand more equipment, supplies, and men.”⁸

McClellan was relieved of command on November 5, 1862 for his failure to pursue Confederate Army. “For organizing an army, for preparing an army for the field, for fighting a defensive campaign, I will back General McClellan against any general of modern times. I don’t know but of ancient times, either. But I begin to believe that he will never get ready to go forward!’ the President told an aide shortly before he removed McClellan.⁹

McClellan’s “slows” generated a number of stories that Mr. Lincoln shared with visitors to his office: “McClellan’s tardiness reminds me of a man in Illinois whose attorney was not sufficiently aggressive. The client knew a few law phrases, and finally, after waiting until his patience was exhausted by the non-action of his counsel, he sprang to his feet and exclaimed: “Why don’t you go at his with a fi.fa., demurrer, a capias, a surrebutter, or a ne exeat, or something, and not stand there like a nudum pactum, or a non est.”¹⁰ On other occasion, the President told a visitor: “With all his failings as a soldier, McClellan is a pleasant and scholarly gentleman. He is an admirable engineer, but he seems to have a special talent for a stationary engine.”¹¹ The President told assistant William O. Stoddard “Well, Stoddard, for organizing an army, for preparing an army for the field or for fighting a defensive campaign, I will back General McClellan against any general of modern times—I don’t know but of ancient times also. But I begin to feel as if he would never get ready to fight!'”¹²

McClellan opposed emancipation and his loyalty to the Union was questioned by members of the Joint Committee on Conduct of the War. He was the Democratic candidate for President in 1864 although he opposed the party’s anti-war platform. The split between pro-war and anti-war Democrats helped insure President Lincoln’s reelection. The day after the November 8, 1864 election, presidential aide Edward Duffield Neil entered Mr. Lincoln’s office: “Turning away from the papers which had been occupying his attention, he spoke kindly of his competitor, the calm, prudent general and grate organizer, whose remains this week have been placed in the cold grave. He told me that General Scott had recommended McClellan as an officer who had studied the science of war, and had been in the Crimea during the war against Russia, and that he told Scott that he knew nothing about the science of war, and it was very important to have just such a person to organize the raw recruits of the republic around Washington.”¹³ Shortly thereafter, McClellan resigned his army commission and departed for Europe.

After the war, McClellan earned a living as an engineering consultant before election as Governor of New Jersey (Democrat, 1878-1881).

1. William C. Davis, Lincoln’s Men.
2. Letter to Mary Ellen McClellan, Stephen Sears, editor, Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan, p. 106.
3. Letter to Mary Ellen McClellan, Sears, pp. 135-136.
4. Colin R. Ballard, The Military Genius of Abraham Lincoln, p. 104.
5. David Donald, editor, Inside Lincoln’s Cabinet The Civil War Diaries of Salmon P. Chase, pp. 57-58.
6. Don E. Fehrenbacher and Virginia Fehrenbacher, editors, Recollected Words of Abraham Lincoln, p. 163.
7. Stephen W. Sears, To the Gates of Richmond, p. 157.
8. Stephen R. Taaffe, Commanding the Army of the Potomac, p. 53
9. William O. Stoddard, Abraham Lincoln: The Man and the War President, p. 274.
10. Isaac Arnold, The Life of Abraham Lincoln, p. 297.
11. Arnold, The Life of Abraham Lincoln, p. 300.
12. William O. Stoddard, Lincoln’s Third Secretary, p. 160.
13. Rufus Rockwell Wilson, editor, Intimate Memories of Lincoln, p. 602.

Visit

McClellan Headquarters
The War Department
The Winder Building Annex
Mr. Lincoln’s Office
Henry W. Halleck
John Pope
Ambrose E. Burnside
Winfield Scott
Biography
Peninsula Campaign
Abraham Lincoln and the Election of 1864
Abraham Lincoln and George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan (Mr. Lincoln and New York)
Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief

In a refreshing change of pace, the designers of Robert E. Lee: Civil War General approach the venerable genre of Civil War games with an eye toward providing the player with something a little bit different. The standard victory conditions of simply occupying certain terrain or towns at the end of a set number of turns isn't what this game is all about. Instead, you step into the shoes of the most famous Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, and attempt to lead the Army of Northern Virginia through individual scenarios or a full campaign and try to change the course of history. The victory conditions vary from scenario to scenario and include such goals as elimination of Union leaders, simple survival or even just dislodging the enemy from certain positions. Of course, the standard occupation of key locations does occur but it is not the overriding objective in all cases.

