its purpose political rather than military, 332, 333;
orders McClellan to move South, 333;
asks McClellan to justify his plan, 334;
calls council of generals, 335, 336;
accepts McClellan's plan, 337;
insists on preservation of capital, 337;
political reasons for his anxiety to hold Washington, 337-339;
reasons why his plan should have been adopted, 339;
never convinced of superiority of McClellan's scheme, 340;
issues General War Order to secure Washington, 341;