But darker days were yet to come, and more perplexing duties had yet to be discharged.  The President was obliged to retire McClellan from his command when, in August, 1862, that general’s procrastination could no longer be endured.  McClellan had made no fatal blunders, was endeared to his men, and when it was obvious that he could not take Richmond, although within four miles of it at one time, he had made a successful and masterly retreat to Harrison’s Landing; yet the campaign against the Confederate capital had been a failure, as many believed, by reason of unnecessary delays on the part of the commander, and the President had to take the responsibility of sustaining or removing him.  He chose the latter.

What general would Lincoln select to succeed McClellan?  He chose General John Pope, but not with the powers which had been conferred on McClellan.  Pope had been graduated at West Point in 1842, had served with distinction in the Mexican War, and had also done good service in the West.  But it was his misfortune at this time to lose the second battle of Bull Run, or Manassas, when there was no necessity of lighting.  He himself attributed his disaster to the inaction and disobedience of General Porter, who was cashiered for it,—­a verdict which was reversed by a careful military inquiry after the war.  Pope’s defeat was followed, although against the advice of the cabinet, by the restoration of McClellan, since Washington was again in danger.  After he had put the capital in safety, McClellan advanced slowly against Lee, who had crossed the Potomac into Maryland with designs on Pennsylvania.  He made his usual complaint of inadequate forces, and exaggerated the forces of the enemy.  He won, however, the battle of Antietam,—­for, although the Confederates afterwards claimed that it was a drawn battle, they immediately retired,—­but even then failed to pursue his advantage, and allowed Lee to recross the Potomac and escape, to the deep disgust of everybody and the grief of Lincoln.  Encouraged by McClellan’s continued inaction, Lee sent his cavalry under Stuart, who with two thousand men encircled the Federal army, and made a raid into Pennsylvania, gathering supplies, and retired again into Virginia, unhindered and unharmed.  The President now deprived McClellan again of his command, and that general’s military career ended.  He retired to private life, emerging again only as an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the presidency against Lincoln in 1864.

It was a difficult matter for Lincoln to decide upon a new general to command the Army of the Potomac.  He made choice of Ambrose E. Burnside, the next in rank,—­a man of pleasing address and a gallant soldier, but not of sufficient abilities for the task imposed upon him.  The result was the greatest military blunder of the whole war.  With the idea of advancing directly upon Richmond through Fredericksburg, Burnside made the sad error of attacking equal forces strongly intrenched on the Fredericksburg Heights, while he advanced from the valley of the Rappahannock below, crossing the river under a plunging fire, and attacking the enemy on the hill.  It was a dismal slaughter, but Burnside magnanimously took the whole blame upon himself, and was not disgraced, although removed from his command.  He did good service afterwards as a corps-commander.