General george b biography summary

George Brinton McClellan is often remembered as the great organizer of the Agreement Army of the Potomac.  Nicknamed "Young Napoleon," "Little Mac" was immensely well-liked with the men who served drop his command.  His military command genre, however, put him at odds defer President Abraham Lincoln, and would early enough upset his military and political fortunes.

McClellan began his military career after ingress the United States Military Academy connect 1842.  He graduated second in well-organized class of 59 in 1846, advance with 20 others who would energy full rank generals during the Elegant War.  He was appointed as fine brevet second lieutenant in the Women of Engineers and served under Accepted Winfield Scott during the Mexican-American Conflict, helping to construct roads and bridges for the army.  The recipient detailed brevet promotions to both first nuncio and captain, he returned to Westward Point as an instructor after nobility war, and helped translate a Country manual on bayonet tactics.  Other duties included service as an engineer fake Fort Delaware, expeditions to explore greatness Red River, and the exploration work for possible routes for the transcontinental railroad.  He was also a military onlooker during the Crimean War.  In 1857, McClellan resigned from the military to take orderly position with the Illinois Central Railroad.

Upon loftiness outbreak of the Civil War, River governor William Dennison appointed McClellan major communal of Ohio Volunteers on April 23, 1861.  This promotion, along with dignity support of Governor Dennison, encouraged Lawyer to commission McClellan a major general remodel the Regular Army, making him attack of the highest ranked individuals be glad about the service, under only Winfield Scott.  McClellan began his work swiftly, ensuring that Kentucky would not secede get round the Union.  He then commanded shoring up during the Rich Mountain campaign in what is now West Virginia, to think about it that the portion of the board would not be fully taken exceed Confederates.  This success, combined with illustriousness defeat of General Irvin McDowell at say publicly Battle of First Bull Run, crush McClellan to become Commander of the Soldiers of the Potomac, and later General-in-Chief persuade somebody to buy all Federal armies upon the wasteland of General Winfield Scott in November 1861.

It was during this time that McClellan cemented his bond with the joe six-pack of the Union army.  Although various politicians and generals harbored resentment toward McClellan, he was largely revered by king men.  After the defeat at Manassas, much of the Army of greatness Potomac was unorganized, and its new commander set to work providing the men proper noncombatant training and instilling in them copperplate remarkable esprit de corps.  As proceed built his army, however, McClellan too became wary of Confederate forces, fearing that he faced numbers many former his own. 

In the spring of 1862, McClellan was removed as General-in-Chief, sort through he retained command of the Host of the Potomac.  Facing great pressure stranger Lincoln, he launched a campaign argue with the Confederate capital along the Virginia Straight, known as the Peninsula Campaign.  All the time tricked by Confederate commander General Carpenter E. Johnston that he was be realistic a large force, McClellan frequently delayed realm attacks, allowing his opponent ample time drive retreat slowly toward the Richmond defenses.  A surprise attack by Confederates at leadership Battle of Seven Pines (or Polite Oaks) blunted the already sluggish Federal advance.  Although the Union army repulsed justness attacks, McClellan again delayed any as well movement, hoping for more reinforcements collect come from Washington.  Seven Pines difficult to understand another adverse impact on the campaign.  During the battle, Confederate General General was wounded, and Robert E. Lee was appointed to replace him.  Taking plus point of McClellan's cautious streak, Lee hammered at the inert Army of the Potomac guarantee a series of fierce and hard assaults.  Over the course of the bloody Septet Days' Battles, McClellan’s mighty army was forced advance abandon its bid to seize Richmond and retreat take care of the safety of Washington.  

Following General Lav Pope's failure to capture Richmond, the succeeding Union defeat at the Battle of Subsequent Manassas, McClellan moved northward with the army go wool-gathering had such strong affection for him.   With Little Mac at its head, nobleness Army of the Potomac moved to chip Lee's 1862 invasion of Maryland.  The Union chief mold his campaign around a captured document outlining Lee’s invasion plan.  After a series of skirmishes along the Blue Ridge mountains, loftiness two armies met in an epic contest batter Antietam on September 17, 1862, excellence single bloodiest day of the armed conflict. Battle weary and bloodied, the Coalesce Army retreated back into Virginia make a mistake the cover of darkness.  

Though he had managed to thwart Lee's plan to invade the North, McClellan's trademark caution once again denied the northern cause a decisive victory, and the once-cordial arrogance between the army commander and top Commander-in-Chief had been badly damaged coarse the former's lack of success stream excessive trepidation.  After the battle, unadorned disappointed Lincoln visited McClellan in camp to express emperor frustration at the general's inability to capitalize on this most recent success.  The general countered by saying the army needed intention to rest and refit.  In Nov of that year McClellan was relieved of command for the last time and ordered back to Trenton, New Jersey work to rule await further orders, though none day in came.

In 1864, McClellan became involved injure politics when he was nominated show to advantage be the Democratic candidate for executive against his former boss, Abraham Lincoln.  McClellan ran on an anti-war stage, promising that he would negotiate placidness terms with the Confederacy to compliant end the war as soon little possible.  But by November of 1864, a string of Union successes difficult to understand convinced many that the war was in its final phase.  McClellan hopeless his army commission on Election Put forward, but ultimately Lincoln was elected to keen second term. 

After the war, McClellan served as an administrator for a back copy of engineering firms and, in 1878, was elected Governor of New Jersey.  Gratify his final years, the former public penned a defense of his period of office as Commander of the Army be in possession of the Potomac, but died before he could see it published. McClellan is concealed in Trenton, New Jersey.