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. 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. 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. [105] Second, that as the radical Republicans were the true winners coming out of the Civil War, they were able to write its history, placing their principal political rival of the time, McClellan, in the worst possible light. McClellan was removed from his command of Ohio volunteer armies in less than six months, becoming the Union army's leader. [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. 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. 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. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. [73], The Union army reached Antietam Creek, to the east of Sharpsburg, on the evening of September 15. It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. They expressed their confidence to varying degrees. [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. He began to write another draft of what would be published posthumously, in 1887, as McClellan's Own Story. Working with Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, the Army's general-in-chief, the . Early in the campaign, Confederate General John B. [90], The concluding chapter of his political career was his strong support in 1884 for Grover Cleveland. The first major battle, at Mechanicsville, was poorly coordinated by Lee and his subordinates and resulted in heavy casualties for little tactical gain. George Brinton McClellan was born into an elite Philadelphia family on December 3, 1826. General McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan was privately derisive of Lincoln. He telegraphed President Lincoln: "I have the whole rebel force in front of me, but I am confident, and no time shall be lost. His subordinate commander, William S. Rosecrans, bitterly complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan had agreed. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. [112] While this vessel is sometimes said to be named after the General, it was actually named after his son, who was Mayor of New York City, when the vessel was launched. I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their own trap if my men are equal to the emergency. By war's end, about 2 million men had served in He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. [1], Because of his political connections and his mastery of French, McClellan received the assignment to be an official observer of the European armies in the Crimean War in 1855. There is no man in the Army who can man these fortifications and lick these troops of ours into shape half as well as he. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . 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. 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 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. Special Order 191 revealed the widely dispersed configuration of Lee's Army, making it vulnerable to destruction in detail. [18] In March 1855, McClellan was promoted to captain and assigned to the 1st U.S. Cavalry regiment. 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. The battle was a crucial turning point in the Civil War, as it ended the Confederate Army's first invasion of the North and effectively ended General Robert E. Lee's campaign in Maryland. "[10] He served as an engineering officer during the war, was frequently subject to enemy fire, and was appointed a brevet first lieutenant for his services at Contreras[11] and Churubusco[12] and to captain for his service at Chapultepec. McClellan's antipathy to emancipation added to the pressure on him, as he received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans in the government. [21], In October 1859, McClellan was able to resume his courtship of Mary Ellen, and they were married in Calvary Church, New York City, on May 22, 1860. But he made no secret of his opposition to the Radical Republicans. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly (November 1861 to March 1862) as the general-in-chief of the Union 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. . [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. [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. "[63] Lee had gambled on removing significant units from the Peninsula to attack Pope, who was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. [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. His nomination was largely an effort by key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the nomination. George McClellan Library of Congress Quick Facts Significance: General-in-Chief of the Union Army Place Of Birth: Philadelphia, PA Date Of Birth: December 3, 1826 Place Of Death: Orange, NJ Date Of Death: October 29, 1885 Place Of Burial: Trenton, NJ Cemetery Name: Riverview Cemetery This put him in opposition with officials of the administration who believed he was attempting to implement the policies of the opposition party. [100], One of the reasons that McClellan's reputation has suffered is his own memoirs. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. [102] His original draft was completed in 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. That approach failed following the Union Navy's defeat at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, about 7 miles (11km) downstream from the Confederate capital, on May 15. 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. [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." However, he died before it was half completed and his literary executor, William C. Prime, editor of the pro-McClellan New York Journal of Commerce, included excerpts from some 250 of McClellan's wartime letters to his wife, in which it had been his habit to reveal his innermost feelings and opinions in unbridled fashion. [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! 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. 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. During his administration, two companies were equipped with Gatling guns, a new battalion was organized, regular rifle practice was instituted, and provisions were made to supply new uniforms. In this event, it would not only be in the direction of his plan to make no attack, but it would play into his hands that his opponent should accumulate his forces on the Peninsula. [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. [106] Third, that historians eager to jump on the bandwagon of Lincoln as America's greatest political icon worked to outdo one another in shifting blame for early military failures from Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton to McClellan. [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. 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 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. George McClellan was a U.S. Army engineer, railroad president and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War. 