Army of the Potomac
From Turtledove
The Army of the Potomac was the United States's largest army in the American Civil War.
[edit] Army of the Potomac in Southern Victory
When the Army of the Potomac was organized in the winter of 1861, it was the largest army ever seen in the history of the US. However, its commander, George McClellan, was extremely reluctant to commit it to action and the army mostly stayed within the defenses of Washington, DC throughout the spring of 1862. McClellan eventually campaigned against Richmond by marching up the Peninsula in April 1862, but McClellan's timidity in the face of resistance of a much smaller army caused the Army of the Potomac to be driven away from Richmond.
In September 1862, it was the Army of the Potomac's turn to defend its capital when Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded the US. Due partly to poor Union intelligence and partly to McClellan's own incompetence, Lee was able to steal a march on the Army of the Potomac and threaten Philadelphia. In desperation, and against the advice of his subordinates such as Ambrose Burnside, McClellan offered battle on the unfavorable terrain of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The Army of the Potomac was destroyed, Lee took Philadelphia, and the War of Secession was lost.
[edit] Army of the Potomac in The Guns of the South
On May 4 1864 The Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan and attempted to pass through the Wilderness to threaten the Army of Northern Virginia. Due to the South gaining new repeaters (the AK-47s) they were able to defeat this attack while inflicting heavy casualties. The Army of the Potomac retreated on May 6 to the small town of Bealeton, Virginia where it suffered a second major defeat. The Army then retreated towards Washington City.
At the time of the Battle of the Wilderness and in subsequent events during the remainder of the Second American Revolution, The Army of the Potomac consisted of five Corps as follows:
II Corps commanded by General Winfield Scott Hancock
V Corps commanded by General Gouverneur Warren
VI Corps commanded by General John Sedgwick
IX Corps commanded by General Ambrose Burnside
Cavalry Corps commanded by Philip Sheridan
While the Army was nominally under the command of General George Meade, General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant had attached himself to it and was actually in command.
See detailed Wiki article on the Union Order of Battle for more details.
