Question

According to Professor Miller and our textbook, Northern General George McClellan thought that Confederate civilians needed to "feel the hard hand of war" When he commanded U.S. forces in 1862, he trained his men to destroy Southern livestock, grain supplies and transportation hubs to undermine the Confederate's ability and will to resist.

Answer 1

The Civil War saw Union forces including General George McClellan adopting total war tactics, targeting Confederate resources and infrastructure to break their war-sustaining capabilities and will to resist.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the strategies employed during the Civil War, it's clear that Union forces, including those led by General George McClellan, increasingly adopted tactics characteristic of total war. These tactics aimed not only to defeat Confederate armies but also to undermine the Confederate ability and will to resist by targeting infrastructure and resources critical to sustaining the war effort. From the Northern General's perspective, the destruction of Southern livestock, grain supplies, and transportation hubs like rail depots was integral to diminishing the Confederates' capacity to continue the conflict.

In 1862, McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac with a cautious approach, reluctant to risk soldiers in battles he believed could lead to significant losses. However, the progression of the war saw a shift in Union strategy toward a harder stance. This involved enlisting soldiers to fight off the battlefield by disrupting Southern logistics and striking at the economic foundations of the Confederacy. By targeting both military and civilian resources, the Union sought to pressure the Confederacy into submission and bring an end to the war.