[35] He viewed slavery as an institution recognized in the Constitution, and entitled to federal protection wherever it existed (Lincoln held the same public position until August 1862). [78] McClellan wrote to his wife, "Those in whose judgment I rely tell me that I fought the battle splendidly and that it was a masterpiece of art. [34] The Army of the Potomac grew in number from 50,000 in July to 168,000 in November, becoming the largest military force the United States had raised until that time. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . Gen. George B. McClellan, his wife, infant daughter, nurse, and mother-in-law at his headquarters near Alexandria, Va.Courtesy Brian C. Pohanka, Alexandria, VA. After the disastrous Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run the same month, McClellan was placed in command of what was to become the Army of the Potomac. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. Then, however, McClellan came under extreme criticism in the press and Congress when it was learned that Johnston's forces had not only slipped away unnoticed, but had for months fooled the Union Army with logs painted black to appear as cannons, nicknamed Quaker Guns. When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. He also considered service as a filibuster in support of Benito Jurez in Mexico. [5], McClellan initially intended to follow his father into the medical profession, and attended a private academy, which was followed by enrollment in a private preparatory school for the University of Pennsylvania. McClellan was forced to repudiate the platform, which made his campaign inconsistent and difficult. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for CIVIL WAR GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN & WIFE ~ c. - 1863 at the best online prices at eBay! He realized that McClellan was a strong organizer and a skilled trainer of troops, able to recombine the units of Pope's army with the Army of the Potomac faster than anyone. He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan's performance in his scouting of passes across the Cascade Range. As noted by historians such as Stotelmyer, the significance of the Union victory at South Mountain should not be underestimated. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. These associations gave McClellan what he considered to be an appreciation of the southern mind and an understanding of the political and military implications of the sectional differences in the United States that led to the Civil War. "George Brinton McClellan." [81], The deep division in the party, the unity of the Republicans (running under the label "National Union Party"), the absence of a large portion of the Democrats' base (the South) from the voter pool, and the military successes by Union forces in the fall of 1864, doomed McClellan's candidacy. On January 31, he issued a supplementary order for the Army of the Potomac to move overland to attack the Confederates at Manassas Junction and Centreville. [50] During this time, General Johnston was able to provide Magruder with reinforcements, but even then there were far fewer troops than McClellan believed were opposite him. McClellan organized and led the Union army in the Peninsula Campaign in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862. After his name was unexpectedly placed into nomination at the state convention, there was a stampede and he was nominated by acclamation. [8] He graduated at age 19 in 1846, second in his class of 59 cadets, losing the top position to Charles Seaforth Stewart only because of inferior drawing skills. Like other observers, though, McClellan did not appreciate the importance of the emergence of rifled muskets in the Crimean War, and the fundamental changes in warfare tactics it would require.[19]. In the battle of Malvern Hill, he was on a gunboat, the USSGalena, which at one point was ten miles (16km) away, down the James River. General McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan was privately derisive of Lincoln. [32] He reveled in his newly acquired power and influence:[30]. [103], Robert E. Lee, on being asked (by his cousin, and recorded by his son) who was the ablest general on the Union side during the late war, replied emphatically: "McClellan, by all odds! george brinton mcclellan (december 3, 1826 - october 29, 1885) was an american soldier, civil war union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of new jersey.a graduate of west point, mcclellan served with distinction during the mexican-american war (1846- 1848), and later left the army to serve This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. I almost think that were I to win some small success now I could become Dictator or anything else that might please mebut nothing of that kind would please metherefore I won't be Dictator. Northern fears of a continued offensive by Robert E. Lee were realized when he launched his Maryland campaign on September 4, hoping to arouse pro-Southern sympathy in the slave state of Maryland. In the course of a disagreement about defensive forces on the Potomac River, McClellan wrote to his wife on August 10: "Genl Scott is the great obstaclehe will not comprehend the danger & is either a traitor, or an incompetent. When the General came to the corner of the principal street the ladies thronged around him. Bailey, Ronald H., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. "[69], At the discovery of the Lost Order, McClellan's Assistant Adjutant General verified the signature and handwriting of the officer who wrote out the order, as he knew him well, so there was no doubt as to its authenticity. [96] However, the debate over McClellan's ability and talents remains the subject of much controversy among Civil War and military historians. On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. Place Of Burial: Trenton, NJ. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. Lincoln's order was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be restored following a successful campaign. CIVIL WAR UNION GENERAL GEORGE MEADE ~ J. E. McCLEES-PHILADELPHIA ~ c. - 1863 . [39], The dispute with Scott became increasingly personal. First, McClellan proponents say that because the general was a conservative Democrat with great personal charisma, radical Republicans fearing his political potential deliberately undermined his field operations. In a telegram to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, reporting on these events, McClellan blamed the Lincoln administration for his reversals. He also received an assignment to the Department of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of Texas rivers and harbors. He waved the order at his old Army friend, Brig. "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. Admirable self-denial! The appointment was controversial in the Cabinet, a majority of whom signed a petition declaring to the president "our deliberate opinion that, at this time, it is not safe to entrust to Major General McClellan the command of any Army of the United States". Son and third child of Dr. George McClellan(1796-1847) and Elizabeth Steinmetz Brinton McClellan (1800-1889). McClellan worked on engineering projects in New York City and was offered the position of president of the newly formed University of California, which he declined. The governor ordered McClellan to turn over his expedition logbooks, but McClellan steadfastly refused, most likely because of embarrassing personal comments that he had made throughout his adventures. McClellan is usually ranked in the lowest tier of Civil War generals. He reported to Washington that he faced 200,000 Confederates, perhaps due to a false report on the arrival of another Confederate army P.G.T. As the war progressed, there were various calls to return McClellan to an important command, following the Union defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, as Robert E. Lee moved north at the start of the Gettysburg campaign, and as Jubal Early threatened Washington in 1864. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. McClellan returned to West Point to command his engineering company, which was attached to the academy for the purpose of training cadets in engineering activities. As Swinton notes "It is possible, howeverand there is a considerable volume of evidence bearing upon this pointthat General McClellan, during all the earlier portion of the month before Yorktown, had it in his mind, even without McDowell's corps, to undertake the decisive turning movement by the north side of the York. I graduated second in my class at West Point in 1846. Although McClellan was assuaged by supportive comments Lincoln made to him, in time he saw the change of command very differently, describing it as a part of an intrigue "to secure the failure of the approaching campaign".[48]. He concluded by implying he should be restored as general-in-chief, but Lincoln responded by naming Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck to the post without consulting, or even informing, McClellan. In. So it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield. Early in the campaign, Confederate General John B. [97] McClellan himself summed up his style of warfare in a draft of his memoirs: It has always been my opinion that the true course in conducting military operations, is to make no movement until the preparations are as complete as circumstances permit, & never to fight a battle without some definite object worth the probable loss. Johnston saw that the Union army was split in half by the rain-swollen Chickahominy River and hoped to defeat it in detail at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks. McClellan was an interesting man, full of both strengths and weaknesses. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. Date Of Death: October 29, 1885. The second would use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee. McClellan resigned his commission January 16, 1857, and, capitalizing on his experience with railroad assessment, became chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad, and then president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1860. The platform called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. What name was given to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Union. $65.00 + $4.75 shipping . Debates were held as to whether the army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond. Old ladies and men wept for joy, and scores of beautiful ladies waved flags from the balconies of houses upon the street, and their joyousness seemed to overcome every other emotion. [80], McClellan was nominated by the Democrats to run against Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 U.S. presidential election. George B. McClellan and Mary Ellen Marcy (Nelly) McClellan McClellan resigned his commission January 16, 1857, and, capitalizing on his experience with railroad assessment, became chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad, and then president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1860. Mcclellan might be restored following a successful campaign helped by the party 's choice for president! Significance of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin Stanton..., 1826., there was a stampede and he was nominated by the party choice. Assignment to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay the... The state convention, there was a stampede and he was nominated by acclamation the! Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union victory at South Mountain should be... Peninsula campaign in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862 a negotiated settlement the... 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