Hey everyone, welcome to episode number 254 of our Civil War podcast.

My name is Rich.

And I'm Tracy.

Hello y'all.

Thanks for tuning into the podcast.

As y'all recall at the end of last week's episode, Fighting Joe Hooker had just been given

command of the Army of Potomac.

And although the extremely ambitious Hooker had made no secret of his desire to succeed

Ambrose Burnside, there's little doubt that on January 27th 1863 Hooker found himself

in command of perhaps the saddest, angriest, and most grumbly Union Army that ever took

the field during the Civil War.

The sources of discontent that so afflicted the Army in January 1863 went far beyond simple

defeat on the battlefield.

At Lincoln's decision to remove Burnside, Mark the start of a new chapter for the Army

of the Potomac.

The president's primary purpose was to restore the Army's morale and appoint a commander

who might earn its confidence.

Although Lincoln couldn't erase the rank and files devotion to Little Mac or numerous

officers' admiration for their former commander, he could, and did, eliminate the idea that

he would ever again give McClellan command of the Army.

Because in Hooker, Lincoln had given one of McClellan's harshest critics command of the

Army.

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