[9] He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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. His first personal command in battle was at Rich Mountain, which he also won. 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." [30], Carl Sandburg wrote, "McClellan was the man of the hour, pointed to by events, and chosen by an overwhelming weight of public and private opinion. : Westholme Publishing, 2015. Place Of Burial: Trenton, NJ. 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. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . [90], The concluding chapter of his political career was his strong support in 1884 for Grover Cleveland. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. "[41], Lincoln, as well as many other leaders and citizens of the northern states, became increasingly impatient with McClellan's slowness to attack the Confederate forces still massed near Washington. 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. 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. 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. 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. The General had his head uncovered, and received gracefully the salutations of the people. [90], McClellan also applied his military experience to improve the discipline, organization, and armament of the New Jersey National Guard. He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. The Union defeat at the minor Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in October added to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan. See more George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. Because McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862. With the assistance of his father's letter to President John Tyler, McClellan was accepted at the United States Military Academy in 1842 at the age of 15, with the academy waiving its usual minimum age of 16. 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]. George McClellan Birth of the USA American Constitution American Independence War Causes of the American Revolution Democratic Republican Party General Thomas Gage biography Intolerable Acts Loyalists Powers of the President Quebec Act Seven Years' War Stamp Act Tea Party Cold War Battle of Dien Bin Phu Brezhnev Doctrine Brezhnev Era And he was far too willing to accept cautious advice about saving his reserves, such as when a significant breakthrough in the center of the Confederate line could have been exploited, but Fitz John Porter is said to have told McClellan, "Remember, General, I command the last reserve of the last Army of the Republic."[76]. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. McClellan was an interesting man, full of both strengths and weaknesses. 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. 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. 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. But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. [111], The Fire Department of New York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954. McClellan was also fortunate that the failure of the campaign left his army mostly intact, because he was generally absent from the fighting and neglected to name any second-in-command who might direct his retreat. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 58 at Orange, New Jersey, after suffering from chest pains for a few weeks. The armies struggled to a . George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. [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. [54] Ethan Rafuse notes "McClellan's change of base to the James, however, thwarted Lee's attempt to do this. McClellan was called as the first witness on December 23, but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. 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. [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. [85] Bailey, Ronald H., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. Date Of Death: October 29, 1885. 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. 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 I find myself in a new and strange position herePresdt, Cabinet, Genl Scott & all deferring to meby some strange operation of magic I seem to have become the power of the land. Gen. John Gibbon, and said, "Here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home." It was a scene which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime. 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. 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. McClellan Park in Milbridge, Maine, was donated to the town by the general's son with the stipulation that it be named for the general. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. This was a risky move for a smaller army, but Lee was counting on his knowledge of McClellan's temperament. 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. 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 b. 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 over confederate 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. Under the pressure of his ultimate soldier's responsibility, the will to command deserted him. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, northern civilian leaders encouraged McClellan to re-enter federal military service. It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. On May 14, he was commissioned a major general in the regular army. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The names are legendary: Thomas . Upon realizing the intelligence value of this discovery, McClellan threw up his arms and exclaimed, "Now I know what to do!" 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. In a telegram to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, reporting on these events, McClellan blamed the Lincoln administration for his reversals. Making an amphibious clockwise turning movement around the Confederate Army in northern Virginia, McClellan's forces turned west to move up the Virginia Peninsula, between the James River and York River, landing from Chesapeake Bay, with the Confederate capital, Richmond, as their objective. [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. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . The Fifth Corps under Porter from the Army of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign. "George Brinton McClellan." [38] The result was a level of extreme caution that sapped the initiative of McClellan's army and dismayed the government. [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. As Lee recounted, McClellan was attempting to make "this a battle of posts" which would lock the Confederate army in an attritional battle with superior Union firepower. [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. [65] McClellan's reception in Frederick, Maryland, as he marched towards Lee's army, was described by the correspondent for Harper's Magazine: The General rode through the town on a trot, and the street was filled six or eight deep with his staff and guard riding on behind him. [13], McClellan's experiences in the war would shape his military and political life. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. A chronology of key events in the life of George B. McClellan (1826-1885), U.S. Army officer and governor of New Jersey. By August 19, he estimated 150,000 rebel soldiers on his front. McClellan continued to believe intelligence reports that credited the Confederates with two or three times the men they actually had. I was appointed to the staff of General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War (1846-48). On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. [37], The immediate problem with McClellan's war strategy was that he was convinced the Confederates were ready to attack him with overwhelming numbers. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. "[31] On July 26, the day he reached the capital, McClellan was appointed commander of the Military Division of the Potomac, the main Union force responsible for the defense of 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. George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885) - Born 3 Dec 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [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. 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. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. They were more often assigned to menial labor as some Union officers refused to . $65.00 + $4.75 shipping . In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. Lincoln won the election handily, with 212 Electoral College votes to 21, and a popular vote of 2,218,388 to 1,812,807 or 55% to 45%. He married Mary Ellen Marcy, on May 22, 1860. In fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. The document was verified at McClellan's headquarters in Frederick on September 13. 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. [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. [4] The couple had five children: Frederica, John, George, Arthur and Mary. He marched toward Maryland with six of his reorganized corps. MG George B. McClellan (1861-1862) MG Henry W. Halleck (1862-1864) . When he discovered that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe. In so doing, he missed three greatly superior passes in the near vicinity, which were eventually used for railroads and interstate highways. As he quickly implemented plans to invade the region, he triggered his first serious political controversy by proclaiming to the citizens there that his forces had no intentions of interfering with personal propertyincluding slaves. 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. May 22, 1860 vice president george b mcclellan union or confederate George, Arthur and Mary a peace candidate from Ohio would with. 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