Self-declarations of incompetence

Lincoln chose Ambrose Burnsides to replace McClellan to lead the Army of the Potomac. Lincoln mistook Burnside's hesitance and declarations of incompetence as humility, leading to tragic results in Fredricksburg. This led to Lincoln's selection of Joseph Hooker, who had the opposite temperament of Burnside. While Burnside was self-deprecating and lacked confidence, Hooker was flashy and supremely self-confident and had spent considerable effort undermining his superior, Burnside. Lincoln was willing to overlook that and give him the chance to prove his muster.

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