49: From Little Mac McClellan to Stonewall Jackson: The Peninsula and Shenandoah Valley Campaigns

“In my opinion, Cadet Jackson of Virginia is a complete jackass.” This is the story of daring. On both sides. President Lincoln is tired of waiting for General-in-Chief George “Little Mac” McClellan to act. So he’ll act instead. The President goes to the front on the Old Dominion’s coast, walks on Confederate soil, and oversees the taking of Norfolk, Virginia.  But things aren’t going as well for the Union as he’d hoped. Little Mac continues to dawdle while the eccentric-yet-brilliant “Stonewall” Jackson outwits, outruns, and outguns Union forces several times larger than his own in the Shenandoah Valley. Following Stonewall’s incredible Shenandoah Valley Campaign, Confederate General Joe Johnston takes a bullet at the Battle of Seven Pines. Someone else is going to have to lead his army; welcome to the role of commander, Robert E. Lee. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices