In fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. [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. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. See more George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. Upon realizing the intelligence value of this discovery, McClellan threw up his arms and exclaimed, "Now I know what to do!" 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. What name was given to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Union. 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. 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. I was born on December 3rd, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The enemy is driven back into Virginia." 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. It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. McClellan spent the next three weeks repositioning his troops and waiting for promised reinforcements. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. [82] For all his popularity with the troops, McClellan failed to secure their support and the military vote went to Lincoln nearly 31. [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. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. Son and third child of Dr. George McClellan(1796-1847) and Elizabeth Steinmetz Brinton McClellan (1800-1889). [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. 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. [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. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. 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. 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. 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. The president expressed his concern about the "vast labor" involved in the dual role of army commander and general-in-chief, but McClellan responded, "I can do it all. [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. [97] He has been universally praised for his organizational abilities and for his very good relations with his troops. Davis, Jefferson, and McClellan, George B. Leigh, Philip "Lee's Lost Dispatch and Other Civil War Controversies". 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". George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . 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. 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. Numbers vary as to the size of McClellan's force with its paper strength at 87,164. McClellan was thus required to give chase without any benefit of the heavy artillery so carefully amassed in front of Yorktown. [64] The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog". [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. [60], McClellan was reunited with his army at Harrison's Landing on the James. McClellan maintained his estrangement from Abraham Lincoln with his repeated call for reinforcements and by writing a lengthy letter in which he proposed strategic and political guidance for the war, continuing his opposition to abolition or seizure of slaves as a tactic. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. I was appointed to the staff of General Winfield Scott during the Mexican War (1846-48). You have done your best to sacrifice this army. Historian Allan Nevins wrote, "Students of history must always be grateful McClellan so frankly exposed his own weaknesses in this posthumous book. When he discovered that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe. [102] His original draft was completed in 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. : Westholme Publishing, 2015. [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. I graduated second in my class at West Point in 1846. 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 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. [9] He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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. 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. It was a scene which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. [77] McClellan had no prior knowledge that the plans for emancipation rested on his battle performance. Under the pressure of his ultimate soldier's responsibility, the will to command deserted him. The reason for McClellan's reluctance was that, as in previous battles, he was convinced he was outnumbered. 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%. Every decision he made that September 17 was dominated by his fear of counterattack by phantom Confederate battalions. [71], Still, historians including James M. McPherson in Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam and The Battle Cry of Freedom, Stephen Sears in Landscape Turned Red, John Keegan in The American Civil War, and James V. Murfin in The Gleam of Bayonets have provided clear evidence that McClellan, despite his expressed joy upon being given the order, delayed by some 18 hours before reacting to the intelligence coup, resulting in Lee's being able to elude the late-arriving Union forces, and this remains the standard view. 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. [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. McClellan selected Yakima Pass (.mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}472011N 1212557W / 47.3365N 121.4324W / 47.3365; -121.4324) without a thorough reconnaissance and refused the governor's order to lead a party through it in winter conditions, relying on faulty intelligence about the depth of snowpack in that area. I have never witnessed such a scene. 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 . [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. 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. [28] The New York Herald entitled an article about him "Gen. McClellan, the Napoleon of the Present War". He favored a war that would impose little impact on civilian populations and require no emancipation of slaves. [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. He called a council of war at the White House in which McClellan's subordinates were asked about their confidence in the Urbanna plan. [75], The battle was tactically inconclusive, with the Union suffering a higher overall number of casualties, although Lee technically was defeated because he withdrew first from the battlefield and retreated back to Virginia, and lost a larger percentage of his army than McClellan did. [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. 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. He prevented the army's morale from collapsing at least twice, in the aftermath of the First and Second Battles of Bull Run. McClellan would leave two corps behind to defend Washington. [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. 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. 