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. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. The Union victory and Lincoln's proclamation played a considerable role in dissuading the governments of France and Britain from recognizing the Confederacy; some suspected they were planning to do so in the aftermath of another Union defeat. 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. Thank you." [81], The deep division in the party, the unity of the Republicans (running under the label "National Union Party"), the absence of a large portion of the Democrats' base (the South) from the voter pool, and the military successes by Union forces in the fall of 1864, doomed McClellan's candidacy. These associations gave McClellan what he considered to be an appreciation of the southern mind and an understanding of the political and military implications of the sectional differences in the United States that led to the Civil War. Randolph B. Marcy at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to serve as second-in-command on an expedition to discover the sources of the Red River. At age 34, he outranked everyone in the Army except Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, the general-in-chief. It was the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. 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. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. [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. McClellan Fitness Center is a United States Army gym located at Fort Eustis, Virginia near his Peninsula Campaign. 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. Upon their arrival on July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead. A sensational story had reached the press that the expedition had been ambushed by 2,000 Comanches and killed to the last man. Because McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862. In this event, it would not only be in the direction of his plan to make no attack, but it would play into his hands that his opponent should accumulate his forces on the Peninsula. He quickly realized that he had overstepped his bounds and apologized by letter to President Lincoln. McClellan was removed from command in November in the aftermath of the 1862 midterm elections. 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. 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. This placed him in great demand as the Union mobilized. He waved the order at his old Army friend, Brig. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . 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. [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. [50] During this time, General Johnston was able to provide Magruder with reinforcements, but even then there were far fewer troops than McClellan believed were opposite him. Although Lincoln had intended to issue the proclamation earlier, he was advised by his Cabinet to wait until a Union victory to avoid the perception that it was issued out of desperation. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. "[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. The second would use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee. Like other observers, though, McClellan did not appreciate the importance of the emergence of rifled muskets in the Crimean War, and the fundamental changes in warfare tactics it would require.[19]. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. [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. $65.00 + $4.75 shipping . 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. He favored a war that would impose little impact on civilian populations and require no emancipation of slaves. 2012) "In defense of McClellan at Antietam: A contrarian view", Commanding General of the United States Army, Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Mexican War Diary of George B. McClellan, Manual of Bayonet Exercise, Prepared for the Use of the Army of the United States, The Report of Captain George B. McClellan, One of the Officers Sent to the Seat of War in Europe, in 1855 and 1856, The Armies of Europe, Comprising Descriptions in Detail of the Military Systems of England, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sardinia, European Cavalry, Including Details of the Organization of the Cavalry Service Among the Principal Nations of Europe, Exploration of the Red River of Louisiana in the Year 1852, Regulations and Instructions for the Field Service of the U.S. Cavalry in Time of War, McClellan's Own Story: The War for the Union, The Soldiers Who Fought It, The Civilians Who Directed It and His Relations to It and to Them, The Life, Campaigns, and Public Services of General George B McClellan, The Democratic Platform, General McClellan's Letter of Acceptance, The Army of the Potomac, General McClellan's Report of Its Operations While Under His Command, Report of Major General George B McClellan, Upon the Organization of the Army of the Potomac and Its campaigns in Virginia and Maryland, Letter of the Secretary of War by George Brinton McClellan, West Point Battle Monument, History of the Project to the Dedication of the Site, List of American Civil War generals (Union), "This week in history: McClellan becomes the Army's commanding general", "Civil War Gen. George McClellan: Deemed a savior, then a failure", "Facts, information and articles about George McClellan", "Milbridge Historical Society Presentation", "Joint Base Langley-Eustis McClellan Fitness Center", "Around Manhattan Island and Other Maritime Tales of New York", "Our Campaigns US President D Convention Race Aug 29, 1864", "Our Campaigns NJ Governor Race Nov 06, 1877", Report of the Secretary of War Communicating the Report of Captain George B McClellan, One of the Officers Sent to the Seat of War in Europe in 1855 and 1856, Life and Campaigns of George B. McClellan, Major-General U.S. Army, Georgia's Blue and Gray Trail McClellan timeline, Mr. Lincoln and New York: George B. McClellan, Harper's Weekly political cartoon, October 27, 1877, "All Quiet on the Hudson", McClellan caricature in the campaign for governor of New Jersey, McClellan's May 30th, 1885 Decoration Day Oration, New Jersey Governor George Brinton McClellan, American Heritage on George McClellan's appointment, Newspaper articles about reaction to Lincoln appointing McClellan head of the Army of the Potomac, Unsuccessful major party candidates for President of the United States, United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, National Democratic Redistricting Committee, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Lincoln's Cabinet met on October 18 and agreed to accept Scott's resignation for reasons of health.