Although he consulted with many men before selecting Stanton, Lincoln had not spoken with McClellan. On the day after the appointment, he told the general-in-chief that he knew Stanton was a friend of McClellan whom he would probably be happy to have in the War Department, and that he was afraid if he had informed the general ahead of time, Radical Republicans would allege that McClellan had inveigled him into making that choice. In early January, Stanton said “he regarded McClellan as the greatest military genius upon the continent.” That opinion would soon change.
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃
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