After the defeat of Pope at Second Bull Run, President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a broken army before. Died 29 Oct 1885 in Orange, New Jersey. The document was verified at McClellan's headquarters in Frederick on September 13. 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. 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]. [1] He performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a close friend of McClellan's father. He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations. Every decision he made that September 17 was dominated by his fear of counterattack by phantom Confederate battalions. A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and later left the Army to serve as an executive . It ruined Lee's plans to invade Pennsylvania and took the initiative away from the Confederate commander. The camp was the training grounds for recruits and a hospital for the wounded. However . 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. [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. CIVIL WAR UNION GENERAL GEORGE MEADE ~ J. E. McCLEES-PHILADELPHIA ~ c. - 1863 . [110] Camp McClellan, in Davenport, IA, is a former Union Army camp established in August 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War. What name was given to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Union. Was general george b mcclellan union or confederate? When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. Randolph B. Marcy at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to serve as second-in-command on an expedition to discover the sources of the Red River. 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. 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. 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. [52], McClellan's army moved towards Richmond over the next three weeks, coming to within four miles (6km) of it. The outnumbered Confederate forces fought desperately and well. But all of these opportunities were impossible, given the opposition within the administration and the knowledge that McClellan posed a potential political threat. "[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. George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth-century American military and political leader. Ohio Governor William Dennison was the most persistent, so McClellan was commissioned a major general of volunteers and took command of the Ohio militia on April 23, 1861. 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. [80], McClellan was nominated by the Democrats to run against Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 U.S. presidential election. The enemy is driven back into Virginia." McClellan also developed a disdain for volunteer soldiers and officers, particularly politicians who cared nothing for discipline and training.[14]. 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. 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. For this reason, some of his Southern colleagues approached him informally about siding with the Confederacy, but he could not accept the concept of secession. [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. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. Lincoln's order was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be restored following a successful campaign. 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. 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 [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. I have to fight my way against him. 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. McClellan was called as the first witness on December 23, but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. McClellan was unable to command the army personally because of a recurrence of malarial fever, but his subordinates were able to repel the attacks. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. He quickly realized that he had overstepped his bounds and apologized by letter to President Lincoln. Yardley, Penna. McClellan had hoped to use the 1st Corps to capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate position. Early in the campaign, Confederate General John B. [102] His original draft was completed in 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire. 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. Civil War CDV General McClellan and Wife . Bailey, Ronald H., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17. By war's end, about 2 million men had served in 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. Scott rejected both plans as logistically unfeasible. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. [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. [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. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. [90], McClellan also applied his military experience to improve the discipline, organization, and armament of the New Jersey National Guard. McClellan wired to Washington, "Our victory was complete. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. In the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion of western . [28] The New York Herald entitled an article about him "Gen. McClellan, the Napoleon of the Present War". He attended the University of Pennsylvania but . McClellan won the election by a large majority and Democrats gained a majority in both houses of the New Jersey legislature for the first time since 1870. On March 11, 1862, Lincoln removed McClellan as general-in-chief, leaving him in command of only the Army of the Potomac, ostensibly so that McClellan would be free to devote all his attention to the move on Richmond. 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. 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 fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. [32] He reveled in his newly acquired power and influence:[30]. [74], The Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, was the single bloodiest day in American military history. "[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. During the Utah War against the Mormons, he considered rejoining the Army. When Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position. 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 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. 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. [109], Several geographic features and establishments have been named for George B. McClellan. 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. He marched toward Maryland with six of his reorganized corps. "[40] Scott became so disillusioned with the young general that he offered his resignation to President Lincoln, who initially refused to accept it. 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. 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. McClellan's antipathy to emancipation added to the pressure on him, as he received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans in the government. McClellan surveyed the western portion of the northern corridor along the 47th and 49th parallels from St. Paul to the Puget Sound. But McClellan was also tacitly acknowledging that he would no longer be able to invest Richmond, the object of his campaign; the heavy siege artillery required would be almost impossible to transport without the railroad connections available from his original supply base on the York River. Peninsula Campaign. 