attle at Bull Run and sacrificed his men uselessly. Meanwhile, McClellan blew an opportunity to catch the Confederates off balance after he learned of Lee's plans but stalled and hesitated for a day giving the southern reinforcements plenty of time to arrive and group together and the north escaped with a slight victory only after Lee decided it would be wise to withdraw his forces. This victory gave President Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The next commander to take the helm was Ambrose E. Burnside whose troubles lied in his stubbornness coupled with his poor judgement and lack of ingenuity. He lacked the ability to think at moment's notice and get things done immediately when faced with a problem. He suffered a disastrous defeat at Fredericksburg, Virginia in December of 1862 and after was man enough to admit his faults and acknowledged his removal as commander. Superceding Burnside was Joseph Hooker, who was very passionate but like Burnside did not have the ability to improvise under changing conditions. He was great at grouping armies and preparing battle plans beforehand but on the field he could fall apart. During his battle of Chancellorsville the South took a mighty blow with the death of Stonewall Jackson. He was totally outmatched against the superior skills and techniques of Robert E. Lee. Replacing Hooker was George C. Meade, a brave, sound, and conscientious man who was able to outshine Lee during the battle of Gettysburg in 1863. He was able to work well with top generals as a team and as a result held his post in Gettysburg as Lee drew back his forces to Virginia, signaling the victory of the battle for the North. Unfortunately, many people criticized Meade for not following the Confederates while they were broken. He retained nominal leadership till the end of the war as Ulysses S. Grant took over as commander of the AOP in March of 1864 and was for...
