Question

Why did abraham lincoln withhold troops from general george

b. mcclellan, even as he pushed the general to attack?

Answer 1

Lincoln wanted troops to defend Washington, D.C., from Confederate attack

Answer 2

Lincoln wanted enough troops to remain near Washington DC to defend it from Confederate attack.

Step-by-step explanation:

US President Lincoln concluded that General McClellan did not leave enough troops to defend Washington DC during the Peninsula warfare. Lincoln, therefore, managed troops from McClellan's army, the Army of the Potomac to guarantee the Federal capital was protected well. McClellan had attained nearly all of the Army of the Potomac into Virginia, and as explained later in the war, a defined Southern attack could force a large contingent to rapidly return to Washington to preserve the capital. The capital cities of Richmond and Washington are only about 100 miles apart.