Each of the military leaders on both sides of the Civil War had their strengths and weaknesses. In the North, Abraham Lincoln had great difficulty choosing a commander who was sufficiently aggressive, but at the same time one who would not waste his resources recklessly. His greatest concern was what became known as the “Army of the Potomac,” which was understandable for several reasons. This army protected Washington, as well as states like Pennsylvania and Maryland, but was also the main force capable of penetrating the South and their capital at Richmond. Even in the South, where Robert E. Lee commanded the "Army of Northern Virginia," command problems were not unknown, but they did not imply incompetence of the commander in chief. The North gave up many advantages it could have enjoyed early in the war, simply due to the inability of its military commanders to perform. While in the South at the same time, the commanders, many of the brightest and best to come out of West Point, did everything they could to end the war in their favor. Lincoln wanted to end the conflict quickly, prompting his initial call for 75,000 volunteers; unfortunately for him, the new volunteers, many of whom had only been enlisted for 90 days, just three months after the shooting of Fort Sumter, were much too green for the effort. Something their commander, General Irvin McDowell, was well aware of. Lincoln pushed McDowell to attack as soon as possible, so on July 21, 1861 the first major eastern battle of the Civil War began when McDowell sent poorly trained and poorly disciplined troops toward Confederate forces stationed along Bull Run Creek. wanted the attack to be a surprise, with the hope of...... middle of paper ......waiting behind the stone wall in front of a grove of trees. This left the Union forces facing the Confederates almost completely intact. Several support brigades did not leave in time and took a route that left them completely out of position. By the time the Virginians reached the stone wall, much of their momentum had been lost, and although they managed to breach the wall for a short time, they were unable to maintain the position, at at which point the attack collapsed into confusion. After this disaster, Lee, disappointed and depressed, considered fleeing to the South. Which he did, much to the dismay of Meade and Lincoln. As has often been said, this was the high point of the Confederacy. From that moment on, and especially after Grant's arrival in the East, it was only a matter of time and wear and tear until the war finally ended...