George B. McClellan
Union general and 24th governor of New Jersey
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George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer, politician, and engineer who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881, as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 1862, and the unsuccessful Democratic Party candidate in the 1864 presidential election.
Background
McClellan graduated second in his class at West Point in 1846 and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War, where he was appointed brevet first lieutenant for his services at Contreras and Churubusco and captain for his service at Chapultepec. He later organized and led the Union Army in the Peninsula campaign in 1862, which ended in defeat after the Seven Days Battles. He was removed from command in November 1862 after failing to pursue Robert E. Lee following the Battle of Antietam.
Did You Know?
- McClellan translated a French manual on bayonet tactics and published it in 1852.
- He served as chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad, and later president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1860.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: George B. McClellan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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