George B. McClellan forced the Confederates in northwestern Virginia to retreat into the Alleghenies in 1861. Rumors traveled through the capital that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military coup, if Scott were not removed. However, the subsequently formed Army of the Potomac had high morale and was extremely proud of their general, some even referring to McClellan as the savior of Washington. 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. A brilliant engineer and a great organizer, McClellan created the Army of the Potomac, the Union's . 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. [111], The Fire Department of New York operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954. Although Lincoln believed his plan was superior, he was relieved that McClellan finally agreed to begin moving, and reluctantly approved. [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. In doing so, he demonstrated a tendency for insubordination toward senior political figures. By war's end, about 2 million men had served in His closest friends were aristocratic southerners including George Pickett, Dabney Maury, Cadmus Wilcox, and A. P. Hill. McClellan spent the next three weeks repositioning his troops and waiting for promised reinforcements. [90][91], In the general election, he faced William A. Newell, a Republican former governor who accused McClellan of living in New York, which he easily refuted. Date Of Death: October 29, 1885. Numbers vary as to the size of McClellan's force with its paper strength at 87,164. [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". On November 1, 1861, Winfield Scott retired and McClellan became general-in-chief of all the Union armies. "[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. 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. 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. Was general george b mcclellan union or confederate? [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. George B. McClellan. When the General came to the corner of the principal street the ladies thronged around him. 2014-05-09 14:23:23. [13], McClellan's experiences in the war would shape his military and political life. [72] After the war, McClellan held to the claim that he acted immediately to put his armies on the move.[71]. [28] The New York Herald entitled an article about him "Gen. McClellan, the Napoleon of the Present War". [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. George B. McClellan - Ohio History Central (1826-85) Graduated in the West Point class of 1846 and fought in the Mexican War. 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. Johnston saw that the Union army was split in half by the rain-swollen Chickahominy River and hoped to defeat it in detail at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks. Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan's performance in his scouting of passes across the Cascade Range. Lincoln's order was ambiguous as to whether McClellan might be restored following a successful campaign. 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. It contained two alternatives, each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander. Ellen accepted Hill's proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew. [70] Within hours of receiving the order, McClellan dispatched some of his cavalry to assess whether The Confederates had moved in accordance with the order. As the war progressed, there were various calls to return McClellan to an important command, following the Union defeats at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, as Robert E. Lee moved north at the start of the Gettysburg campaign, and as Jubal Early threatened Washington in 1864. [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. George McClellan Library of Congress Quick Facts Significance: General-in-Chief of the Union Army Place Of Birth: Philadelphia, PA Date Of Birth: December 3, 1826 Place Of Death: Orange, NJ Date Of Death: October 29, 1885 Place Of Burial: Trenton, NJ Cemetery Name: Riverview Cemetery An English observer remarked that it was the "stride of a giant." 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. McClellan would leave two corps behind to defend Washington. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. McClellan rejected the tenets of Scott's Anaconda Plan, favoring instead an overwhelming grand battle, in the Napoleonic style. [85] [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. McClellan's army began to sail from Alexandria on March 17. On March 8, doubting McClellan's resolve, Lincoln again interfered with the army commander's prerogatives. 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. Johnston was wounded in the battle, and General Robert E. Lee assumed command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Unlike some of his fellow Union officers who came from abolitionist families, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery. 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. "[79], Secretary Stanton ordered McClellan to report to Trenton, New Jersey, for further orders, although none was issued. [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. [1] He performed reconnaissance missions for Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott, a close friend of McClellan's father. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 58 at Orange, New Jersey, after suffering from chest pains for a few weeks. It was a remarkable achievement, in which he came to personify the Army of the Potomac and reaped the adulation of his men. "If I save this army now, I tell you plainly I owe no thanks to you or to any other persons in Washington. McClellan, not wishing to abandon his campaign, delayed the return of the Army of the Potomac from the Peninsula enough so that the reinforcements arrived while the northern Virginia campaign was already underway. 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. 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. 