, 1862-02-22
Maior-General Mcclellan.

Major-General Mcclellan.
Major General George B. Mcclellan was born
in Philadelphia, in the year 1926 At the early
age of fifteen he went to West Point, where he
graduated in 1916. He was universally regarded
there as young man of extraordinary promise,
and, with his class cf instructors, he bore char
acter for intelligence and military talent. His
first active duty was at Vera Cruz, as a member
of the corps of Engineers. He served through
the whole seige ard rendered eminent services in
his department. Col Totten, the chief of the
engineer corps, in the official report of the opera
ton of his corps during the investment of that
city, speaks of Mcclellan in the highest terms.
At the battle of Cerro Gordo, Mcclellan was at
tached to Pillows command in the attack on the
enemys right. That General in his official re-
port spoke of his great zeal and activity in the
discharge of his duties" Gen. Scott, also, in his
official report of that battle, refers to Mcclellan
in terms of high praise.
with Twigg's Division, and in company with Lee,
made a bold reconnaissance of the enemy. At
these battles he greatly distinguished himself,
and Twggs in his report said, that "not only did
he render gallant services in his proper depart
ment, but when Calender was wounded, Nc
Clellan took charge of the howitzer battery, with
judgment and with success, until it became so DIS
abled as to require shelter. For Lieut. McClel-
lan's efficiency and gallantry in this affair, pre-
sent mis- name for the valuable consideration of
the General-in-chief"
On the fields of Contreras and Cherubusco
both his ability and his bravery won the strong
commendation of his commanding officers Gen.
Persiior Smith states, " in the battles of Pedre-
gal, Contreras and Cherubusco, with Smith (NIa-
jor Smith, of the engneers) and Mcclellan, moth
ing seemed too bold to be undertaken, or too diff
fcult to be executed their services rendered as
engineers were valuable as those they rendered
in battle, at the head of their gallant sappers.
etc."
Mcclellan also superintended, or aided in the
construction of all the batteries which invested
and bombarded Chapultepec Gen. Pillow names
with distinction, and Major Smith, Cat the head
of the engineer corps) specifies him
particularly as participating with great credit in
all the battles in the valley of Mexico, rendering
important services in the conduct of Reconnaissance,
serving batteries, and erecting works.
1t must be remembered that during this pc
rod-when rendering services of great import
ance, in such manner as TO win the praise and
official notice of every General under whom he
served-McClellan was but twenty-one years of
age Already while a mere youth, he was gen
orally recognized in the army as one of the most
skilfu efficient accomplished and mature of his
distinguished corps. In every battle fought, from
Vera Cruz to Mexico he served with distinction,
and all the leading military men on that line
unanimously spoke of him as the most brilliant
and promising young man in the army.
The war being concluded, he was selected by
the Government as one of the Commissioners TO
be sent to Europe and the Crimea Though the
youngest man on that Commission, upon him was
deyolved the duty of preparing the report to the
Government of its proceedings and observations.
The report is voluminOus, and military critics
have pronounced it one of the ablest contribu-
tons which has been furnished from any source
in this or any other country to the military liter
ature of the present century Those best COM
petent to appreciate its merits speak of it as be-
ing remarkable as well for its perfection of detail
as for its comprehensveness as a whole, embrac-
ing at once the widest range, and the most un-
considered minutiae in the science and art of war
At daylight of the morning on which Mexico
was taken, Mcclellan moved forward to the AL
media with his sappers, and until P. NJ, of that
day, was engaged in street fighting breaking
through houses with crowbars and axes, in order
to reach the enemy. This was the most desper-
ate and dangerous kind of service while en-
gagged in it, he reached strong position of the
enemy, and found himself opposed at close quar-
ters by greatly superior force of Mexicans.-
the vast odds, he and his little
band nnhesitatingly attacked the enemy and
drove them from their position, killing more than
twenty Of their number.