Grant wrote that he felt Mclellans problem was his fast rise. He jumped from commanding a very small force I. west Virginia, to a huge command that was really beyond him. This promotion came about from a very small, almost laughably small, campaign in a mountain backwater. The small fights were won with division size forces, and Rosecrans did the hard fighting.
Mac had run a railroad and was a good organizer. If he had been chief of staff under a good commander, that would have let him show his skill and let him grow.
A similar situation mighr be General Cunningham in Eighth Army. He was by all accounts a great staff officer but had no command experience facing the enemy. Once Rommel did not follow Cunningham s script, he lost control
"These things must be done delicately-- or you hurt the spell." - The Wicked Witch of the West.
"We've got the torpedo damage temporarily shored up, the fires out and soon will have the ship back on an even keel. But I would suggest, sir, that if you have to take any more torpedoes, you take 'em on the starboard side." Pops Healy, DCA USS Lexington.