But the president instead merged Pope’s army into the Army of the Potomac, put McClellan in charge of the defense of Washington, sent Pope to Minnesota to pacify Indians, and relieved McDowell of command and ultimately exiled him to California. Stanton and Chase remonstrated against the retention of McClellan. Lincoln himself was “greatly distressed” by having to do it. But while McClellan “had acted badly in this matter,” said the president, he “has the Army with him. . . . We must use what tools we have. There is no man in the Army who can lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as
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