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General George Mcclellan

Brian Markham
Mr. Dalton
APUSH
January 10, 2009
General George McClellan
George McClellan was born on December 3, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.   He attended the University of Pennsylvania and later West Point.   He graduated second in his class.   McClellan served in the Mexican War under Winfield Scott.   He worked on the U.S. Coast Defenses after the war and taught a little at West Point.   He joined the cavalry and became an official observer to the Crimean War.   He eventually redesigned the U.S. Army saddle to be easier on the horse, if a little harder on the rider.   He resigned and began work as an engineer for the Ohio and Mississippi.
George McClellan reentered military life with the Ohio Volunteers.   Within days he was commanding forces in western Virginia.   In May of 1861 he was brought back into the regular army and jumped from Captain to Major General.   When the Army of the Potomac was defeated at the Battle of First Bull Run, he was the obvious candidate to replace McDowell.   In November of 1861 McClellan was named General-in-Chief of the U.S. Army.   He was answerable only to President Lincoln.   Often, however, he didn't even answer to Lincoln and instead declined to meet with him.   The winter of 1861-1862 was spent training the army because it wasn't very good.
McClellan's army began a campaign in spring to move down the Chesapeake Bay and up the James River.   He used Fort Monroe as a base as he marched toward Richmond.   The first obstacle was a small Confederate army at Yorktown.   They quickly fled so McClellan continued his campaign.   The same thing happened as McClellan continued to get closer to Richmond.   Finally, Joe Johnston decided to counter-attack McClellan's army and earned himself another wound, but not a victory.   The strength of McClellan's army was so great he could have badly damaged the Army of Northern Virginia, but he was too slow to act.   Robert E. Lee's army had a little over half the strength of McClellan's army.   Lee...