January 27, 1862 (Sunday): Lincoln Orders An Advance

Portion of General Orders No. 1 in Lincoln's Handwriting

PRESIDENT'S GENERAL WAR ORDER,
EXECUTIVE MANSION,

Numbers 1.
Washington, January 27, 1862.
     Ordered, That the 22nd day of February, 1862, be the day for a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces. That especially the army at and about Fortress Monroe; the Army of the Potomac; the Army of Western Virginia; the army near Munfordville, Ky.; the army and flotilla at Cairo, and a naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, be ready to move on that day.
    That all other forces, both land and naval, with their respective commanders, obey existing orders for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders when duty given..
    That the heads of Departments, and especially the Secretaries of War and of the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with all other commanders and subordinates of land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for prompt execution of this order.



ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 5, Part 1, Page 41.

Lincoln, frustrated with McClellan's inaction and pressed by the Radical Republicans to force a forward movement, ordered a general advance.  It ultimately spurred action in the west, but did not force McClellan to move.  McClellan presented his views to the administration on the advantages of moving on Richmond by river approaches up from the Peninsula.  Lincoln was more concerned with opening lines to Richmond from the West by freeing the B&O Railroad from the threat of attack by Jackson and from the East by taking the Confederate batteries along the Potomac.  At this point the Republicans did not dominate Congress sufficiently for Lincoln to sack McClellan.