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George McClellan
George McClellan was a lieutenant during the Mexican American War and a Union Major General during the Civil War. He was also the 24th Governor of New Jersey and a Presidential hopeful in 1864.
McClellan graduated from West Point academy as 2nd in his class in 1846 and was placed as a lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers. In October of 1846, McClellan was sent down to the Texas Mexico border to serve under future president Gen. Zachary Taylor. McClellan would then serve under Gen. Winfield Scott where he would run reconnaissance missions missions while in Mexico. After the war, McClellan returned to West Point to rejoin the Army of Engineers.
At the beginning of the Civil War, McClellan sided with the Union and excepted a position as General of Ohio volunteers. In short time, McClellan would take command of the Department of Ohio which included giving him control of the armies in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, western Pennsylvania, and western Virginia. He would take control of the forces of western Virgina taking two decisive victories over the confederacy forcing them to leave the area. This would make McClellan a national heroe and help Virginia split into two different states.
In 1861, after the loss at the Battle of Bull Run, President Lincoln called for McClellan to take over that Army of the Potomic and lead them against confederate forces. McClellan, at this time, was second in charge to only Winfield Scott who was commander and chief of the United States Army. After taking over the army, McClellan saw different than what other Union generals saw and became very suspicious of everybody around him. He was one of a few generals in the United States Army who believed in slavery because it was written in the Constitution. He started refusing to explain his war strategies and kept them a secret from the likes of Major General Winfield Scott. Scott would hand Lincoln his resignation due to distrust among him and McClellan to which Lincoln would refuse. After hearing from sources that McClellan would resign for the same reason, Lincoln accepted Scott's resignation dur to health issues. This would make McClellan the Commander and Chief of the United States Army.
After taking command of the army, McClellan would be slow to attack the confederate forces around Washington. McClellan had become paranoid and thought the confederacy had around 150,000 troops stationed there while there was less then 35,000. Lincoln and his cabinet became very frustrated with McClellan and ordered him to the White House to force him to tell his strategy for attacking the confederacy. McClellan would do so in which Lincoln would order him to strike now. After more slow movement by McClellan, Lincoln was forced to remove McClellan from his duty as commander and allow him to only serve as General of the Army of the Potomic.
McClellan would lead his group down to Richmond, Va and onto Williamsburg, Va where he would chase Confederate Major Robert E Lee. While see victories in Virginia, Lee was able to escape McClellan each time. He finally tracked Lee down one lat time outside Sharpsburg, Md at the Battle of Antietam. However, McClellan came down with a fever and missed much war action so he was forced to rely on his men, but McClellan had still not given anybody his strategy. The Union would take the victory at Antietam but Lee still escaped. Congress put all blame on McClellan and Lincoln removed him from duty awarding General Burnside the Army of the Potomic and Ulysses S Grant as commander and chief.
In 1864, as Lee moved into Pennsylvania and Gettysburg, Lincoln and Grant tried to have McClellan reinstated into the army to lead a group into Gettysburg, but Congress refused the reinstatement. McClellan would turn his attention to politics where he would receive the Democratic nod to run for President in 1864. McClellan would run against President Lincoln and would support the continuation of war. His race was held up with inconsistency when Ohio congressman, George Pendleton, was chosen as his running mate. Pendleton was a peace time supporter and spoke out against the war. Lincoln would win the election easily at an electoral vote of 212 to 21 and a poplar vote of 55% to 45%.
In 1868, the democrats wanted McClellan to run again for President, but he refused when he found out Ulysses S Grant was running as the Republican. In 1877, McClellan was taken by surprise when he was nominated to run for the off ice of Governor of New Jersey even though he had never shown interest. McClellan accepted the nomination and won the election serving one term as the 24th Governor of New Jersey.
George McClellan passed away in 1885. He is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, NJ.
George McClellan
George McClellan was a lieutenant during the Mexican American War and a Union Major General during the Civil War. He was also the 24th Governor of New Jersey and a Presidential hopeful in 1864.
McClellan graduated from West Point academy as 2nd in his class in 1846 and was placed as a lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers. In October of 1846, McClellan was sent down to the Texas Mexico border to serve under future president Gen. Zachary Taylor. McClellan would then serve under Gen. Winfield Scott where he would run reconnaissance missions missions while in Mexico. After the war, McClellan returned to West Point to rejoin the Army of Engineers.
At the beginning of the Civil War, McClellan sided with the Union and excepted a position as General of Ohio volunteers. In short time, McClellan would take command of the Department of Ohio which included giving him control of the armies in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, western Pennsylvania, and western Virginia. He would take control of the forces of western Virgina taking two decisive victories over the confederacy forcing them to leave the area. This would make McClellan a national heroe and help Virginia split into two different states.
In 1861, after the loss at the Battle of Bull Run, President Lincoln called for McClellan to take over that Army of the Potomic and lead them against confederate forces. McClellan, at this time, was second in charge to only Winfield Scott who was commander and chief of the United States Army. After taking over the army, McClellan saw different than what other Union generals saw and became very suspicious of everybody around him. He was one of a few generals in the United States Army who believed in slavery because it was written in the Constitution. He started refusing to explain his war strategies and kept them a secret from the likes of Major General Winfield Scott. Scott would hand Lincoln his resignation due to distrust among him and McClellan to which Lincoln would refuse. After hearing from sources that McClellan would resign for the same reason, Lincoln accepted Scott's resignation dur to health issues. This would make McClellan the Commander and Chief of the United States Army.
After taking command of the army, McClellan would be slow to attack the confederate forces around Washington. McClellan had become paranoid and thought the confederacy had around 150,000 troops stationed there while there was less then 35,000. Lincoln and his cabinet became very frustrated with McClellan and ordered him to the White House to force him to tell his strategy for attacking the confederacy. McClellan would do so in which Lincoln would order him to strike now. After more slow movement by McClellan, Lincoln was forced to remove McClellan from his duty as commander and allow him to only serve as General of the Army of the Potomic.
McClellan would lead his group down to Richmond, Va and onto Williamsburg, Va where he would chase Confederate Major Robert E Lee. While see victories in Virginia, Lee was able to escape McClellan each time. He finally tracked Lee down one lat time outside Sharpsburg, Md at the Battle of Antietam. However, McClellan came down with a fever and missed much war action so he was forced to rely on his men, but McClellan had still not given anybody his strategy. The Union would take the victory at Antietam but Lee still escaped. Congress put all blame on McClellan and Lincoln removed him from duty awarding General Burnside the Army of the Potomic and Ulysses S Grant as commander and chief.
In 1864, as Lee moved into Pennsylvania and Gettysburg, Lincoln and Grant tried to have McClellan reinstated into the army to lead a group into Gettysburg, but Congress refused the reinstatement. McClellan would turn his attention to politics where he would receive the Democratic nod to run for President in 1864. McClellan would run against President Lincoln and would support the continuation of war. His race was held up with inconsistency when Ohio congressman, George Pendleton, was chosen as his running mate. Pendleton was a peace time supporter and spoke out against the war. Lincoln would win the election easily at an electoral vote of 212 to 21 and a poplar vote of 55% to 45%.
In 1868, the democrats wanted McClellan to run again for President, but he refused when he found out Ulysses S Grant was running as the Republican. In 1877, McClellan was taken by surprise when he was nominated to run for the off ice of Governor of New Jersey even though he had never shown interest. McClellan accepted the nomination and won the election serving one term as the 24th Governor of New Jersey.
George McClellan passed away in 1885. He is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Trenton, NJ.