[41]. [111], The Fire Department of New York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954. The camp was the training grounds for recruits and a hospital for the wounded. McClellan's rapid promotion was partly due to his acquaintance with Salmon P. Chase, Treasury Secretary and former Ohio governor and senator. Military Officer and Politician. [109], Several geographic features and establishments have been named for George B. McClellan. First, McClellan proponents say that because the general was a conservative Democrat with great personal charisma, radical Republicans fearing his political potential deliberately undermined his field operations. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. 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. 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. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. With nowhere to go, Joseph Johnston's army struck ou Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the U.S. Confederate States presidential election of 1861, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_B._McClellan&oldid=1133191257, American military personnel of the MexicanAmerican War, Democratic Party (United States) presidential nominees, New York State Superintendents of Public Works, People of New Jersey in the American Civil War, Candidates in the 1864 United States presidential election, Commanding Generals of the United States Army, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from November 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. Her father was of English origin, while her mother was Pennsylvania Dutch. [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. [102] His original draft was completed in 1881, but the only copy was destroyed by fire. This was a risky move for a smaller army, but Lee was counting on his knowledge of McClellan's temperament. It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. However the battle had a significant impact on McClellan's nerve. I was born on December 3rd, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Yardley, Penna. McClellan was thus required to give chase without any benefit of the heavy artillery so carefully amassed in front of Yorktown. McClellan had hoped to use the 1st Corps to capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate position. George B. McClellan. 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. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 9, 1862. "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. Died 29 Oct 1885 in Orange, New Jersey. 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. Bailey, Ronald H., and the Editors of Time-Life Books. "Notwithstanding all that has been said by the traitors to induce you to believe that our advent among you will be signalized by interference with your slaves, understand one thing clearlynot only will we abstain from all such interference but we will on the contrary with an iron hand, crush any attempted insurrection on their part." I have never witnessed such a scene. in one way or other. In June 1862, Union soldiers could spot the steeples of Richmond off to the distance. Bouquets, beautiful and fragrant, in great numbers were thrown at him, and the ladies crowded around him with the warmest good wishes, and many of them were entirely overcome with emotion. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. [54] Ethan Rafuse notes "McClellan's change of base to the James, however, thwarted Lee's attempt to do this. I feel some little pride in having, with a beaten & demoralized army, defeated Lee so utterly. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. 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. The Union defeat at the minor Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in October added to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan. During his administration, two companies were equipped with Gatling guns, a new battalion was organized, regular rifle practice was instituted, and provisions were made to supply new uniforms. "[10] He served as an engineering officer during the war, was frequently subject to enemy fire, and was appointed a brevet first lieutenant for his services at Contreras[11] and Churubusco[12] and to captain for his service at Chapultepec. Union general George B. McClellan had a number of accomplishments that have gone unnoticed due to his replacement as the general in charge of Union forces early in the US Civil War .. Rumors traveled through the capital that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military coup, if Scott were not removed. 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. McClellan was also unwilling, due to Porter's opinion, to employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes. 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. 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. 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). 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. George Brinton McClellan was born into an elite Philadelphia family on December 3, 1826. General McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and McClellan was privately derisive of Lincoln. McClellan asked for the opinion of his chief engineer John G. Barnard, who recommended against an assault. 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. This plan, which would require considerable patience of the Northern public, was derided in newspapers as the Anaconda Plan, but eventually proved to be the outline of the successful prosecution of the war. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. "[63] Lee had gambled on removing significant units from the Peninsula to attack Pope, who was beaten decisively at Second Bull Run in August. [22], At the start of the Civil War, McClellan's knowledge of what was called "big war science" and his railroad experience suggested he might excel at military logistics. 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. 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." McClellan immediately replied with a 22-page letter objecting in detail to the president's plan and advocating instead his Urbanna plan, which was the first written instance of the plan's details being presented to the president. McClellan's wife, Ellen, died in Nice, France, in 1915 while visiting Mary at her home "Villa Antietam".[93][94]. [113], 1864 Democratic National Convention:[114], New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1877:[115], "George McClellan" redirects here. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. McClellan's feeling of facing overwhelming odds in subsequent campaigns throughout his tenure as General of the Army of the Potomac were strongly influenced by the overblown enemy strength estimates of his secret service chief, detective Allan Pinkerton, but in August 1861, these estimates were entirely McClellan's own. He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. Scott rejected both plans as logistically unfeasible. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. [64] The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog". In March 1852, he was ordered to report to Capt. 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]. $35.00 + $5.00 shipping . 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. [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". [20], Before the outbreak of the Civil War, McClellan became active in politics, supporting the presidential campaign of Democrat Stephen A. Douglas in the 1860 election. 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. 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. The names are legendary: Thomas . [66], Lee divided his forces into multiple columns, spread apart widely as he moved into Maryland and also maneuvered to capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. He prevented the army's morale from collapsing at least twice, in the aftermath of the First and Second Battles of Bull Run. Historian Allan Nevins wrote, "Students of history must always be grateful McClellan so frankly exposed his own weaknesses in this posthumous book. But all of these opportunities were impossible, given the opposition within the administration and the knowledge that McClellan posed a potential political threat. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. 2014-05-09 14:23:23. 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. For other people with the same name, see, "Little Napoleon" redirects here. A frustrated McClellan wrote to his wife before the battle, "Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [by Lee]. 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. He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations. Numbers vary as to the size of McClellan's force with its paper strength at 87,164. McClellan assessed local defensive capabilities for the secretary. Cemetery Name: Riverview Cemetery. McClellan also developed a disdain for volunteer soldiers and officers, particularly politicians who cared nothing for discipline and training.[14]. McClellan's pursuit began on September 5. So it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield. [4] The couple had five children: Frederica, John, George, Arthur and Mary. "[67] Lee's assessment proved to be inaccurate as McClellan reacted quickly, with the Confederate leader remarking that McClellan was "advancing more rapidly than was convenient." 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. Well, one of these days history will I trust do me justice. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. He marched toward Maryland with six of his reorganized corps. [86], McClellan was appointed chief engineer of the New York City Department of Docks in 1870. Was general george b mcclellan union or confederate? Add an answer. "George Brinton McClellan." [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. 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. Dec 3, 1826 - Oct 29, 1885. The controversy was not that his proclamation was diametrically opposed to the administration's policy at the time, but that he was so bold in stepping beyond his strictly military role. He chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the social life. [103], Robert E. Lee, on being asked (by his cousin, and recorded by his son) who was the ablest general on the Union side during the late war, replied emphatically: "McClellan, by all odds! 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%. They were more often assigned to menial labor as some Union officers refused to . George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth-century American military and political leader. [90] McClellan's administration was marked by caution and conservatism. The outnumbered Confederate forces fought desperately and well. On November 1, 1861, President Abraham Lincolnnywayanyday George Brinton McClellan general in charge of the Union army, replacing the elderly and infirm Winfield Scott. Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. Relations between the two generals became increasingly strained over the summer and fall. [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. He reported to Washington that he faced 200,000 Confederates, perhaps due to a false report on the arrival of another Confederate army P.G.T. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. McClellan attended the University of Pennsylvania for two years, and then transferred to West Point at age 15. "Prince John" Magruder defended the Peninsula against McClellan's advance with a vastly smaller force. 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. In so doing, he missed three greatly superior passes in the near vicinity, which were eventually used for railroads and interstate highways. [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. At Antietam, where there was nowhere for him to flee to, he fell into a paralysis of indecision. Although he complimented McClellan and expressed his "great confidence in your intelligence, zeal, science, and energy", he replied by letter that the 80,000 men would be better used on a river-based expedition to control the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy, accompanied by a strong Union blockade of Southern ports. The reason for McClellan's reluctance was that, as in previous battles, he was convinced he was outnumbered. "[95] This fierce discussion has continued for over a century. 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Men at Sharpsburg, Maryland army friend, newly appointed war Secretary Edwin M..! General McClellan and President Abraham Lincoln developed a mutual distrust, and then transferred to Point. `` little Napoleon '' redirects here another great embarrassment, comparable to the size McClellan... An elite Philadelphia family on December 3, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania former Ohio governor senator., it was the first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward.. Of Yorktown instead, crossing george b mcclellan union or confederate Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee did approve. Letter to President Lincoln and training. [ 14 ] instead, crossing the Ohio into. Added to the size of McClellan 's advance with a beaten & demoralized army, the...

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