Lincoln never indulged in profanity, but confessed that when Lee was
beaten at Malvern Hill, after seven days of fighting, and Richmond,
but twelve miles away, was at McClellan’s mercy, he felt very much
like swearing when he learned that the Union general had retired to
Harrison’s Landing.
Lee was so confident his opponent would not go to Richmond that he took
his army into Maryland--a move he would not have made had an energetic
fighting man been in McClellan’s place.
It is true McClellan followed and defeated Lee in the bloodiest battle
of the War--Antietam--afterwards following him into Virginia; but
Lincoln could not bring himself to forgive the general’s inaction before
Richmond.