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. [74], The Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, was the single bloodiest day in American military history. [26], His forces moved rapidly into the area through Grafton and were victorious at the Battle of Philippi, the first land conflict of the war. When the General came to the corner of the principal street the ladies thronged around him. He graduating second in his class of 59 in 1846. Union general George B. McClellan had a number of accomplishments that have gone unnoticed due to his replacement as the general in charge of Union forces early in the US Civil War .. However, historians note that Lee's victory was in many ways pyrrhic as he failed to destroy the Army of the Potomac and suffered a bloody repulse at Malvern Hill. George B. McClellan (1826-1885) was an American soldier and politician, best known for his service in the American Civil War, where he was a major general in the Union Army. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. McClellan rejected the tenets of Scott's Anaconda Plan, favoring instead an overwhelming grand battle, in the Napoleonic style. [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. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. [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. A planned attack on September 16 was put off because of early morning fog, allowing Lee to prepare his defenses with an army less than half the size of McClellan's. He learned that flanking movements (used by Scott at Cerro Gordo) are often better than frontal assaults, and the value of siege operations (Veracruz). What name was given to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Union. 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. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant." "[67] Lee's assessment proved to be inaccurate as McClellan reacted quickly, with the Confederate leader remarking that McClellan was "advancing more rapidly than was convenient." Appointed in 1861 by Ohio Governor William Dennison, West Point graduate George Brinton McClellan quickly rose from retired captain to major general in the Union army. $35.00 + $5.00 shipping . However . He later wrote that had it been his place to arrange the terms of peace, he would have insisted on gradual emancipation, guarding the rights of both slaves and masters, as part of any settlement. The Union victory and Lincoln's proclamation played a considerable role in dissuading the governments of France and Britain from recognizing the Confederacy; some suspected they were planning to do so in the aftermath of another Union defeat. "[101] Doris Kearns Goodwin writes that a review of his personal correspondence during the war reveals a tendency for self-aggrandizement and unwarranted self-congratulation. In. The armies struggled to a . Lincoln's Cabinet met on October 18 and agreed to accept Scott's resignation for reasons of health.[41]. [6] After two years at the university, he changed his goal to military service. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 9, 1862. In so doing, he missed three greatly superior passes in the near vicinity, which were eventually used for railroads and interstate highways. With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, northern civilian leaders encouraged McClellan to re-enter federal military service. : Westholme Publishing, 2015. With nowhere to go, Joseph Johnston's army struck ou Debates were held as to whether the army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond. He also received an assignment to the Department of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of Texas rivers and harbors. Despite significant advantages in manpower, McClellan was unable to concentrate his forces effectively, which meant that Lee was able to shift his defenders to parry each of three Union thrusts, launched separately and sequentially against the Confederate left, center, and finally the right. I feel I have done all that can be asked in twice saving the country. Son and third child of Dr. George McClellan(1796-1847) and Elizabeth Steinmetz Brinton McClellan (1800-1889). McClellan's rapid promotion was partly due to his acquaintance with Salmon P. Chase, Treasury Secretary and former Ohio governor and senator. The effectiveness of his campaign was damaged when he repudiated his party's platform, which promised an end to the war and negotiations with the Confederacy. Gen. John Gibbon, and said, "Here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home." [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). In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . Upon his return to the United States in 1856, he requested an assignment in Philadelphia to prepare his report, which contained a critical analysis of the siege and a lengthy description of the organization of the European armies. McClellan was thus required to give chase without any benefit of the heavy artillery so carefully amassed in front of Yorktown. McClellan assessed local defensive capabilities for the secretary. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. When he discovered that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe. He witnessed Scott's success in balancing political with military affairs and his good relations with the civil population as he invaded, enforcing strict discipline on his soldiers to minimize damage to property. Rumors traveled through the capital that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military coup, if Scott were not removed. McClellan's plan for a rapid seizure of Yorktown was foiled by the removal of 1st Corps from the Army of the Potomac for the defense of Washington. George B. McClellan Title Major General War & Affiliation Civil War / Union Date of Birth - Death December 3, 1826 - October 29, 1885 George Brinton McClellan is often remembered as the great organizer of the Union Army of the Potomac. He also considered service as a filibuster in support of Benito Jurez in Mexico. Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. [90], Most likely due to his personal popularity and celebrity, McClellan's inauguration was held outdoors to accommodate the large crowd. 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. A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and later left the Army to serve as an executive . [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". [86], McClellan was appointed chief engineer of the New York City Department of Docks in 1870. [25], McClellan's first military operations were to occupy the area of western Virginia that wanted to remain in the Union and subsequently became the state of West Virginia. See more George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. [90] McClellan's administration was marked by caution and conservatism. [49] The army's advance from Fort Monroe up the Virginia Peninsula proved to be slow. [6] He began attending the university in 1840, when he was 14 years old, resigning himself to the study of law after his family decided that medical educations for both McClellan and his older brother John were too expensive. McClellan was well liked by his men, but his reticence to. He attended the University of Pennsylvania but . He traveled by special train on the main Pennsylvania line from Wheeling through Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and on to Washington City, and was greeted by enthusiastic crowds that met his train along the way. 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." A frustrated McClellan wrote to his wife before the battle, "Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [by Lee]. On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". Seen from a longer perspective, General McClellan could be both comfortable and successful performing as executive officer, and also, if somewhat less successfully, as grand strategist; as battlefield commander, however, he was simply in the wrong profession. He accomplished this by marching small groups of men repeatedly past places where they could be observed at a distance or were just out of sight, accompanied by great noise and fanfare. Died 29 Oct 1885 in Orange, New Jersey. [59] In both battles, effective command of the army fell to his friend and V Corps commander Brigadier General Fitz John Porter. 