McClellan was thus required to give chase without any benefit of the heavy artillery so carefully amassed in front of Yorktown. [100], One of the reasons that McClellan's reputation has suffered is his own memoirs. "[15] [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. [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. 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. He chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the social life. So it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield. On January 27, Lincoln issued an order that required all of his armies to begin offensive operations by February 22, Washington's birthday. 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]. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight."[65]. [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". 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. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. [64] The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog". Wiki User. "[95] This fierce discussion has continued for over a century. 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. I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their own trap if my men are equal to the emergency. 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. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. [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. George Brinton Mcclellan Jr, McClellan, George B. McClellan, George B. George B. McClellan, portrait by Mathew Brady, 1861. 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. 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. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration. [85] 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. George B. McClellan was a prominent nineteenth-century American military and political leader. 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. In fact, the general-in-chief position was left unfilled. When the public heard about the Galena, it was yet another great embarrassment, comparable to the Quaker Guns at Manassas. [13], McClellan's experiences in the war would shape his military and political life. 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. Davis was beginning to treat McClellan almost as a protg, and his next assignment was to assess the logistical readiness of various railroads in the United States, once again with an eye toward planning for the transcontinental railroad. 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. 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. At Antietam, where there was nowhere for him to flee to, he fell into a paralysis of indecision. 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. He called a council of war at the White House in which McClellan's subordinates were asked about their confidence in the Urbanna plan. 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. McClellan claimed he could not trust anyone in the administration to keep his plans secret from the press, and thus the enemy. Numbers vary as to the size of McClellan's force with its paper strength at 87,164. George Brinton McClellan was born into an elite Philadelphia family on December 3, 1826. When Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position. The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. 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. 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 governors of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, the three largest states of the Union, actively pursued him to command their states' militia. "[45] On January 12, 1862, McClellan was summoned to the White House, where the Cabinet demanded to hear his war plans. Will send you trophies. Johnston was wounded in the battle, and General Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia. George B. McClellan (1826-1885) 1826, Dec. 3 Born, Philadelphia, Pa. Many classic histories have portrayed McClellan's army as moving lethargically, averaging only 6 miles (9.7km) a day. 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 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". 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. On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. [1] He performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a close friend of McClellan's father. As noted by historians such as Stotelmyer, the significance of the Union victory at South Mountain should not be underestimated. The platform called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. The Fifth Corps under Porter from the Army of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign. [42], McClellan further damaged his reputation by his insulting insubordination to his commander-in-chief. Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely popular with the men who served under his command. George B. McClellan forced the Confederates in northwestern Virginia to retreat into the Alleghenies in 1861. McClellan was well liked by his men, but his reticence to. George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885) - Born 3 Dec 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. Dec 3, 1826 - Oct 29, 1885. [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. George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 3, 1826. . Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. 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. Two more crises would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans. He refused to give any specific details of the proposed campaign, even to his friend, newly appointed War Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. He waved the order at his old Army friend, Brig. He told Ellen, "I will not fight for the abolitionists." I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Yardley, Penna. Lincoln's order was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be restored following a successful campaign. On September 2, 1862, Lincoln named McClellan to command "the fortifications of Washington, and all the troops for the defense of the capital". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Civil War General George B. McClellan (Union Army) Original Signature on Cover at the best online prices at eBay! In a telegram to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, reporting on these events, McClellan blamed the Lincoln administration for his reversals. 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. [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. The Union defeat at the minor Battle of Ball's Bluff near Leesburg in October added to the frustration and indirectly damaged McClellan. It was an armada that dwarfed all previous American expeditions, transporting 121,500 men, 44 artillery batteries, 1,150 wagons, over 15,000 horses, and tons of equipment and supplies. 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. Because McClellan failed to pursue Lee aggressively after Antietam, Lincoln ordered that he be removed from command on November 5, 1862. Many historians argue that he was talented in this aspect. The enemy is driven back into Virginia." He also received an assignment to the Department of Texas, with orders to perform a survey of Texas rivers and harbors. [74], The Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, was the single bloodiest day in American military history. [59] In both battles, effective command of the army fell to his friend and V Corps commander Brigadier General Fitz John Porter. : Westholme Publishing, 2015. He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. McClellan had hoped to use the 1st Corps to capture Glouchester Point and thus outflank the Confederate position. [17], In June 1854, McClellan was sent on a secret reconnaissance mission to Santo Domingo at the behest of Jefferson Davis. [73], The Union army reached Antietam Creek, to the east of Sharpsburg, on the evening of September 15. 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. Special Order 191 revealed the widely dispersed configuration of Lee's Army, making it vulnerable to destruction in detail. [44], On January 10, 1862, Lincoln met with top generals (McClellan did not attend) and directed them to formulate a plan of attack, expressing his exasperation with General McClellan with the following remark: "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time. It became standard issue for as long as the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. [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! [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. McClellan was called as the first witness on December 23, but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. [6] After two years at the university, he changed his goal to military service. Scott rejected both plans as logistically unfeasible. [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. [72] After the war, McClellan held to the claim that he acted immediately to put his armies on the move.[71]. Instead, his subordinate officers testified, and their candid admissions that they had no knowledge of specific strategies for advancing against the Confederates raised many calls for McClellan's dismissal. Rumors traveled through the capital that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military coup, if Scott were not removed. In the fall of 1861 McClellan launched a small-scale invasion of western . McClellan worked on engineering projects in New York City and was offered the position of president of the newly formed University of California, which he declined. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union. On November 1, 1861, President Abraham Lincolnnywayanyday George Brinton McClellan general in charge of the Union army, replacing the elderly and infirm Winfield Scott. (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. In the Mexican War, he won brevets of 1st Lieutenant and Captain for his zeal, gallantry, and . McClellan was unable to command the army personally because of a recurrence of malarial fever, but his subordinates were able to repel the attacks. 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. 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. He created a false impression of many troops behind the lines and of even more troops arriving. 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. He married Mary Ellen Marcy, on May 22, 1860. The document was verified at McClellan's headquarters in Frederick on September 13. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for CIVIL WAR GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN & WIFE ~ c. - 1863 at the best online prices at eBay! 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