Biography of george mcclellan
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Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1998.
Sears, Stephen W. George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. His campaign was marred by a schism that split the Democratic vote along pro- and anti-war lines.
A staunch “War Democrat” committed to the preservation of the Union, McClellan was forced to battle elements of his own party in addition to Lincoln, and he was easily beaten.
Governor McClellan
Following his presidential defeat, McClellan resigned from the army and spent several years in Europe.
McClellan and his Army of the Potomac once again became the Union’s primary field force in Virginia. McClellan’s later years were spent writing a memoir called McClellan’s Own Story, which was published after his 1885 death at the age of 58.
About
George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1826.
Frustrated that McClellan had again failed to destroy Lee’s army, Lincoln officially removed him from command in November 1862.
In 1864, the Democratic Party nominated McClellan to run against Lincoln for the presidency. Through triumph and failure, McClellan’s service in the Army during the Civil War contributed to Union victory, though his legacy is still debated by historians.
Born on December 3, 1826, to a prominent Philadelphia family, George Brinton McClellan enjoyed a privileged upbringing.
“A New Man in Charge: George B. McClellan (Part 1): Fooled by the Guns at Munson’s Hill.” Facetoface (blog). Due to his experience and abilities, the Army appointed him a major general on May 14, 1861. Despite having assembled a massive fighting force, McClellan was wary of the Confederate Army—which he believed, through faulty intelligence, to be much stronger than it actually was—and was reluctant to mount a mass offensive.
His inaction annoyed President Abraham Lincoln and newly appointed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, and in January 1862 they issued a general order instructing the Army of the Potomac to move south into Confederate territory.
He led the Army of the Potomac against Lee’s forces again at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862. By November 1861, McClellan had assembled an army of 168,000 troops and fortified the capital of Washington, D.C.
That same month, McClellan succeeded Winfield Scott as general-in-chief of the Union Army. https://books.google.com/books?id=99caPGVgXDYC&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Perry, Warren.
When General Robert E. Lee took control of Confederate forces on June 1, he launched a series of bold offensives that culminated in the Seven Days Battles.
Furious at Lincoln’s refusal to send him reinforcements, McClellan retreated to the base of the James River, at which point his army was ordered to return to Washington.
Aggravated at what he saw as indecisiveness on the part of McClellan, Lincoln had grown dissatisfied with his most famous general.
Many historians, both past and present, heavily criticized McClellan’s conduct. The Confederates withdrew toward Richmond, and McClellan’s troops fought their way to within only a few miles of the city.
Despite his strong position, McClellan failed to capitalize on his tactical advantage, once again believing that he might be outnumbered.
He was buried in the Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, New Jersey.
Source
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. On November 1, 1861, he became general-in-chief of all U.S. armies.
McClellan’s many qualities, such as his skills in organization and logistics, were often undone by his arrogance and cautiousness.
George B. McClellan and Civil War History: In the Shadow of Grant and Sherman. He married Mary Ellen Marcy, on May 22, 1860.
With the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, northern civilian leaders encouraged McClellan to re-enter federal military service. After leaving the military, McClellan established a career in the railroad industry.