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. George B. McClellan and Mary Ellen Marcy (Nelly) McClellan McClellan resigned his commission January 16, 1857, and, capitalizing on his experience with railroad assessment, became chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad, and then president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1860. Dec 3, 1826 - Oct 29, 1885. 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. in one way or other. 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. When Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief, he discussed returning McClellan to an unspecified position. [90], Most likely due to his personal popularity and celebrity, McClellan's inauguration was held outdoors to accommodate the large crowd. [96][97] They referred to him affectionately as "Little Mac";[98] others sometimes called him the "Young Napoleon". George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885) - Born 3 Dec 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He complained that he had arrived too late to take any part in the American victory at Monterrey in September. If he can't fight himself, he excels in making others ready to fight."[65]. He chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the social life. His final words, at 3 a.m., October 29, 1885, were, "I feel easy now. Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside assumed command of the Army of the Potomac on November 9, 1862. 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. [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. [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. Beginning in 1872, he also served as the president of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. It became standard issue for as long as the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies. "[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." "[40] Scott became so disillusioned with the young general that he offered his resignation to President Lincoln, who initially refused to accept it. [54] Ethan Rafuse notes "McClellan's change of base to the James, however, thwarted Lee's attempt to do this. He learned that flanking movements (used by Scott at Cerro Gordo) are often better than frontal assaults, and the value of siege operations (Veracruz). [23], On May 3 McClellan re-entered federal service as commander of the Department of the Ohio, responsible for the defense of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and, later, western Pennsylvania, western Virginia, and Missouri. [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. 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. The stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men at Sharpsburg, Maryland. [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. 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. Nevertheless, McClellan received criticism from Washington for not counterattacking, which some believed could have opened the city of Richmond to capture. 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. However . At Antietam, where there was nowhere for him to flee to, he fell into a paralysis of indecision. The Army adopted McClellan's cavalry manual and also his design for a saddle, dubbed the McClellan Saddle, which he claimed to have seen used by Hussars in Prussia and Hungary. Scott rejected both plans as logistically unfeasible. 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. Two more crises would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans. 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 performed well in both jobs, expanding the Illinois Central toward New Orleans and helping the Ohio and Mississippi recover from the Panic of 1857. McClellan was removed from command in November in the aftermath of the 1862 midterm elections. [6] After two years at the university, he changed his goal to military service. However, historians note that Lee's victory was in many ways pyrrhic as he failed to destroy the Army of the Potomac and suffered a bloody repulse at Malvern Hill. [90] The legislature also enacted several highly partisan measures designed to ensure Democratic control, including an aggressive gerrymander of the New Jersey Assembly districts and another disenfranchising college students (who tended to vote Republican). It was a scene which no one could forgetan event of a lifetime. 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. He graduating second in his class of 59 in 1846. This was a risky move for a smaller army, but Lee was counting on his knowledge of McClellan's temperament. I think Lee has made a gross mistake, and that he will be severely punished for it. [52], McClellan's army moved towards Richmond over the next three weeks, coming to within four miles (6km) of it. [68], Meanwhile, Union soldiers accidentally found a copy of Lee's orders dividing his army, wrapped around a package of cigars in an abandoned camp. Steven R. Stotelmyer in Too Useful to Sacrifice places it at about 60,000 men, noting that the 87,000 number includes non-combat soldiers and units not immediately available. He created a false impression of many troops behind the lines and of even more troops arriving. 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. [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 governor ordered McClellan to turn over his expedition logbooks, but McClellan steadfastly refused, most likely because of embarrassing personal comments that he had made throughout his adventures. 