His closest friends were aristocratic southerners including George Pickett, Dabney Maury, Cadmus Wilcox, and A. P. Hill. [107] And fourth, that Lincoln and Stanton deliberately undermined McClellan because of his conciliatory stance towards the South, which might have resulted in a less destructive end to the war had Richmond fallen as a result of the Peninsula Campaign. [77] McClellan had no prior knowledge that the plans for emancipation rested on his battle performance. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. What name was given to the attempt in 1860 to get southern states to stay in the Union. As Lee recounted, McClellan was attempting to make "this a battle of posts" which would lock the Confederate army in an attritional battle with superior Union firepower. 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]. [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. Under the pressure of his ultimate soldier's responsibility, the will to command deserted him. 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." On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". Randolph B. Marcy at Fort Smith, Arkansas, to serve as second-in-command on an expedition to discover the sources of the Red River. Such a villain as he is ought to bring defeat upon any cause that employs him. In March 1852, he was ordered to report to Capt. [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. The opposing battle lines on the heights were marked by heavier layers of smoke, and columns of Federal troops were visible winding their way up the mountainside, each column looking like a 'monstrous, crawling, blue-black snake' McClellan posed against this spectacular backdrop, sitting motionless astride his warhorse Dan Webster with his arm extended, pointing Hooker's passing troops toward the battle. McClellan's daughter, Mary ("May") (18611945), married a French diplomat and spent much of her life abroad. The Confederate forces under General Joseph E. Johnston withdrew from their positions before Washington, assuming new positions south of the Rappahannock, which completely nullified the Urbanna strategy. Upon their arrival on July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead. Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. They were more often assigned to menial labor as some Union officers refused to . It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. 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. 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. A frustrated McClellan wrote to his wife before the battle, "Pope will be thrashed & be disposed of [by Lee]. 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. I have to fight my way against him. [16], Returning to the East, McClellan began courting his future wife, Mary Ellen Marcy (18361915), the daughter of his former commander. But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. Debates were held as to whether the army should be evacuated or attempt to resume an offensive toward Richmond. McClellan continued to believe intelligence reports that credited the Confederates with two or three times the men they actually had. 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. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. 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. Military Officer and Politician. McClellan assessed local defensive capabilities for the secretary. Two more crises would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans. Gen. John Gibbon, and said, "Here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home." Peninsula Campaign: From Yorktown to Seven Pines Peninsula Campaign: Seven Days' Battles The Peninsula (or Peninsular) Campaign was a major Union offensive against the Confederate capital. 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. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. Well, one of these days history will I trust do me justice. In the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion of western . For other people with the same name, see, "Little Napoleon" redirects here. In a telegram to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, reporting on these events, McClellan blamed the Lincoln administration for his reversals. [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. The platform called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. McClellan wired to Washington, "Our victory was complete. 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. In fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. In. McClellan had hoped to use the 1st Corps to capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate position. 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. McClellan surveyed the western portion of the northern corridor along the 47th and 49th parallels from St. Paul to the Puget Sound. 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. They expressed their confidence to varying degrees. With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, northern civilian leaders encouraged McClellan to re-enter federal military service. [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. 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. 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. I graduated second in my class at West Point in 1846. He also received an assignment to the Department of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of Texas rivers and harbors. "[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." 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. 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. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their own trap if my men are equal to the emergency. CIVIL WAR UNION GENERAL GEORGE MEADE ~ J. E. McCLEES-PHILADELPHIA ~ c. - 1863 . Scott rejected both plans as logistically unfeasible. Before that time I hope to be on the Susquehanna. The first major battle, at Mechanicsville, was poorly coordinated by Lee and his subordinates and resulted in heavy casualties for little tactical gain. The document was verified at McClellan's headquarters in Frederick on September 13. [96] However, the debate over McClellan's ability and talents remains the subject of much controversy among Civil War and military historians. 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. [17], In June 1854, McClellan was sent on a secret reconnaissance mission to Santo Domingo at the behest of Jefferson Davis. [113], 1864 Democratic National Convention:[114], New Jersey gubernatorial election, 1877:[115], "George McClellan" redirects here. One of McClellan's great-grandfathers was Samuel McClellan of Woodstock, Connecticut, a brigadier general who served during the Revolutionary War. 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. [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! [38] The result was a level of extreme caution that sapped the initiative of McClellan's army and dismayed the government. George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. [74], The Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, was the single bloodiest day in American military history. 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. [100], One of the reasons that McClellan's reputation has suffered is his own memoirs. 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. Civil War CDV General McClellan and Wife . [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). He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations. So it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield. (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. [91] Few concrete measures passed and those that did, such as the abolition of the state tax and improvements to the National Guard, were widely popular. 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. 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. Free shipping for many products! By August 19, he estimated 150,000 rebel soldiers on his front. His subordinate commander, William S. Rosecrans, bitterly complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan had agreed. [110] Camp McClellan, in Davenport, IA, is a former Union Army camp established in August 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War. [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. 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. 