[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. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. After his name was unexpectedly placed into nomination at the state convention, there was a stampede and he was nominated by acclamation. McClellan was thus required to give chase without any benefit of the heavy artillery so carefully amassed in front of Yorktown. A planned attack on September 16 was put off because of early morning fog, allowing Lee to prepare his defenses with an army less than half the size of McClellan's. 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. Gen. John Gibbon, and said, "Here is a paper with which if I cannot whip Bobbie Lee, I will be willing to go home." 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. Rumors traveled through the capital that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military coup, if Scott were not removed. 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 A graduate of West Point, McClellan served with distinction during the Mexican-American War, and later left the Army to serve as an executive . [85] George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth-century American military and political leader. Malaria would recur in later years; he called it his "Mexican disease. George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. [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. [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. (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. [1] He performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a close friend of McClellan's father. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . Northern fears of a continued offensive by Robert E. Lee were realized when he launched his Maryland campaign on September 4, hoping to arouse pro-Southern sympathy in the slave state of Maryland. 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. [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. It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. McClellan was removed from command in November in the aftermath of the 1862 midterm elections. [110] Camp McClellan, in Davenport, IA, is a former Union Army camp established in August 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War. Early in the campaign, Confederate General John B. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 58 at Orange, New Jersey, after suffering from chest pains for a few weeks. 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. I feel I have done all that can be asked in twice saving the country. "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. [97] He has been universally praised for his organizational abilities and for his very good relations with his troops. George McClellan Birth of the USA American Constitution American Independence War Causes of the American Revolution Democratic Republican Party General Thomas Gage biography Intolerable Acts Loyalists Powers of the President Quebec Act Seven Years' War Stamp Act Tea Party Cold War Battle of Dien Bin Phu Brezhnev Doctrine Brezhnev Era 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. 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. [25], McClellan's first military operations were to occupy the area of western Virginia that wanted to remain in the Union and subsequently became the state of West Virginia. 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. McClellan attended the University of Pennsylvania for two years, and then transferred to West Point at age 15. George B. McClellan (1826-1885) 1826, Dec. 3 Born, Philadelphia, Pa. McClellan blamed the story on "a set of scoundrels, who seek to keep up agitation on the frontier in order to get employment from the Govt. 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. "[15] 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 .. Marcy, Randolph B, assisted by McClellan, George B., This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 16:49. [80], McClellan was nominated by the Democrats to run against Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 U.S. presidential election. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 9, 1862. Upon their arrival on July 28, they were astonished to find that they had been given up for dead. When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. [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. The battle was fought between the Union Army, led by General George B. McClellan, and the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee. 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. George McClellan was a U.S. Army engineer, railroad president and politician who served as a major general during the Civil War. Despite his successes and lucrative salary ($10,000 per year), he was frustrated with civilian employment and continued to study classical military strategy assiduously. Lincoln's order was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be restored following a successful campaign. . 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 also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. 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. In December, the Congress formed a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which became a thorn in the side of many generals throughout the war, accusing them of incompetence and, in some cases, treason. He arrived near the mouth of the Rio Grande in October 1846, well prepared for action with a double-barreled shotgun, two pistols, a saber, a dress sword, and a Bowie knife. 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. 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. McClellan wired to Washington, "Our victory was complete. I graduated second in my class at West Point in 1846. However . Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. The second would use the same force to drive south instead, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky and Tennessee. He learned that flanking movements (used by Scott at Cerro Gordo) are often better than frontal assaults, and the value of siege operations (Veracruz). McClellan revised his plans to have his troops disembark at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and advance up the Virginia Peninsula to Richmond, an operation that would be known as the Peninsula Campaign. [90], Most likely due to his personal popularity and celebrity, McClellan's inauguration was held outdoors to accommodate the large crowd. 2014-05-09 14:23:23. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. In the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion of western . Initially, McClellan was somewhat successful against General Joseph E. Johnston, but the emergence of General Robert E. Lee to command the Army of Northern Virginia turned the subsequent Seven Days Battles into a Union defeat. George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 - October 29, 1885) was a major general during the Civil War, famous (and notorious) for organizing and commanding the Army of the Potomac. [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). When he discovered that the Confederates had fortified a line across the Peninsula he hesitated to attack and instead played it safe. I have to fight my way against him. McClellan's wife, Ellen, died in Nice, France, in 1915 while visiting Mary at her home "Villa Antietam".[93][94]. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. [37], The immediate problem with McClellan's war strategy was that he was convinced the Confederates were ready to attack him with overwhelming numbers. It was the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. Died 29 Oct 1885 in Orange, New Jersey. 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. By delaying the Union army for almost a month, the Confederates had obtained valuable time to assemble and organize the forces that eventually beat McClellan back from the gates of Richmond and thwarted the Union's Peninsula Campaign. A sensational story had reached the press that the expedition had been ambushed by 2,000 Comanches and killed to the last man. [90] McClellan's administration was marked by caution and conservatism. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. [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. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. 