Cyclopædia of Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States

McCLELLAN

McCLELLAN, George Brinton, was born at Philadelphia Dec. 3, 1826, was graduated at West Point in 1846, and became a captain during the Mexican war. In 1855 he was sent to Europe, with two other officers, to study the operations of the Crimean war. In 1857 he retired to private life as chief engineer of the Illinois Central railway; and in 1861 he was appointed major general of volunteers from Ohio. May 14, 1861, he was commissioned major general in the regular army, and late in June and early in July he cleared West Virginia of the enemy's forces. In July he took command of the army of the Potomac, and in November, 1861, of all the armies of the United States. In the latter part of June and the beginning of July, 1862, he fought the series of "seven days' battles" around Richmond; in September, 1862, he won the battle of Antietam; and Nov. 7, 1862, he was relieved of his command, and ordered to report at Trenton, N. J. Aug. 28, 1864, he was nominated for the presidency by the democratic national convention (see DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN PARTY, VI.), and was defeated in November. (See ELECTORAL VOTES.) In 1877 he was elected governor of New Jersey. (See NEW JERSEY.)

—See Hillard's Hurlburt's Delmar's and Victor's lives of McClellan; Barnard's Peninsular Campaign; Swinton's Campaigns of the Army of the Potomac; 3-5 Scribner's Campaigns of the Civil War.