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. allowing approximately 200,000 Black soldiers to serve in the Union Army during the Civil War. He told one of his generals, "He is an able general but a very cautious one. "[15] The first would use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond. Following the example of Winfield Scott, he ran as a U.S. Army general still on active duty; he did not resign his commission until election day, November 8, 1864. At the end of June, Lee began a series of attacks that became known as the Seven Days Battles. I attended the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. That approach failed following the Union Navy's defeat at the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, about 7 miles (11km) downstream from the Confederate capital, on May 15. At age 34, he outranked everyone in the Army except Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, the general-in-chief. He called a council of war at the White House in which McClellan's subordinates were asked about their confidence in the Urbanna plan. On May 31, as McClellan planned an assault, his army was surprised by a Confederate attack. 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. [75], The battle was tactically inconclusive, with the Union suffering a higher overall number of casualties, although Lee technically was defeated because he withdrew first from the battlefield and retreated back to Virginia, and lost a larger percentage of his army than McClellan did. I have never witnessed such a scene. Editorial cartoons published in the course of the 1864 presidential campaign lampooned McClellan for having preferred the safety of a ship while a battle was fought in the distance. [90] McClellan's administration was marked by caution and conservatism. [37], The immediate problem with McClellan's war strategy was that he was convinced the Confederates were ready to attack him with overwhelming numbers. 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. After the defeat of Pope at Second Bull Run, President Lincoln reluctantly returned to the man who had mended a broken army before. [90], Soon after taking office, McClellan fell out of favor with the State Senate over appointments and patronage. [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! 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. West Point Officers in the Civil War - Class of 1846 No single group of men at West Point--or possibly any academy--has been so indelibly written into history as the class of 1846. McClellan's plan for a rapid seizure of Yorktown was foiled by the removal of 1st Corps from the Army of the Potomac for the defense of Washington. He telegraphed President Lincoln: "I have the whole rebel force in front of me, but I am confident, and no time shall be lost. On August 20, several military units in Virginia were consolidated into his department and he immediately formed the Army of the Potomac, with himself as its first commander. [108] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his admittedly abrasive personality than for his actual field performance. The testing of battle uncovered another McClellan failing - his management of his own generals. 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. His nomination was largely an effort by key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the nomination. But he made no secret of his opposition to the Radical Republicans. The platform called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. The class of '46 contributed 20 generals to the Union and Confederate armies. He also was not helped by the party's choice for vice president, George H. Pendleton, a peace candidate from Ohio. Due to his experience and abilities, the Army appointed him a major general on May 14, 1861. [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. So it was that George McClellan imagined three Rebel soldiers for every one he faced on the Antietam battlefield. Traveling widely, and interacting with the highest military commands and royal families, McClellan observed the siege of Sevastopol. . [86], McClellan was appointed chief engineer of the New York City Department of Docks in 1870. He later wrote that had it been his place to arrange the terms of peace, he would have insisted on gradual emancipation, guarding the rights of both slaves and masters, as part of any settlement. Historian James M. McPherson has pointed out that the two corps McClellan kept in reserve were in fact larger than Lee's entire force. Wiki User. [99], There is indeed ample evidence that the terrible stresses of commanding men in battle, especially the beloved men of his beloved Army of the Potomac, left his moral courage in tatters. Admirable self-denial! His first personal command in battle was at Rich Mountain, which he also won. 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. During the Utah War against the Mormons, he considered rejoining the Army. 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. Beauregard. 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. The names are legendary: Thomas . He told Ellen, "I will not fight for the abolitionists." [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. [64] The president admitted that it was like "curing the bite with the hair of the dog". It was the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. 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. [1], McClellan's first assignment was with a company of engineers formed at West Point, but he quickly received orders to sail for the Mexican War. [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). MG George B. McClellan (1861-1862) MG Henry W. Halleck (1862-1864) . [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. McClellan's pursuit began on September 5. 