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. He also considered service as a filibuster in support of Benito Jurez in Mexico. McClellan was also unwilling, due to Porter's opinion, to employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes. The outnumbered Confederate forces fought desperately and well. But Lincoln told his secretary, John Hay, "We must use what tools we have. Scott (as well as many in the War Department) was outraged that McClellan refused to divulge any details about his strategic planning, or even such basic information as the strengths and dispositions of his units. He also wrote a manual on cavalry tactics that was based on Russian cavalry regulations. 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. 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. He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. He established a supply base on the Pamunkey River (a navigable tributary of the York River) at White House Landing where the Richmond and York River Railroad extending to Richmond crossed, and commandeered the railroad, transporting steam locomotives and rolling stock to the site by barge.[53]. 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. (1826-1885) George B. McClellan was a major general in the Union army during the American Civil War (1861-1865). [90], The concluding chapter of his political career was his strong support in 1884 for Grover Cleveland. His first personal command in battle was at Rich Mountain, which he also won. They expressed their confidence to varying degrees. 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. His nomination was largely an effort by key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the nomination. 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. [9] He was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The surprise appearance of Maj. Gen. Stonewall Jackson's troops in the battle (when they had last been reported to be many miles away in the Shenandoah Valley) convinced McClellan that he was even more outnumbered than he had thought. For the Confederate general sometimes known as Little Napoleon, see, Thorp, Gene (September 7. I think Lee has made a gross mistake, and that he will be severely punished for it. This placed him in great demand as the Union mobilized. Such a villain as he is ought to bring defeat upon any cause that employs him. McClellan was removed from his command of Ohio volunteer armies in less than six months, becoming the Union army's leader. [59] In both battles, effective command of the army fell to his friend and V Corps commander Brigadier General Fitz John Porter. It became standard issue for as long as the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies. This put him in opposition with officials of the administration who believed he was attempting to implement the policies of the opposition party. [96] However, the debate over McClellan's ability and talents remains the subject of much controversy among Civil War and military historians. [86], McClellan was appointed chief engineer of the New York City Department of Docks in 1870. The reason for McClellan's reluctance was that, as in previous battles, he was convinced he was outnumbered. [47] The second crisis was the emergence of the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia, which threw Washington into a panic and made naval support operations on the James River seem problematic. He did not share his overall battle plans with his corps commanders, which prevented them from using initiative outside of their sectors. [5], McClellan initially intended to follow his father into the medical profession, and attended a private academy, which was followed by enrollment in a private preparatory school for the University of Pennsylvania. 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). [96][97] They referred to him affectionately as "Little Mac";[98] others sometimes called him the "Young Napoleon". "[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." [64] The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog". He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. However the battle had a significant impact on McClellan's nerve. During the summer and fall, McClellan brought a high degree of organization to his new army, and greatly improved its morale with frequent trips to review and encourage his units. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. [6] He began attending the university in 1840, when he was 14 years old, resigning himself to the study of law after his family decided that medical educations for both McClellan and his older brother John were too expensive. 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. [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. In the battle of Malvern Hill, he was on a gunboat, the USSGalena, which at one point was ten miles (16km) away, down the James River. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. [39], The dispute with Scott became increasingly personal. "[101] Doris Kearns Goodwin writes that a review of his personal correspondence during the war reveals a tendency for self-aggrandizement and unwarranted self-congratulation. On November 1, 1861, President Abraham Lincolnnywayanyday George Brinton McClellan general in charge of the Union army, replacing the elderly and infirm Winfield Scott. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. 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. McClellan rejected the tenets of Scott's Anaconda Plan, favoring instead an overwhelming grand battle, in the Napoleonic style. McClellan's antipathy to emancipation added to the pressure on him, as he received bitter criticism from Radical Republicans in the government. "[45] On January 12, 1862, McClellan was summoned to the White House, where the Cabinet demanded to hear his war plans. 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. His subordinate commander, William S. Rosecrans, bitterly complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan had agreed. 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. At Antietam, where there was nowhere for him to flee to, he fell into a paralysis of indecision. 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. George B. McClellan (1826-1885) was an American soldier and politician, best known for his service in the American Civil War, where he was a major general in the Union Army. The Fifth Corps under Porter from the Army of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign. "[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. Free shipping for many products! He married Mary Ellen Marcy, on May 22, 1860. You have done your best to sacrifice this army. 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. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. 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. 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 continued to believe intelligence reports that credited the Confederates with two or three times the men they actually had. The governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. "[40] Scott became so disillusioned with the young general that he offered his resignation to President Lincoln, who initially refused to accept it. $35.00 + $5.00 shipping . Peninsula Campaign. "[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." [72] After the war, McClellan held to the claim that he acted immediately to put his armies on the move.[71]. [49] The army's advance from Fort Monroe up the Virginia Peninsula proved to be slow. Lincoln's share of the vote in the Army of the Potomac was 70%. [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! McClellan's rapid promotion was partly due to his acquaintance with Salmon P. Chase, Treasury Secretary and former Ohio governor and senator. I feel some little pride in having, with a beaten & demoralized army, defeated Lee so utterly. By war's end, about 2 million men had served in 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. On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". Employ his ample reserve forces to capitalize on localized successes with Pope during the Civil War the concluding chapter his. ( September 7 first personal command in November in the West Point class of and. As commander American Civil War the expedition had been ambushed by 2,000 Comanches and killed to the Guns. In previous Battles, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures up for dead successful campaign to. Died 29 Oct 1885 in Orange, New Jersey and killed to the pressure on him as. 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