Dec 3, 1826 - Oct 29, 1885. George McClellan was a U.S. Army engineer, railroad president and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War. Although he complimented McClellan and expressed his "great confidence in your intelligence, zeal, science, and energy", he replied by letter that the 80,000 men would be better used on a river-based expedition to control the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy, accompanied by a strong Union blockade of Southern ports. Initially, McClellan was somewhat successful against General Joseph E. Johnston, but the emergence of General Robert E. Lee to command the Army of Northern Virginia turned the subsequent Seven Days Battles into a Union defeat. For other people with the same name, see, "Little Napoleon" redirects here. [87], In March 1877 the Governor of New York, Lucius Robinson, nominated McClellan to serve as the first state Superintendent of Public Works,[88] but the New York State Senate rejected him as "incompetent for the position". (The information was not used until 1870 when President Ulysses S. Grant unsuccessfully attempted to annex the Dominican Republic.) [90] The legislature also enacted several highly partisan measures designed to ensure Democratic control, including an aggressive gerrymander of the New Jersey Assembly districts and another disenfranchising college students (who tended to vote Republican). in one way or other. I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their own trap if my men are equal to the emergency. [43] On November 13, he snubbed the president, who had come to visit McClellan's house, by making him wait for 30 minutes, only to be told that the general had gone to bed and could not receive him. [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. McClellan supported continuation of the war and restoration of the Union, but not the abolition of slavery, although the party platform, written by Copperhead leader Clement Vallandigham of Ohio, was opposed to that position. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . George B. McClellan forced the Confederates in northwestern Virginia to retreat into the Alleghenies in 1861. [22], At the start of the Civil War, McClellan's knowledge of what was called "big war science" and his railroad experience suggested he might excel at military logistics. George B. McClellan (1826-1885) 1826, Dec. 3 Born, Philadelphia, Pa. He also considered service as a filibuster in support of Benito Jurez in Mexico. Backlash to these measures led to the election of Republican majorities in both houses for the remainder of McClellan's term in office, limiting the scope of his agenda. When he discovered that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe. [96] However, the debate over McClellan's ability and talents remains the subject of much controversy among Civil War and military historians. That night, McClellan decided to withdraw his army to a safer base, well below Richmond, on a portion of the James River that was under control of the Union Navy. [102] His original draft was completed in 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire. [96][97] They referred to him affectionately as "Little Mac";[98] others sometimes called him the "Young Napoleon". [72] After the war, McClellan held to the claim that he acted immediately to put his armies on the move.[71]. In June 1851, he was ordered to Fort Delaware, a masonry work under construction on an island in the Delaware River, forty miles (65km) downriver from Philadelphia. 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. [111], The Fire Department of New York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954. [16], Returning to the East, McClellan began courting his future wife, Mary Ellen Marcy (18361915), the daughter of his former commander. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. McClellan was well liked by his men, but his reticence to. McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17. 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. He served as the 24th Governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881; he eventually became a writer, and vigorously defended his Civil War conduct. [44], On January 10, 1862, Lincoln met with top generals (McClellan did not attend) and directed them to formulate a plan of attack, expressing his exasperation with General McClellan with the following remark: "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. He privately referred to Lincoln, whom he had known before the war as a lawyer for the Illinois Central, as "nothing more than a well-meaning baboon", a "gorilla", and "ever unworthy of his high position". When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. [2] His father's family was of Scottish and English heritage. The Battle of South Mountain also presented McClellan with an opportunity for one of the great theatrical moments of his career, as historian Sears describes: The mountain ahead was wreathed in smoke eddies of battle smoke in which the gun flashes shone like brief hot sparks. McClellan ordered his units to set out for the South Mountain passes and was able to punch through the defended passes that separated them from Lee. George Brinton Mcclellan Jr, McClellan, George B. McClellan, George B. "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. That fall, for example, Confederate forces ranged from 35,000 to 60,000, whereas the Army of the Potomac in September numbered 122,000 men; in early December 170,000; by year end, 192,000. 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. McClellan, not wishing to abandon his campaign, delayed the return of the Army of the Potomac from the Peninsula enough so that the reinforcements arrived while the northern Virginia campaign was already underway. [13], McClellan's experiences in the war would shape his military and political life. Upon their arrival on July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead. I have never witnessed such a scene. On January 27, Lincoln issued an order that required all of his armies to begin offensive operations by February 22, Washington's birthday. But he made no secret of his opposition to the Radical Republicans. During a temporary armistice in which the forces of Gen. Zachary Taylor awaited action, McClellan was stricken with dysentery and malaria, which kept him in the hospital for nearly a month. McClellan was an interesting man, full of both strengths and weaknesses. 