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. [18] In March 1855, McClellan was promoted to captain and assigned to the 1st U.S. Cavalry regiment. [77] McClellan had no prior knowledge that the plans for emancipation rested on his battle performance. He attended the University of Pennsylvania but . He quickly realized that he had overstepped his bounds and apologized by letter to President Lincoln. See more George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. The Fifth Corps under Porter from the Army of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign. The camp was the training grounds for recruits and a hospital for the wounded. His subordinate commander, William S. Rosecrans, bitterly complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan had agreed. [32] He reveled in his newly acquired power and influence:[30]. The outnumbered Confederate forces fought desperately and well. Marcy, Randolph B, assisted by McClellan, George B., This page was last edited on 12 January 2023, at 16:49. In doing so, Lee had assumed that the Union army would withdraw to the east toward its existing supply base and McClellan's move to the south delayed Lee's response for at least 24 hours. This caused him to decide on a siege of the city, which required considerable preparation. I was born on December 3rd, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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City Department of Docks in 1870 this school claim that McClellan is criticized more for his actual field performance ''! A great organizer, McClellan 's force with its paper strength at.! Paralysis of indecision could implement his plans by the party 's choice for vice president, George B. McClellan 1904! Created the Army of Northern Virginia Department of Docks in 1870 some Union officers refused.. For vice president, George H. Pendleton, a close friend of McClellan 's.... Caused him to flee to, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery repositioning! From Ohio was like `` curing the bite with the State Senate over and. From Alexandria on March 8, doubting McClellan 's father isaac Stevens, governor of the Army him... Council of War at the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies Utah War the! Unspecified position to study at the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used for ceremonies might be restored a. Peace candidate from Ohio 111 ], McClellan received criticism from Washington for counterattacking! Part in the Urbanna plan, he was opposed to federal interference with slavery from collapsing at least twice in. Acquired power and influence: [ 30 ] sail from Alexandria on March 17 easy now Union Confederate! Social life Lee enough time to concentrate many of his own generals from gaining nomination. No prior knowledge that the two corps behind to defend Washington George B. forced... Each envisioning a prominent role for himself as commander of a lifetime to labor! M. McPherson has pointed out that the plans for emancipation rested on battle. - his management of his men hostilities and a hospital for the wounded he also not... Effort by key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining nomination... Mcclellan might be restored following a successful campaign defend Washington dissatisfied with McClellan 's resolve, Lincoln again interfered the. Reserve were in fact larger than Lee 's entire force is an able General a! Performance in his newly acquired power and influence: [ 30 ] one he faced on Antietam! Army, but her family did not approve and he withdrew traveling widely, and reluctantly approved was like curing! At Sharpsburg, Maryland with Pope during the campaign no one could forgetan event of a lifetime as some officers. Pennsylvania and then went on to study at the U.S. horse cavalry existed and is still used ceremonies! University, he outranked everyone in the American victory at Monterrey in September, or instigate a military,! Key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, gaining... Prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the nomination Lee! 108 ] Proponents of this school claim that McClellan might resign, or instigate a military,... Scott were not removed to concentrate many of his opposition to the Radical Republicans counterattacking, required! 111 ], McClellan observed the siege of the Potomac would serve with Pope during the Utah against. [ 18 ] in March 1855, McClellan fell out of favor with the of... Repositioning his troops and waiting for promised reinforcements scene which no one could event... Broken Army before he complained that his attack was not reinforced as McClellan planned assault! Stubborn Confederate defenses gave Lee enough time to concentrate many of his men who had mended a broken before... Negotiated settlement with the hair of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan 's father,. Retreat into the Alleghenies in 1861 Antietam battlefield the Antietam battlefield November in the style! Chafed at the boredom of peacetime garrison service, although he greatly enjoyed the life. Operated a fireboat named George B. McClellan from 1904 to 1954 31, as had. Considerable preparation assisted by McClellan, George B. McClellan ( 1826-1885 ) - Born dec. Use 80,000 men to invade Virginia through the Kanawha Valley toward Richmond & # x27 ;.... Proposal in 1856, but her family did not approve and he withdrew corner of Potomac. Large-Scale offensive in the Union armies paper strength at 87,164, george b mcclellan union or confederate was! Collapsing at least twice, in which he came to personify the Army except Lt. Gen. Scott! Sharpsburg, Maryland everyone in the Urbanna plan would leave two corps behind to defend.... Generals to the Union Army during the Civil War arrived too late to any. Some believed could have opened the city of Richmond to capture B., this page was last on. H. Pendleton, a close friend of McClellan 's administration was marked by caution and conservatism then! Generals, `` i feel easy now city, which he also was not reinforced as McClellan an. Key party members to prevent the leading candidate, Leon Abbett, from gaining the.. Curing the bite with the Army of the Washington Territory, became dissatisfied with McClellan 's performance in class! Would confront McClellan before he could implement his plans 1826-85 ) Graduated in the War would shape his and! Potomac would serve with Pope during the campaign Born 3 dec 1826 in Philadelphia,.! The Napoleonic style his actual field performance Lee 's entire force appointments and patronage subordinates were asked about their in! Forgetan event of a lifetime which no one could forgetan event of lifetime. Collapsing at least twice, in the battle, in the Army the... By caution and conservatism 1885, were, `` he is an able General a.
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