The strength of the game is evident on several fronts. For example, player customization before battle commences allows for a varied approach and ranges from commanding single battles to a full eight scenario campaign or you can choose to play any two consecutive days of the 3-day Gettysburg battle. You can choose to fight for either the Union or the Confederacy except in campaign mode where you are limited to leading only the southern forces. The campaign includes an innovative 'what if' scenario featuring the Rebel forces invading Washington, D. C.

Civil War Generals 2 Malvern Hill

Control of forces in this turn-based game is at several unit levels including cavalry, infantry, artillery and specialists. Each has bona fide strengths and weaknesses, attributes and abilities. You'll need to be very cognizant of terrain features and limitations during battle and use them as part of your overall strategy. Morale and maneuvering play large parts in successfully employing your forces as does stamina and awareness of enemy positions. It's advisable to play the tutorial to get a feel for how the computer AI fares (very well, actually) although it does have a weakness or two which can be exploited. The synergy between the various units is one element that stands out in the game. Equipment, reserves, effectiveness of certain types of weapons, offensive and defensive positioning, commander strengths and weaknesses and strategic planning are major factors that help determine the outcome of battles.

The interface in Robert E. Lee: Civil War General is a simple but highly effective point-and-click system used in conjunction with keyboard hot key implementation. There are three levels of difficulty to choose from and the challenge of the campaign mode is extremely satisfying (especially for those fans who want to try their hand at changing the course of history). But most of all, game play is absorbing and enjoyable with strategic and tactical decision making at a premium. For fans of the greatest war ever fought on American soil, Robert E. Lee: Civil War General is a quality product featuring solid game play, a high degree of historical accuracy and superb background notes in the manual.

Graphics: In-game artwork by famous Civil War artist Mort Künstler and the video scenes of battle (taken of CW reenactments) by Jay Wertz add tremendous value to the game. Terrain is well developed and plays a part in the game. Troop formations are easily identified once you learn all 19 of the variations (3 formations for each unit type and one for specialists) and the unit information displays are clear and concise. For example, the simple depiction of a unit's morale is shown in four stages from high to low. At the highest level, a picture of a soldier standing straight with both hands on his hips, the next level shows him with only one hand on his belt buckle, the third has him hanging his head with a hand over his face and hat in the other hand at his side and the lowest morale shows him with his hat flying off as he runs away from you. Similar graphics depict organization and health levels and the information panel is nicely designed for ease of use and recognition.

Sound: Period music can be toggled on or off but adds genuine flavor to the mood of the game. Sounds are fairly crisp with notable battle and order sounds.

Enjoyment: The entire package is well laid out from the excellent manual to the extremely useful Quick Reference card that comes with the game. Player involvement can be as intense as you want to make it and time has a way of slipping away in great blocks once you become immersed in game play. Not being able to play the Union side in campaign mode may be a shortcoming some fans won't like.

Replay Value: If at first you don't succeed (and even if you do), maneuvering the forces and planning varieties of strategy lend plenty of replay value. The game is not a short walk in the park, however, and will require some dedicated game playing time to reap the benefits of the entire spectrum of game play.

Strategic turn-based wargame focussed on the North American civil war. The game is campaign-based and links eight major battles into a single campaign where you decide the fate of the confederation. Includes simulations of actual historical battles such as Antietam, Gettysburg, etc. as well as a fictional assault on Washington D.C.

Uses traditional top-down 2d graphics for the tactical maps, and the game includes a series of fmv clips re-enacting battles, charges, etc. that play upon specific actions.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

Civil War Generals 2 Maps

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