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George B. McClellan Facts

George B. McClellan Facts
George Brinton McClellan an American general who served in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the United States Civil War (1861-1865). Although he was a respected commander by both his men and his opponents, McClellan's approach on the battlefield was often too conservative to be effective. After the Civil War was over, McClellan embarked on a career in politics, becoming the Governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881. McClellan was born on December 3, 1826 to a well-connected family in Philadelphia. George was accepted to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York in 1842, just shy of his sixteenth birthday. He graduated in 1846 and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant and then served in the Mexican-American War. McClellan married Mary Ellen Marcy on May 22, 1860. The couple would have a boy and a girl.
Interesting George B. McClellan Facts:
Although a diehard Unionist, McClellan was a lifelong Democrat and was sympathetic to the Southern cause.
McClellan's service in the Mexican-American War shaped his later military philosophy, particularly the merging of military, civilian, and political affairs.
Always known for being more of an intellectual, scholarly soldier, McClellan wrote numerous pamphlets and papers on military tactics.
After touring Europe in the 1850s, McClellan designed a new saddle for the United States Army.
Between the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, McClellan worked as an executive for different railroads.
George McClellan was promoted to major general in the Union Army on May 14, 1861.
Although McClellan's organization of the Union Army into a modern fighting force was a major factor in the Union's long-term success, his battlefield tactics were often outdated and ineffective: he favored massive, frontal engagements that were very costly.
McClellan was generally well-liked by his troops, who referred to him as "Young Napoleon" and "Little Mac."
McClellan replaced Winfield Scott as the general-in-chief of the Union Army on November 1, 1861.
During the spring and summer of 1862, McClellan led the Union army on the Peninsula Campaign, which was intended to encircle Richmond.
McClellan's inaction was often the result of his belief that he simply did not have enough men to fight: his lack of confidence and indecision are often seen as the reason why he lost the Seven Days Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862) and the ultimate Union withdrawal from the Peninsula Campaign.
Despite technically leading the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, McClellan refused to pursue and crush General Lee's forces, so President Lincoln on November 5, 1862.
The Democrats nominated McClellan to run against President Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election: McClellan lost to Lincoln in a landslide.
After the war, McClellan worked as an engineer, wrote, and eventually became the governor of New Jersey.
George B. McClellan died of a heart attack at the age of fifty-eight in Orange, New Jersey on October 29, 1885.


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