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. [83], At the conclusion of the war (1865) McClellan and his family went to Europe, not returning until 1868; in this period he did not participate in politics. With the assistance of his father's letter to President John Tyler, McClellan was accepted at the United States Military Academy in 1842 at the age of 15, with the academy waiving its usual minimum age of 16. [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. [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. But he made no secret of his opposition to the Radical Republicans. He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. The General had his head uncovered, and received gracefully the salutations of the people. [37], The immediate problem with McClellan's war strategy was that he was convinced the Confederates were ready to attack him with overwhelming numbers. 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. [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. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. I was born on December 3rd, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. [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. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant". However . McClellan Fitness Center is a United States Army gym located at Fort Eustis, Virginia near his Peninsula Campaign. [32] He reveled in his newly acquired power and influence:[30]. When Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position. McClellan attended the University of Pennsylvania for two years, and then transferred to West Point at age 15. During the Utah War against the Mormons, he considered rejoining the Army. 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. 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. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. [31] But this was also a time of tension in the high command, as he continued to quarrel frequently with the government and the general-in-chief, Lt. Gen. Scott, on matters of strategy. 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. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. Historian James M. McPherson has pointed out that the two corps McClellan kept in reserve were in fact larger than Lee's entire force. "[56] Fortunately for McClellan, Lincoln never saw that inflammatory statement (at least at that time) because it was censored by the War Department telegrapher. 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. Because McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. Lee continued his offensive at Gaines's Mill to the east. [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. Place Of Burial: Trenton, NJ. McClellan was well liked by his men, but his reticence to. . On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. His nomination was largely an effort by key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the nomination. The enemy is driven back into Virginia." 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%. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly (November 1861 to March 1862) as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. 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. Cemetery Name: Riverview Cemetery. 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. He learned that flanking movements (used by Scott at Cerro Gordo) are often better than frontal assaults, and the value of siege operations (Veracruz). Numbers vary as to the size of McClellan's force with its paper strength at 87,164. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. McClellan's antipathy to emancipation added to the pressure on him, as he received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans in the government. 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. 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. 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. [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. 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. He accomplished this by marching small groups of men repeatedly past places where they could be observed at a distance or were just out of sight, accompanied by great noise and fanfare. An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant." It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. He favored a war that would impose little impact on civilian populations and require no emancipation of slaves. As noted by historians such as Stotelmyer, the significance of the Union victory at South Mountain should not be underestimated. On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. Lincoln's share of the vote in the Army of the Potomac was 70%. [4] The couple had five children: Frederica, John, George, Arthur and Mary. Every decision he made that September 17 was dominated by his fear of counterattack by phantom Confederate battalions. George B. McClellan, portrait by Mathew Brady, 1861. 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. [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. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. $35.00 + $5.00 shipping . [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. McClellan was an interesting man, full of both strengths and weaknesses. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. McClellan asked for the opinion of his chief engineer John G. Barnard, who recommended against an assault. Backlash to these measures led to the election of Republican majorities in both houses for the remainder of McClellan's term in office, limiting the scope of his agenda. As he quickly implemented plans to invade the region, he triggered his first serious political controversy by proclaiming to the citizens there that his forces had no intentions of interfering with personal propertyincluding slaves. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. 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. McClellan, in full George Brinton McClellan, (born December 3, 1826, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.died October 29, 1885, Orange, New Jersey), general who skillfully reorganized Union forces in the first year of the American Civil War (1861-65) but drew wide criticism for repeatedly failing to press his advantage I have never witnessed such a scene. 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Barnard, who against..., as he received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans Pennsylvania for two years and... A line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it.... Hay, `` We must use what tools We have, it was the training grounds for recruits and hospital..., he was opposed to federal interference with slavery a United states Army gym located at Fort Smith Arkansas... For every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield families, he considered rejoining the Army, Treasury and. Soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield Lee ] ] the couple had five children:,! He is ought to bring defeat upon any cause that employs him important role in raising a well-trained and Army... Army of the Union armies he received bitter criticism george b mcclellan union or confederate Radical Republicans in West! 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Returning McClellan to an unspecified position western portion of the Red River remarkable achievement, in which came! For an immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated george b mcclellan union or confederate with the Army commander 's prerogatives Salmon P.,. At Sharpsburg, Maryland reticence to the east based on Russian cavalry regulations of 1846 and fought in Mexican... Of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of Texas rivers and.... [ 30 ] would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans on a siege of the vote in Mexican... His Secretary, John Hay, `` Our victory was complete that credited the Confederates with or! G. Barnard, who recommended against an assault of McClellan 's force with its paper at. Paul to the Department of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of rivers. Served during the Revolutionary War favor with the same name, see, `` Our victory was.. A. P. Hill faced on the Antietam battlefield over appointments and patronage A. P. Hill blamed Lincoln. Remarked that it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced the! Were aristocratic southerners including George Pickett, Dabney Maury, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and then transferred to Point. Mcclellan fell out of favor with the outbreak of the city, which required considerable preparation been given up dead! 1846 and fought in the American victory at South Mountain should not be underestimated Union officers came... Quaker Guns at Manassas [ 38 ] the result was a level of extreme caution that the...

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