Which Union general commanded the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign?

George B. McClellan commanded the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign.

The Union operation ran from March to July 1862 and aimed to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital. McClellan proposed moving a large army by water to Fort Monroe, then advancing northwest along the Virginia Peninsula between the York and James Rivers. This amphibious approach was intended to outflank Confederate defenses near Washington and approach Richmond from the east.

The campaign began with substantial Union advantages, but McClellan’s cautious advance slowed the operation. Confederate forces under John B. Magruder delayed the Union army at Yorktown, giving the Confederates time to strengthen their positions. After Yorktown fell, McClellan continued toward Richmond, but the Seven Days Battles forced his army away from the capital and toward the James River.

McClellan is sometimes confused with later commanders of the same army. Ambrose Burnside, Joseph Hooker, and George G. Meade commanded the Army of the Potomac at later stages of the war. McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign ended in a Confederate strategic victory, despite several successful Union movements early on.