The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-11-21
Gen. George II. Ez'CleisaR.
HIS LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES.

George B. Mcclellan was born in Phil
adelphia on the Sd Of December, 1926, his
father being an eminent physician of that
city. At the age of sixteen, or ln 1912,
he entered the West Point Academy, and
in 1916, at the age of twenty, was gradu-
ated second in his class. On the lst Of
July of that year he was brevetted second
lieutenant of engineers. BY an act of
Congress passed during the May previous,
a company Of sappers, miners and ponton-
iers was added to the engineer corps, and
in this company Mcclellan was commits
stoned.
Brevet Brigadier-G General Totten, Chief
Engineer of the army commanded by Gen.
Scott before Vera Cruz, speaks Of M'Clel-
lans genius and energy in that company
in the highest terms. His exertiOns In
drilling the recruits who came into his
company to be prepared for the arduous
labors Of the Mexican war, were indefati-
gable With the aid of but two other
officers he succeeded so perfectly in drill
ing the sevcnty-one raw men who had
come into his hands only two months be-
fore, that on the 9th CT September they
sailed from West Point, reported by Gen
eral Totten ''as In state of admirable
discipline
During the war this company was re-
duced to forty-fve effective men and two
officers-one of whom was Mcclellan. He
is repeatedly mentioned in connection with
the corps as exhibiting consummate pa
tience and ability His company never
once lost its discipline, and performed
some Of the most toilsome duties of the
war under very trying circumstance
General Totten makes especial mention of
the labors performed by Mcclellan before
Vera Cruz. He speaks of him as Gamma
ting his c5rps by his own devotion and
ZEAL Of ''the unsurpassed intelligence and
zeal with which he took his share In the
direction of the siege"
At Conteras, Mcclellan was selected
with another engineer to reconnoitre the
strong 5reastworks of the enemy. They
had their horses shot under them, and
barely escaped capture by the Mexican
pickets When the action commenced
Mcclellan was with Magruder's battery.
While it was sill doing splendid service,
its commander, Calender, was wounded
Mcclellan Immediately took command of
it. and managed it until it was entirely
disabled, with such success as to sustain
ali its previous reputation. Gen. Twi ggs
Immediately presented his name for pio-
motion, to General Winfield Scott, and,
after showing consummate bravery In the
action of Cherubusco, which took place
next day, he was brevetted first lieutenant
In the next battle, Molino del Rey, his
behavior was so gallant that he was eleva-
! ted to a captaincy He declined to receive
/ - ha 1ax of
| Chapultepec, when Gen. Scott mentioned
| him as ''winning the admiration of all
about him" He was the first to enter
the Alameda with company which he
commanded, and during the day of the
assault repulsed body of Mexicans great
~ outnumbering his own corps, with loss
of twenty to the enemy.
| He continued in active service from the
commencement of his company's organl
cation until General Scott occupied the
city of Mexico He returned from the
war with the rank of captain, and the
command of the company, now greatly
augmented, of sappers, miners and pom.
toniers. Between 1S4S and 1891 ht
translated from the French manual o.
bayonet exercise, which has become the
text book of the army.
In 1851 he superintended the construc
tion of Fort Delaware In 1852 he eX
plored the Red River. under Captain
Marcy. and surveyed the harbors and riv
ers OF Texas as senior engineer on the stat
of General Persifer Smith.
In 1858 Mcclellan was employed on th
survey TO ascertain the best route for
railrood between the Mississippi and tn
Pacific also in the exploration of tn