Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-06
majer General George b. Mcclellan.

~ ~ n ~
Next in rank to Lieutenant General Scott
stands Major General George B. Mcclellan.
He Is hardly thirty,fve years OF age, having
been born in Philadelphia on December .,
1926. Al the age Of sixteen he entered the
Military Academy at West Point, graduating
with the rank oi Brevet Second Lieutenant OF
Engineers.
Until the Mexican war, however, he had no
opportunity Of distinguishing himself, ard then,
"for gallant and meritorious conduct in the bat
tlesof Contreras and Cherubusco," as the or
ders expressed 1t, he was Breveted First Lieu
tenant. "For gallant and meritorious conduct
In the battle OF Molino del Rey," on Sept. 8,
l647, be was offered Brevet Captaincy, which
he declined. He was advanced to this rank,
however, subsequently, "for gallant and meri.
torious conduct in the battle of Chapultepec," I"
and received the command of company Of
Sappers. Miners, and Pontoneers, in May, 1S4S.
At the close of the Mexican war he returned
to West Point, where he remained on duty with
the sappers and miners until 1851. During this
time he introduced the bayonet exercise in the ar.
my, and translated and adapted manual which
has since become text book for the service.
During the summer and fall Of 1851 he super
intended the construction Of Fort Delaware, and
| In the succeeding spring was assigned to duty
uuubr mhIUF II. d. III tuo A1ApCuihoh hOt
the Exploration Of the Red River. Thence he
was ordered direct to Texas as Senior Engi-
neer, on the staff of Gen. Persifer F. Smith, and
was engaged for some months in surveying the
rivers and harbors of that State. In 1853 be
was ordered to the Pacific coast, in command Of
the Western Division of the survey of the North
Pacific Railroad route.
He returned to the East in 1854, on duty con.
nected with the Pacific survey, and was engaged
also in secret service to the West Indies. The
next year he received commission in the First
Regiment Of Cavalry, and was appointed q
member of the Commission which went to the
seat of war in the Crimea and In Northern Rus
sa. Col. Richard Delafeld, one of his COL
leagues, s now an officer in the rebel army, ant
and Major Alfred Mordecai, the third member
of the Commission, short time ago resigned
the Superintendency of the Troy Arsenal. Msjo
McClellsn's report on the Reorganization of Eu
ropean Armies and the Operations Of the War,
quarto volume, embodying the result of hil
observations in the Crimea, greatly enhanced
| his reputation as scientific soldier.
In January, 1857, weary of inaction, he re-
signed his position in the army, to become Vic,
President and Engineer Of the Illinois Centra
Railroad, which post he held for three years
when he was offered and accepted the Presiden
cy of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, o
which he was also General Superintendent
When our domestic troubles assumed formida.
BILE dimensions, Major McClellan's services wer
at once called into requisition. Gov. Curtin, o
Pennsylvania, tried 10 secure the benefit Of hi
experience in organizing the volunteers from
that State, but the tender of the Major Gene
ralship Of the Ohio forces reached him first, an
he at once accepted it. On May 18th, he re
ceived a commission as Major General i
the u. s. army, and now has command Of th
Department of Ohio, which comprises all of tn
States of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, and tina
part of Virginia lying north of the Great Kama
wha River and west of the Green Briar Rive
and the Maryland line, with 30 much Of Penn
eylyania as lies west of line drawn from th
Maryland line to the northeast corner of Nc
Kesn county.
II must not be taken for granted that
would succeed to the Commander -in-chief q
the army, should that position unfortunately bs
come vacant, because he is next in rank t
General Scott. This Office is filled by speciS
appointment, seniority having weight only in
cidentally.
Gen. Mcclellan is now leading the Unite
States forces which crossed from Ohio into Viz
ginia on Monday night last, and the stirrin
proclamations which he has issued TO the peop
prove that he can WELD the pen as ably as b
has the sword.-N Y. Times.