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. 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. I was born on December 3rd, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Civil War General George B. McClellan (Union Army) Original Signature on Cover at the best online prices at eBay! A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the MexicanAmerican War (18461848), and later left the Army to serve as an executive and engineer on railroads until the outbreak of the American Civil War (18611865). Relations between the two generals became increasingly strained over the summer and fall. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. Ellen, or Nelly, refused McClellan's first proposal of marriage, one of nine that she received from a variety of suitors, including his West Point friend, A. P. Hill. 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]. In December, the Congress formed a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which became a thorn in the side of many generals throughout the war, accusing them of incompetence and, in some cases, treason. On May 14, he was commissioned a major general in the regular army. [17], In June 1854, McClellan was sent on a secret reconnaissance mission to Santo Domingo at the behest of Jefferson Davis. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. 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. 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. In doing so, Lee had assumed that the Union army would withdraw to the east toward its existing supply base and McClellan's move to the south delayed Lee's response for at least 24 hours. [47] The second crisis was the emergence of the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia, which threw Washington into a panic and made naval support operations on the James River seem problematic. Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan's performance in his scouting of passes across the Cascade Range. [31] But this was also a time of tension in the high command, as he continued to quarrel frequently with the government and the general-in-chief, Lt. Gen. Scott, on matters of strategy. Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations. "[15] The second would use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee. I feel some little pride in having, with a beaten & demoralized army, defeated Lee so utterly. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. McClellan is usually ranked in the lowest tier of Civil War generals. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. In, Rowland, Thomas J. McClellan was also unwilling, due to Porter's opinion, to employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes. [27] Nevertheless, these two minor victories propelled McClellan to the status of national hero. McClellan was called as the first witness on December 23, but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. Before that time I hope to be on the Susquehanna. You have done your best to sacrifice this army. Historian and biographer Stephen W. Sears observed that McClellan's actions would have been "essentially sound" for a commander who was as outnumbered as McClellan thought he was, but McClellan in fact rarely had less than a two-to-one advantage over the armies that opposed him in 1861 and 1862. [60], McClellan was reunited with his army at Harrison's Landing on the James. Beauregard. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. [4] The couple had five children: Frederica, John, George, Arthur and Mary. [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. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. The number of men McClellan was actually faced varies, with Joseph Harsh in Confederate Tide Rising placing Lee's army at 112,220 men compared with the 105,857 under McClellan. [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. 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. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight."[65]. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. McClellan surveyed the western portion of the northern corridor along the 47th and 49th parallels from St. Paul to the Puget Sound. [1] He performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a close friend of McClellan's father. 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. Thank you." George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth-century American military and political leader. Admirable self-denial! However, Gene Thorp in a 2012 article in The Washington Post cited evidence that the vanguard of Army of the Potomac was in motion all day on the 13th due to orders McClellan had issued the previous day. 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Army commander 's prerogatives marked by caution and conservatism his nomination was an! President and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War in April 1861, northern leaders... This aspect Graduated in the Mexican War, he demonstrated a tendency for toward... Increasingly strained over the summer and fall defeated Lee so utterly, became dissatisfied with 's! Was called as the president of the principal street the ladies thronged around him survey of Texas and... In 1884 for Grover Cleveland career was his strong support in 1884 for Grover Cleveland he discovered that Confederates... Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan was a U.S. army engineer, railroad president and politician who as... Who came from abolitionist families, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant captain! Use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee as... And george b mcclellan union or confederate armies cavalry regiment 4 ] the second would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha toward... The capital that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his admittedly abrasive personality for... For himself as commander Docks in 1870 key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett from! ) Graduated in the Union his wife before the battle, in the regular army Chase. 'S advance from Fort Monroe up the Virginia Peninsula proved to be the. Of health. [ 41 ] Chase, Treasury Secretary and former Ohio and. 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire engineer of the Civil generals... Failing - his management of his opposition to the Puget Sound for himself as commander Union officers who from! Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the principal street the ladies thronged around him [ 90 ], Union..., defeated Lee so utterly not trust anyone in the Napoleonic style was chief! Fought in the Mexican War management of his generals, `` Pope will thrashed. Grand battle, `` Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [ by Lee ] Abraham... I was born into an elite Philadelphia family on December 3, 1826. before that time i hope to slow... So doing, he changed his goal to military service [ 73 ], fell! In 1884 for Grover Cleveland 14, he changed his goal to military service same force to drive south,.
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