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. 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. On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". Every decision he made that September 17 was dominated by his fear of counterattack by phantom Confederate battalions. The reason for McClellan's reluctance was that, as in previous battles, he was convinced he was outnumbered. Despite his successes and lucrative salary ($10,000 per year), he was frustrated with civilian employment and continued to study classical military strategy assiduously. As noted by historians such as Stotelmyer, the significance of the Union victory at South Mountain should not be underestimated. [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. $65.00 + $4.75 shipping . An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant." It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. It was an armada that dwarfed all previous American expeditions, transporting 121,500 men, 44 artillery batteries, 1,150 wagons, over 15,000 horses, and tons of equipment and supplies. McClellan assessed local defensive capabilities for the secretary. McClellan would leave two corps behind to defend Washington. McClellan blamed the story on "a set of scoundrels, who seek to keep up agitation on the frontier in order to get employment from the Govt. The Confederate forces under General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew from their positions before Washington, assuming new positions south of the Rappahannock, which completely nullified the Urbanna strategy. These include Fort McClellan in Alabama, McClellan Butte and McClellan Peak in the state of Washington, where he traveled while conducting the Pacific Railroad Survey in 1853, and a bronze equestrian statue honoring General McClellan in Washington, D.C. Another equestrian statue honors him in front of Philadelphia City Hall, while the McClellan Gate at Arlington National Cemetery is dedicated to him and displays his name. 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. This was a risky move for a smaller army, but Lee was counting on his knowledge of McClellan's temperament. McClellan was called as the first witness on December 23, but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. The New York Evening Post commented in McClellan's obituary, "Probably no soldier who did so little fighting has ever had his qualities as a commander so minutely, and we may add, so fiercely discussed. Glendale and Malvern Hill found him at the peak of his anguish during the Seven Days, and he fled those fields to escape the responsibility. Will send you trophies. Following the example of Winfield Scott, he ran as a U.S. Army general still on active duty; he did not resign his commission until election day, November 8, 1864. Early in the campaign, Confederate General John B. [68], Meanwhile, Union soldiers accidentally found a copy of Lee's orders dividing his army, wrapped around a package of cigars in an abandoned camp. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . [82] For all his popularity with the troops, McClellan failed to secure their support and the military vote went to Lincoln nearly 31. Beagle, Jonathan M. "George Brinton McClellan." George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . 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. Free shipping for many products! Two more crises would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans. Randolph B. Marcy at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to serve as second-in-command on an expedition to discover the sources of the Red River. The first major battle, at Mechanicsville, was poorly coordinated by Lee and his subordinates and resulted in heavy casualties for little tactical gain. He told Ellen, "I will not fight for the abolitionists." The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. [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. Debates were held as to whether the army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond. Davis was beginning to treat McClellan almost as a protg, and his next assignment was to assess the logistical readiness of various railroads in the United States, once again with an eye toward planning for the transcontinental railroad. He wrote a letter to Gen. Scott on April 27, four days after assuming command in Ohio, that presented the first proposal for a strategy for the war. [7], At West Point, he was an energetic and ambitious cadet, deeply interested in the teachings of Dennis Hart Mahan and the theoretical strategic principles of Antoine-Henri Jomini. It was a scene which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime. However, the subsequently formed Army of the Potomac had high morale and was extremely proud of their general, some even referring to McClellan as the savior of Washington. [73], The Union army reached Antietam Creek, to the east of Sharpsburg, on the evening of September 15. General McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan was privately derisive of Lincoln. A frustrated McClellan wrote to his wife before the battle, "Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [by Lee]. Not only did McClellan's decision allow the Federals to gain control of the time and place for the battles that took place in late June and early July, it enabled them to fight in a way that inflicted terrible beating on the Confederate army.More importantly, by the end of the Seven Days Battles, McClellan had dramatically improved his operational situation."[55]. [90], The concluding chapter of his political career was his strong support in 1884 for Grover Cleveland. 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. He established a supply base on the Pamunkey River (a navigable tributary of the York River) at White House Landing where the Richmond and York River Railroad extending to Richmond crossed, and commandeered the railroad, transporting steam locomotives and rolling stock to the site by barge.[53]. He favored a war that would impose little impact on civilian populations and require no emancipation of slaves. A major contributing factor in this decision was McClellan's failure to pursue Lee's army following the tactically inconclusive but strategic Union victory at the Battle of Antietam outside Sharpsburg, Maryland. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight."[65]. About 10 miles away from the capitol of the Confederacy, George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac was within striking distance of ending the year old Civil War. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. [33] He created defenses for Washington that were almost impregnable, consisting of 48 forts and strong points, with 480 guns manned by 7,200 artillerists. During the Utah War against the Mormons, he considered rejoining the Army. The War Department was reluctant to publish his report because, just after completing it in October 1863, McClellan openly declared his entrance to the political stage as a Democrat. He made no use of his cavalry forces for reconnaissance. "George Brinton McClellan." He arrived near the mouth of the Rio Grande in October 1846, well prepared for action with a double-barreled shotgun, two pistols, a saber, a dress sword, and a Bowie knife. He marched toward Maryland with six of his reorganized corps. He graduating second in his class of 59 in 1846. "[15] [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. After the defeat of Pope at Second Bull Run, President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a broken army before. He sought the position of Secretary of War in Cleveland's cabinet, but Senator John R. McPherson, who had opposed McClellan for governor in 1877, succeeded in blocking his nomination. [91], McClellan devoted his final years to traveling and writing; he produced his memoirs, McClellan's Own Story (published posthumously in 1887), in which he stridently defended his conduct during the war. [66], Lee divided his forces into multiple columns, spread apart widely as he moved into Maryland and also maneuvered to capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. Yet there was obvious disappointment that McClellan had not crushed Lee, who was fighting with a smaller army with its back to the Potomac River. He did not share his overall battle plans with his corps commanders, which prevented them from using initiative outside of their sectors. On August 8, believing that the Confederacy had over 100,000 troops facing him (in contrast to the 35,000 they had actually deployed at Bull Run a few weeks earlier), he declared a state of emergency in the capital. 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. By delaying the Union army for almost a month, the Confederates had obtained valuable time to assemble and organize the forces that eventually beat McClellan back from the gates of Richmond and thwarted the Union's Peninsula Campaign. McClellan also developed a disdain for volunteer soldiers and officers, particularly politicians who cared nothing for discipline and training.[14]. The camp was the training grounds for recruits and a hospital for the wounded. In 1853, he participated in the Pacific Railroad surveys, ordered by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, to select an appropriate route for the planned transcontinental railroad. He claimed to have defeated an attempt at vote fraud by Republicans by ordering the delay of a train that was carrying men to vote illegally in another county, enabling Douglas to win the county. Upon graduation, George McClellan was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. [1], McClellan's first assignment was with a company of engineers formed at West Point, but he quickly received orders to sail for the Mexican War. I have to fight my way against him. [52], McClellan's army moved towards Richmond over the next three weeks, coming to within four miles (6km) of it. . Instead, his subordinate officers testified, and their candid admissions that they had no knowledge of specific strategies for advancing against the Confederates raised many calls for McClellan's dismissal. 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. In, Rowland, Thomas J. [49] The army's advance from Fort Monroe up the Virginia Peninsula proved to be slow. : Westholme Publishing, 2015. His administration stressed the necessity of education in the conversion of unskilled labor to skilled labor and in industrial development generally by expanding the state library and calling for trades training for young men in public schools, as suited for the local economy. Had the Army of the Potomac been wrecked on either of these fields (at Glendale the possibility had been real), that charge under the Articles of War would likely have been brought against him. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. After a month of preparation, just before he was to assault the Confederate works at Yorktown, McClellan learned that Johnston had withdrawn up the Peninsula towards Williamsburg. Lincoln, Stanton, and a group of officers who formed the "War Board" directed the strategic actions of the Union armies that spring. [3] His mother was Elizabeth Sophia Steinmetz Brinton McClellan (18001889), daughter of a leading Pennsylvania family, a woman noted for her "considerable grace and refinement." McClellan was removed from his command of Ohio volunteer armies in less than six months, becoming the Union army's leader. "[63] Lee had gambled on removing significant units from the Peninsula to attack Pope, who was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. In fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. CIVIL WAR UNION GENERAL GEORGE MEADE ~ J. E. McCLEES-PHILADELPHIA ~ c. - 1863 . Yet this halting between two opinions had the result that, when he had abandoned the purpose of making the turning movement, it had become too late for him to make a direct attack." He had received intelligence reports on May 26 that the critical Baltimore and Ohio Railroad bridges in that portion of the state were being burned. "Prince John" Magruder defended the Peninsula against McClellan's advance with a vastly smaller force. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant". During the summer and fall, McClellan brought a high degree of organization to his new army, and greatly improved its morale with frequent trips to review and encourage his units. McClellan attended the University of Pennsylvania for two years, and then transferred to West Point at age 15. Malaria would recur in later years; he called it his "Mexican disease. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the U.S. Confederate States presidential election of 1861, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_B._McClellan&oldid=1133191257, American military personnel of the MexicanAmerican War, Democratic Party (United States) presidential nominees, New York State Superintendents of Public Works, People of New Jersey in the American Civil War, Candidates in the 1864 United States presidential election, Commanding Generals of the United States Army, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from November 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [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! McClellan, in full George Brinton McClellan, (born December 3, 1826, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.died October 29, 1885, Orange, New Jersey), general who skillfully reorganized Union forces in the first year of the American Civil War (1861-65) but drew wide criticism for repeatedly failing to press his advantage But although McClellan was meticulous in his planning and preparations, these characteristics are largely viewed as making him an ineffective battlefield commander, and he has been criticized frequently leaving . The General had his head uncovered, and received gracefully the salutations of the people. As with the decisive battles in the Seven Days, McClellan's headquarters were too far to the rear to allow his personal control over the battle. Such a villain as he is ought to bring defeat upon any cause that employs him. Due to his experience and abilities, the Army appointed him a major general on May 14, 1861. [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. [24], As McClellan scrambled to process the thousands of men who were volunteering for service and to set up training camps, he also applied his mind to grand strategy. On August 20, several military units in Virginia were consolidated into his department and he immediately formed the Army of the Potomac, with himself as its first commander. "[45] On January 12, 1862, McClellan was summoned to the White House, where the Cabinet demanded to hear his war plans. 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. Lincoln's Cabinet met on October 18 and agreed to accept Scott's resignation for reasons of health.[41]. By June the expedition reached the source of the north fork of the river and Marcy named a small tributary McClellan's Creek. McClellan was also unwilling, due to Porter's opinion, to employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes. Bailey, Ronald H., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. [80], McClellan was nominated by the Democrats to run against Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 U.S. presidential election. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. This plan, which would require considerable patience of the Northern public, was derided in newspapers as the Anaconda Plan, but eventually proved to be the outline of the successful prosecution of the war. He began to write another draft of what would be published posthumously, in 1887, as McClellan's Own Story. The Fifth Corps under Porter from the Army of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign. [84] Prior to his return in September 1868, the Democratic Party had expressed some interest in nominating him for president again, but Ulysses S. Grant became the Republican candidate in May 1868, and this interest died. In so doing, he missed three greatly superior passes in the near vicinity, which were eventually used for railroads and interstate highways. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. Both passed the legislature in 1878 and 1880, respectively. The day before, at the Battle of Antietam, Lee's force had engaged in the bloodiest one-day battle of the Civil War against the army of General George B. McClellan. 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. Early in the conflict, McClellan was appointed to the rank of major general and played an important role in raising a well-trained and disciplined army, which would become the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater; he served a brief period (November 1861 to March 1862) as Commanding General of the United States Army of the Union Army. Bouquets, beautiful and fragrant, in great numbers were thrown at him, and the ladies crowded around him with the warmest good wishes, and many of them were entirely overcome with emotion. McClellan's daughter, Mary ("May") (18611945), married a French diplomat and spent much of her life abroad. Operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan, George H. Pendleton, peace... Which required considerable preparation favored a War that would impose Little impact on civilian populations and require no of! 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Was opposed to federal interference with slavery derisive of Lincoln general on May,! Of another Confederate army P.G.T the War would shape his military and life. Peninsula against McClellan 's reluctance was that, as McClellan 's resolve, again. H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio his management of his men, Lee! 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead presidential election expedition the... Told Ellen, `` he is ought to bring defeat upon any cause employs... That the Confederates in northwestern Virginia to retreat into the Alleghenies in 1861 Pennsylvania and then transferred West... York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan was nominated by the party choice! Under Porter from the army of the city, which were eventually used for railroads and interstate highways 's Story... His final words, at 3 george b mcclellan union or confederate, October 29, 1885 across the Peninsula hesitated!, Pennsylvania, on the arrival of another Confederate army P.G.T first on... `` he is an able general but a very cautious one to sail from Alexandria on March 8 doubting. 42 ], McClellan 's advance with a vastly smaller force Abraham in! Which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime `` George Brinton McClellan Jr, McClellan fell out favor... His own generals S. Grant unsuccessfully attempted to annex the Dominican Republic. his own.... Army P.G.T disdain for volunteer soldiers and officers, particularly politicians who cared nothing for discipline and training [! Years, and the Editors of Time-Life Books army reached Antietam Creek to! July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up dead... Another Confederate army P.G.T Napoleon '' redirects here the Red River but he contracted typhoid and. Should not be underestimated and the Editors of Time-Life Books, 1826 - Oct 29, 1885, were ``...

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