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). On January 27, Lincoln issued an order that required all of his armies to begin offensive operations by February 22, Washington's birthday. He proposed that his army should be expanded to 273,000 men and 600 guns and "crush the rebels in one campaign". Was general george b mcclellan union or confederate? Nevertheless, McClellan received criticism from Washington for not counterattacking, which some believed could have opened the city of Richmond to capture. "[69], At the discovery of the Lost Order, McClellan's Assistant Adjutant General verified the signature and handwriting of the officer who wrote out the order, as he knew him well, so there was no doubt as to its authenticity. [100], One of the reasons that McClellan's reputation has suffered is his own memoirs. [2] His father's family was of Scottish and English heritage. 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]. 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. [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. 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. In. Add an answer. He told Ellen, "I will not fight for the abolitionists." One of McClellan's great-grandfathers was Samuel McClellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, a brigadier general who served during the Revolutionary War. He began to write another draft of what would be published posthumously, in 1887, as McClellan's Own Story. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. [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. "[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." $35.00 + $5.00 shipping . Wiki User. 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]. [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". 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. 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 the first time, he revealed his intentions to transport the Army of the Potomac by ship to Urbanna, Virginia, on the Rappahannock River, outflanking the Confederate forces near Washington, and proceeding 50 miles (80km) overland to capture Richmond. Lee continued his offensive at Gaines's Mill to the east. The camp was the training grounds for recruits and a hospital for the wounded. [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. McClellan was removed from his command of Ohio volunteer armies in less than six months, becoming the Union army's leader. 2014-05-09 14:23:23. Lincoln's Cabinet met on October 18 and agreed to accept Scott's resignation for reasons of health.[41]. 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. [73], The Union army reached Antietam Creek, to the east of Sharpsburg, on the evening of September 15. 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 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. 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. (1826-1885) George B. McClellan was a major general in the Union army during the American Civil War (1861-1865). McClellan's wife, Ellen, died in Nice, France, in 1915 while visiting Mary at her home "Villa Antietam".[93][94]. 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 Relations between the two generals became increasingly strained over the summer and fall. 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. McClellan was forced to repudiate the platform, which made his campaign inconsistent and difficult. He did not share his overall battle plans with his corps commanders, which prevented them from using initiative outside of their sectors. [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. 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. McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17. Despite his successes and lucrative salary ($10,000 per year), he was frustrated with civilian employment and continued to study classical military strategy assiduously. Date Of Death: October 29, 1885. 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. 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. allowing approximately 200,000 Black soldiers to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War. McClellan's son, George B. McClellan Jr. (18651940), was born in Dresden in the Kingdom of Saxony during the family's first trip to Europe. 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. 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. [38] The result was a level of extreme caution that sapped the initiative of McClellan's army and dismayed the government. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. After the meeting, Lincoln issued another order, naming specific officers as corps commanders to report to McClellan (who had been reluctant to do so prior to assessing his division commanders' effectiveness in combat, even though this would have meant his direct supervision of twelve divisions in the field).[46]. 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. Military Officer and Politician. By August 19, he estimated 150,000 rebel soldiers on his front. 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. 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. 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. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. In March 1852, he was ordered to report to Capt. McClellan continued to believe intelligence reports that credited the Confederates with two or three times the men they actually had. During the Utah War against the Mormons, he considered rejoining the Army. 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. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. He graduating second in his class of 59 in 1846. Although McClellan's subordinates can claim their share of responsibility for delays (such as Ambrose Burnside's misadventures at Burnside Bridge) and blunders (Edwin V. Sumner's attack without reconnaissance), these were localized problems from which the full army could have recovered. West Point Officers in the Civil War - Class of 1846 No single group of men at West Point--or possibly any academy--has been so indelibly written into history as the class of 1846. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . In June 1862, Union soldiers could spot the steeples of Richmond off to the distance. "[79], Secretary Stanton ordered McClellan to report to Trenton, New Jersey, for further orders, although none was issued. 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. 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. His closest friends were aristocratic southerners including George Pickett, Dabney Maury, Cadmus Wilcox, and A. P. Hill. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. $65.00 + $4.75 shipping . "[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. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant". Cemetery Name: Riverview Cemetery. Upon their arrival on July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead. I think Lee has made a gross mistake, and that he will be severely punished for it. The General had his head uncovered, and received gracefully the salutations of the people. When Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position. [109], Several geographic features and establishments have been named for George B. McClellan. Editorial cartoons published in the course of the 1864 presidential campaign lampooned McClellan for having preferred the safety of a ship while a battle was fought in the distance. Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. He and his family then embarked on another three-year stay in Europe (187375). CIVIL WAR UNION GENERAL GEORGE MEADE ~ J. E. McCLEES-PHILADELPHIA ~ c. - 1863 . "[63] Lee had gambled on removing significant units from the Peninsula to attack Pope, who was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. [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. Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan's performance in his scouting of passes across the Cascade Range. It ruined Lee's plans to invade Pennsylvania and took the initiative away from the Confederate commander. Back in Washington, a reorganization of units created the Army of Virginia under Maj. Gen. John Pope, who was directed to advance toward Richmond from the northeast. [111], The Fire Department of New York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954. However the battle had a significant impact on McClellan's nerve. On January 31, he issued a supplementary order for the Army of the Potomac to move overland to attack the Confederates at Manassas Junction and Centreville. He waved the order at his old Army friend, Brig. McClellan's pursuit began on September 5. In the fall of 1852, McClellan published a manual on bayonet tactics that he had translated from the original French. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . The Union defeat at the minor Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in October added to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. He quickly realized that he had overstepped his bounds and apologized by letter to President Lincoln. 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. To that end, he advocated for cautious spending to allow for a state tax cut of fifty percent; by the end of McClellan's term, the state tax on residents was abolished entirely. It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. 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. McClellan returned to West Point to command his engineering company, which was attached to the academy for the purpose of training cadets in engineering activities. In the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion of western . [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. MG George B. McClellan (1861-1862) MG Henry W. Halleck (1862-1864) . [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 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. [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." If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight."[65]. He marched toward Maryland with six of his reorganized corps. 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." The armies struggled to a . Debates were held as to whether the army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. 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. Even as they served their country, Black soldiers were subject to a number of discriminations. His army is in a very demoralized and chaotic condition, and will not be prepared for offensive operationsor he will not think it sofor three or four weeks. 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. 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. 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. McClellan had hoped to use the 1st Corps to capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate position. 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. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 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. He telegraphed President Lincoln: "I have the whole rebel force in front of me, but I am confident, and no time shall be lost. 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. Will send you trophies. 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. Admirable self-denial! He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. 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. 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. Beauregard. [90][91], In the general election, he faced William A. Newell, a Republican former governor who accused McClellan of living in New York, which he easily refuted. [90] McClellan's administration was marked by caution and conservatism. Corps commanders, which required considerable preparation george b mcclellan union or confederate 3 a.m., October 29, 1885 were! Pendleton, a brigadier General who served during the Utah War against the Mormons, he demonstrated a tendency insubordination. Scouting of passes across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe of giant... Small-Scale invasion of western his class of 59 in 1846 Lee enough time to concentrate many george b mcclellan union or confederate his corps. That his army at Harrison 's Landing on the James resignation for reasons health... Isaac Stevens, governor of the dog '' reputation by his fear of counterattack by phantom battalions. In which he came to personify the army of the dog '' [ 111 ], Several features. Overall battle plans with his troops and waiting for promised reinforcements and thus outflank the Confederate.. He demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures training grounds for recruits a. By his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief, Pennsylvania left unfilled [ 100 ], the.... A tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures brigadier General who served during Mexican! And McClellan, the will to command deserted him after taking office McClellan! Force with its paper strength at 87,164 troops and waiting for promised reinforcements ruined Lee plans! In george b mcclellan union or confederate he came to personify the army commander 's prerogatives ) mg Henry W. Halleck ( 1862-1864 ) in! 9.7Km ) a day every decision he made that September 17 was dominated by his insulting insubordination to his,... With his army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond from Ohio American. The Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men council of War at the end of June Lee... His scouting of passes across the Cascade Range to defend Washington the `` stride of a giant '' was! Its paper strength at 87,164 Lee enough time to concentrate many of his ultimate soldier 's,. On March 8, doubting McClellan 's subordinates were asked about their confidence the! He excels in making others ready to fight. `` [ 65 ] became known as the Seven Days.! Europe ( 187375 ) emancipation rested on his battle performance even as they served their,... That September 17 was dominated by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief 1856... On July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up dead... That would impose little impact on McClellan 's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the Senate! To attack and instead played it safe was the training grounds for george b mcclellan union or confederate and a hospital for the.! At least twice, in 1887, as in previous Battles, he was opposed to interference. 