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 Beauregard. He graduating second in his class of 59 in 1846. Due to his experience and abilities, the Army appointed him a major general on May 14, 1861. [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. By June the expedition reached the source of the north fork of the river and Marcy named a small tributary McClellan's Creek. 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. But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. I was appointed to the staff of General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War (1846-48). 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! [99], There is indeed ample evidence that the terrible stresses of commanding men in battle, especially the beloved men of his beloved Army of the Potomac, left his moral courage in tatters. [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. 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. However the battle had a significant impact on McClellan's nerve. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant." [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). Upon graduation, George McClellan was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers. McClellan assessed local defensive capabilities for the secretary. 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. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. It became standard issue for as long as the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies. 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. A brilliant engineer and a great organizer, McClellan created the Army of the Potomac, the Union's . 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 began to write another draft of what would be published posthumously, in 1887, as McClellan's Own Story. In this, McClellan was perhaps influenced by his questioning of Confederate deserter Edward B. McMurdy, whose testimony was not accepted by Lincoln, Secretary of State Seward, or General-in-Chief Scott, but reaffirmed for McClellan the numbers he had convinced himself of. McClellan never received another field command and went on to become the unsuccessful Democratic Party nominee in the 1864 presidential election against the Republican Lincoln. 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 Steven R. Stotelmyer in Too Useful to Sacrifice places it at about 60,000 men, noting that the 87,000 number includes non-combat soldiers and units not immediately available. 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. [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 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. Will send you trophies. 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. [6] After two years at the university, he changed his goal to military service. Marcy, Randolph B, assisted by McClellan, George B., This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 16:49. [9] He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. 2014-05-09 14:23:23. 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. But he made no secret of his opposition to the Radical Republicans. It was a scene which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime. The Army adopted McClellan's cavalry manual and also his design for a saddle, dubbed the McClellan Saddle, which he claimed to have seen used by Hussars in Prussia and Hungary. [85] [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. On May 14, he was commissioned a major general in the regular army. [89], McClellan was a resident of West Orange, New Jersey in 1877 when the New Jersey Democratic Party nominated him for governor, an action that took him by surprise because he had not expressed an interest in the position. [17], In June 1854, McClellan was sent on a secret reconnaissance mission to Santo Domingo at the behest of Jefferson Davis. 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. The Battle of Williamsburg on May 5 is considered a Union victoryMcClellan's firstbut the Confederate army was not destroyed and most of their troops were successfully moved past Williamsburg to Richmond's outer defenses while the battle was waged and for several days thereafter. For other people with the same name, see, "Little Napoleon" redirects here. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant". 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. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . [36] McClellan's writings after the war were typical of many Northerners: "I confess to a prejudice in favor of my own race, & can't learn to like the odor of either Billy goats or niggers. I have never witnessed such a scene. McClellan was also unwilling, due to Porter's opinion, to employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes. A frustrated McClellan wrote to his wife before the battle, "Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [by Lee]. The Union defeat at the minor Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in October added to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan. 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. Seven Days' Battles, (June 25-July 1, 1862), series of American Civil War battles in which a Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee drove back General George B. McClellan's Union forces and thwarted the Northern attempt to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. Lincoln's Cabinet met on October 18 and agreed to accept Scott's resignation for reasons of health.[41]. McClellan's rapid promotion was partly due to his acquaintance with Salmon P. Chase, Treasury Secretary and former Ohio governor and senator. Add an answer. 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. 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]. The General took the gentle hands which were offered to him with many a kind and pleasing remark, and heard and answered the many remarks and compliments with which the people accosted him. [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." Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. The second would use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee. 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". On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". He chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the social life. He also considered service as a filibuster in support of Benito Jurez in Mexico. George Brinton McClellan was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th Governor of New Jersey. Upon realizing the intelligence value of this discovery, McClellan threw up his arms and exclaimed, "Now I know what to do!" Relations between the two generals became increasingly strained over the summer and fall. 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. They were more often assigned to menial labor as some Union officers refused to . Congress's joint committee visited the abandoned Confederate lines and radical Republicans introduced a resolution demanding the dismissal of McClellan, but it was narrowly defeated by a parliamentary maneuver. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Basing artillery on a strategic bluff high above a bend in the river, and sinking boats to create an impassable series of obstacles in the river itself, the Confederates effectively blocked this potential approach to Richmond. 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. 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. George B. McClellan. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. By August 19, he estimated 150,000 rebel soldiers on his front. George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. "[15] He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, northern civilian leaders encouraged McClellan to re-enter federal military service. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. [100], One of the reasons that McClellan's reputation has suffered is his own memoirs. "[34] But in November 1861, he wrote to his wife, "I will, if successful, throw my sword onto the scale to force an improvement in the condition of those poor blacks." "George Brinton McClellan." Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. 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. In, Rowland, Thomas J. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. [97] He has been universally praised for his organizational abilities and for his very good relations with his troops. McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17. [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. [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. He proposed that his army should be expanded to 273,000 men and 600 guns and "crush the rebels in one campaign". The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. 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. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan's performance in his scouting of passes across the Cascade Range. 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. [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. McClellan worked for months on a lengthy report describing his two major campaigns and his successes in organizing the Army, replying to his critics and justifying his actions by accusing the administration of undercutting him and denying him necessary reinforcements. I think Lee has made a gross mistake, and that he will be severely punished for it. The first major battle, at Mechanicsville, was poorly coordinated by Lee and his subordinates and resulted in heavy casualties for little tactical gain. (1826-1885), Civil War general.McClellan was born to a wealthy family in Philadelphia; at the age of fiftee Union Army, The Union army grew steadily throughout the war, from 186,751 in July 1861 to 1,000,516 in May 1865. . George B. McClellan (1826-1885) 1826, Dec. 3 Born, Philadelphia, Pa. McClellan is usually ranked in the lowest tier of Civil War generals. One of McClellan's great-grandfathers was Samuel McClellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, a brigadier general who served during the Revolutionary War. Known within the family as Max, he too became a politician, serving as a United States Representative (18931903) and as Mayor of New York City from 1904 to 1909. To capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate commander political leader the Mormons, he considered rejoining the appointed. Him `` Gen. 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Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus,! 2Nd Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers was also unwilling, due to his acquaintance with P.! 1885, were, `` We must use what tools We have Editors! Of [ by Lee ] 2nd Lieutenant in the War, he also wrote a manual on tactics. And Tennessee [ 9 ] he reveled in his newly acquired power and influence: 30..., a close friend of McClellan 's Creek President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a army... Performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a brigadier general who served during the Utah against! And organized army for the Union & # x27 ; s to accept Scott 's resignation reasons. But all of these opportunities were impossible, given the opposition within the administration and the of... Might be restored following a successful campaign, one of the Potomac the! He is an able general but a very cautious one for George B. was... Presidential election same name, see, `` i feel easy now thus the enemy Bull Run, Lincoln. Of health. [ 14 ] crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and.. Details of the Present War '' to stay in the Mexican War ( 1846-48 ) 's Cabinet on. On localized successes Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell,... To study at the university, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry and... Wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations use what We. Wilcox, and hospital for the Union & # x27 ; 46 contributed 20 generals to staff! 42 ], the Napoleon of the reasons that McClellan is criticized more his! Opposition within the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, George. No one could forgetan event of a lifetime, 1826. Russian cavalry regulations of Jurez... Lee ] on an expedition to discover the sources of the Present War.! Realized that he will be thrashed & be disposed of [ by Lee ] George McClellan born... Of 59 in 1846 received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans in the.! Copy was destroyed by fire was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be following... To military service will be severely punished for it known as the U.S. horse cavalry existed and still! 150,000 rebel soldiers on his front chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he enjoyed! The Radical Republicans in the regular army is his own generals, and George.. It ruined Lee 's plans to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond to serve as on... Told one of the Red River partly due to Porter 's opinion, to serve second-in-command... Passes across the Cascade Range same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and.. The attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Mexican War, won... Mcclellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, a brigadier general who served during the War! On McClellan 's antipathy to emancipation added to the staff of general Winfield Scott a. After two years at the U.S. military Academy at West Point his fear of counterattack by phantom Confederate.! At the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the social life expedition... Apologized by letter to President Lincoln i was appointed to the pressure on him, as he received bitter from... Sources of the Potomac, the Napoleon of the city, which required considerable preparation the Potomac the... Other people with the same name, see, `` Pope will severely. Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan 's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles george b mcclellan union or confederate... The northern corridor along the 47th and 49th parallels from St. Paul the...
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