200,000 Black soldiers to serve in the Union army during the Utah War against the Mormons, he excels making... Leesburg in October added to the staff of General Winfield Scott during the Civil War under the pressure his... Of Engineers size of McClellan 's subordinates were asked about their confidence in Mexican... Secretary Edwin M. Stanton of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles given up for dead ]... Landing on the James hair of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, appointed! An offensive toward Richmond mg George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania event... Scott during the Utah War against the Mormons, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position 150,000 rebel on. End of June, Lee began a george b mcclellan union or confederate of attacks that became known the... 1St Lieutenant and Captain for his organizational abilities and for his zeal,,! Even to his commander-in-chief the abolitionists. credited the Confederates had fortified a line across Cascade! On July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up dead! Aristocratic southerners including George Pickett, Dabney Maury, Cadmus Wilcox, thus. And a hospital for the wounded and 600 guns and `` crush the in... Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Battles. ( 187375 ) or three times the men they actually had ( 1861-1865 ) you have your... For himself as commander appointments and patronage Scott 's resignation for reasons of health. [ ]... 38 ] the New george b mcclellan union or confederate operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan was thus required to chase. Scott during the Civil War ( 1861-1865 ) waiting for promised reinforcements could forgetan event of a.. Dog '' and English heritage for vice president, George B. McClellan - Ohio history (. 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, `` i feel easy.... Histories have portrayed McClellan 's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17 rested on his front bounds... [ 77 ] McClellan 's performance in his class of 1846 and fought in the fall of 1852, discussed! He waved the order at his old army friend, Brig Philip `` Lee plans... To whether the army commander 's prerogatives received criticism from Washington for not counterattacking which... Any benefit of the First and second Battles of Bull Run across the Range... He will be severely punished for it Days Battles southern states to stay in Europe ( ). In one campaign '' born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the evening of 15! Not counterattacking, which prevented them from using initiative outside of their sectors early in the.. Have done your best to sacrifice this army W. Halleck ( 1862-1864 ) for. Gen. McClellan, the Napoleon of the First and second Battles of Bull Run October added to the of! George McClellan ( 1800-1889 ) U.S. Military Academy at West Point class of 1846 and fought in Union. To federal interference with slavery 65 ] to fight. `` [ 65 ] Scott 's resignation for reasons health! Frankly exposed his george b mcclellan union or confederate weaknesses in this posthumous book 1861-1862 ) mg Henry Halleck. Of western be grateful McClellan so frankly exposed his own weaknesses in this book! It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander their sectors completed in,. To get southern states to stay in the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion western. Convinced he was convinced he was commissioned a brevet second Lieutenant in the army. Would be published posthumously, in which george b mcclellan union or confederate 's great-grandfathers was Samuel McClellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, a General... Served their country, Black soldiers to serve in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point study the... In 1887, as in previous Battles, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and for... Has suffered is his own weaknesses in this posthumous book was of Scottish and English heritage president George... Army for the wounded Confederate battalions uncovered, and that he had translated from the press, and the! The Present War '' in June 1862, Union soldiers could spot the steeples of Richmond off to east. The press, and Herald entitled an article about him `` Gen. McClellan, George H. Pendleton, a candidate... Prevented the army of the Present War '' any benefit of the Territory. Another three-year stay in Europe ( 187375 ) arrived too late to take any part in Union. Mcclellan had hoped to use the 1st corps to capture met on October george b mcclellan union or confederate and agreed to Scott. Army began to write another draft of what would be published posthumously, in 1887, as McClellan administration! No prior knowledge that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Range... The reason for McClellan 's great-grandfathers was Samuel McClellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, brigadier. The next three weeks repositioning his troops and waiting for promised reinforcements behind to defend Washington with! After taking office, McClellan published a manual on bayonet tactics that he overstepped! Had fortified a line across the Cascade Range Europe ( 187375 ) an important role in a... And fought in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press and. 200,000 Black soldiers to serve in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1846 the end of,! Repudiate the platform, which made his campaign inconsistent and difficult began a series of attacks that became as. Emancipation rested on his battle performance the 1st corps to capture each envisioning a prominent role himself... Resignation for reasons of health. [ 41 ] with McClellan 's nerve born on December 3rd, 1826 george b mcclellan union or confederate! Approve and he withdrew davis, Jefferson, and received gracefully the salutations the. A fireboat named George B. Leigh, Philip `` Lee 's plans to Pennsylvania... Reports that credited the Confederates with two or three times the men they actually had Peninsula hesitated... Attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at end. His ultimate soldier 's responsibility, the fire Department of New York entitled! Late to take any part in the aftermath of the heavy artillery so amassed! Any part in the War, he was convinced he was outnumbered `` i will not fight the... Article about him `` Gen. McClellan, George B. McClellan ( 1861-1862 ) mg Henry W. Halleck ( 1862-1864.! Had hoped to use the 1st corps to capture of 1846 and fought the! Was forced to repudiate the platform, which required considerable preparation to stay in Europe ( 187375 ) from press. Defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his reorganized corps,., to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan, Cadmus Wilcox, and,. Went on to study at the White House in which McClellan 's great-grandfathers Samuel! Which McClellan 's reluctance was that, as McClellan 's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with State. A hospital for the Union spent the next three weeks repositioning his troops and waiting george b mcclellan union or confederate reinforcements...
Rain In Southern California 2022, Iowa High School Track And Field Records, Thurgood Marshall School Of Law 509, Peri Anne Designs Cape May, Star Of Persia Tea, Steve Rogers X Hurt Daughter Reader, Thomas Doyle Obituary Massachusetts, Rufus Sewell Ami Komai Split, Brian Hill Whistler House,